Tag: Olympics

USWNT to face Costa Rica in Olympic send-off match in Washington, D.C.

The USWNT will play at Audi Field for the second time in its history

The U.S. women’s national team has announced that it will face Costa Rica in Washington, D.C. in its Olympic send-off match.

The match is set for July 16 at Audi Field, just nine days before the USWNT faces Zambia in its 2024 Olympics opener in Nice, France.

It will be the team’s fourth match under Emma Hayes, who is set to take over as head coach starting next month. Prior to the Costa Rica friendly, the USWNT will face South Korea in two June matches and will then take on Mexico on July 13 at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

The matches in Washington and New Jersey will feature the 18-player Olympic roster.

The USWNT and Costa Rica have faced off 17 times in their history, with the U.S. winning all 17 games. Most recently, the USWNT defeated the Ticas 3-0 in the 2022 Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal.

The USWNT has played one other match at Audi Field, defeating Nigeria 2-1 in a friendly in September 2022.

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Anthony Edwards excited to play with Steph Curry for Team USA in Olympics

The Timberwolves superstar guard mentioned Steph Curry as one of the players he’s excited to play with in the Olympics with Team USA.

With the Golden State Warriors’ season over after a loss in the play-in tournament, Steph Curry will have a head start on preparing for his debut in the Olympic Games. The Warriors All-Star point guard was one of 12 players to be named to Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

Team USA’s roster will be headlined by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and multiple other All-Star caliber players from around the association. One member of Team USA recently mentioned Curry as a player he’s excited to suit up alongside in the Olympics.

Minnesota Timberwolves superstar wing Anthony Edwards referenced Curry, along with Durant and James, as players he’s excited to play with on Team USA.

Via Complex Sports:

It will be super fun, man. I will get to play alongside my favorite player of all time which is Kevin Durant. Also, I get to play alongside LeBron [James], Steph Curry, all the goats, man. It should be fun.

Via @ComplexSports on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Steph Curry to wear No. 4 with Team USA in Olympics

The Golden State Warriors point guard will wear a new number when he suits up for Team USA in the Olympics.

While the rest of the Golden State Warriors will enter the offseason and await next season, Steph Curry has been named to Team USA for the summer Olympic games in Paris.

When suiting up for Team USA, the All-Star point guard will don a new number in Paris. Instead of his traditional No. 30, Curry will wear No. 4.

Via @chanodesigns on Twitter:

Via @warriors on Twitter:

Via @usabasketball on Twitter:

While this summer will be his first Olympic games in Paris, it won’t be Curry’s first time wearing No. 4 for Team USA. In his past appearances with Team USA in FIBA World Cups, Curry has worn No. 4.

Other notable players to wear No. 4 for Team USA include Jimmy Butler, Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley. San Antonio Spurs wing Keldon Johnson was the latest member of Team USA to wear No. 4.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Watch: Chris Mullin presents Steph Curry with Team USA jersey for Olympics

The NBA Hall of Famer presented Steph Curry with his Team USA jersey for the Olympics.

Although the Golden State Warriors season is over, Stephen Curry will not have much time away from the court this summer. The Golden State Warriors All-Star point guard is a part of Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

To celebrate his addition to Team USA for his first-ever appearance in the Olympics, Curry was presented his jersey by a Hall of Famer and former member of Team USA’s “Dream Team.”

Warrior legend Chris Mullin, who works as a pregame and postgame analyst in the Bay Area, met with Curry in San Francisco to show the two-time MVP his new Team USA jersey. Instead of No. 30, Curry will wear  No. 4 with Team USA this summer. In past FIBA competitions, Curry wore No. 4 with Team USA.

Via @NBCSWarriors on X (formerly Twitter):

Along with having his No. 17 retired by the Golden State Warriors, Mullin is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Mullin was a member of Team USA’s 1992 Olympic team in Barcelona, which was coined “The Dream Team.”

The 2024 Games in Paris will serve as Curry’s debut in the Olympics. Curry has played in a pair of FIBA World Cups with Team USA, but never the Summer Games.

