It's crazy to think that it's been 16 years since U.S. Soccer sent a men's team to the Olympics. So much has changed in that decade and a half. Indeed, 2008 feels like three or four eras ago.
Maybe this 2024 men's U23 Olympic team will usher in a new era, although that's a topic for another day. To appreciate how far soccer has come, you also have to understand where soccer was. And with the Olympics looming, it's time for an important look back at the last team that participated in the Summer Games.
It wasn't a particularly memorable run at the 2008 Olympics, to be fair. The U.S. were unfortunate to go out in the group stage in the Beijing Games, despite amassing four points. They topped Japan in their opener, drew the Netherlands and fell to Nigeria in a do-or-die clash, ending their tournament prematurely.
For that particular U23 team, though, it was just the start of their journey. Several members of that 2008 team became legendary and led the U.S. men's national team into World Cups. A few are still kicking the ball professionally even today, while several others have emerged as some of the most prominent faces in American soccer due to their post-career work.
With that in mind, GOAL revisits the 2008 squad and what happened with them in the 16 years since.