The Olympics are set to begin on July 26 in Paris, France.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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Joel Embiid has a heartwarming reason why he chose to play for Team USA in the Olympics

The 2023 NBA MVP could have also played for France or Cameroon in the Olympics.

Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid will officially represent Team USA during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Embiid had the unique option to represent the United States, France, or Cameroon (though they have not yet qualified). Even though France is the host nation and he is originally from Cameroon, the 2023 NBA MVP will headline a strong roster for Team USA.

The big man said that he had a simple reason why he chose to accept the offer from United States men’s basketball managing director Grant Hill and play for head coach Steve Kerr on Team USA.

According to Embiid, he made the decision for his son, Arthur.

Embiid said the following last year (via Associated Press):

“I’ve been here for such a long time,” Embiid said in Fort Collins, Colorado, where the 76ers are having training camp — and where Embiid met with Hill this week. “For the past few years, every decision I’ve made has been based on just family. My family, my son, and having the chance to represent a country like the U.S., with my son being born here … I love my home country, but I really wanted to play in the Olympics.”

That is a great reason for his decision! When he officially received his jersey, Arthur was there with him to celebrate.

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USWNT learns Zambia will be final Olympic group stage opponent

It will be the first ever meeting between the two sides

The final piece of the Olympic group stage puzzle is now complete for the U.S. women’s national team, which learned late Tuesday that it will face Zambia in France this summer.

The USWNT was matched up with Germany and Australia in Group B in last month’s Olympic draw, and was set to be joined by a playoff winner from Africa.

That team has now been confirmed as Zambia, which defeated Morocco 2-0 in a qualifying playoff on Tuesday to advance via a 3-2 aggregate scoreline. Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda scored both goals on the evening.

The Copper Queens took part in their first major international tournament at the 2020 Olympics in Japan, and then played in their first World Cup last summer. They were eliminated at the group stage in both events.

Zambia will present a potent attacking threat with Banda and Racheal Kundananji, whom Bay FC signed for a world-record transfer fee prior to the 2024 NWSL season.

The USWNT and Zambia will open their Olympic campaigns against one another on July 25 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

The U.S. will then take on Germany at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille on July 28, before facing Australia three days later at the same venue.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Nigeria also secured its spot in the 12-team field for the Olympics, drawing South Africa 0-0 to earn a 1-0 aggregate victory. The Super Falcons will go into a tough Group C alongside Spain, Japan and Brazil.

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Iowa’s Caitlin Clark earns Olympic camp invite

U-S-A! U-S-A!

In a move that has long been speculated as a possibility, Caitlin Clark did indeed receive an invite from USA Basketball for its Olympic training camp in Cleveland on April 3-5.

Of course, that’s smack dab in the midst of the women’s NCAA Tournament. If everything goes according to plan for top-seeded Iowa (31-4, 15-3 Big Ten), the Hawkeyes will be off to Cleveland already for the Final Four.

Clark is no stranger to USA Basketball. The 6-foot senior has earned three gold medals with USA Basketball junior national teams, most recently with the 2021 USA Women’s U19 National Team.

Nine former Olympians will be taking part in the Cleveland camp. That group features five-time gold medalist Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury; Brittney Griner of the Mercury; Ariel Atkins of the Washington Mystics; Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces; Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm; Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty.

Each of the past two No. 1 overall picks, Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever and Rhyme Howard of the Atlanta Dream, are also among those that have earned Olympic camp invites.

No dates have been announced for when the women’s U.S. Olympic 5-on-5 and 3×3 teams will be named for the Paris Games, which are July 26 to August 11. The Americans are seeking their eighth consecutive 5-on-5 gold medal, and they won the inaugural 3×3 Olympic tournament at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

2024 Olympics draw: USWNT to face Germany, Australia, playoff winner

The USWNT escaped the toughest possible group, but will still face a stern test in Group B

The draw for the women’s soccer tournament at the 2024 Olympics is complete.

The U.S. women’s national team will face Germany, Australia, and either Zambia or Morocco in Group B.

Elsewhere, defending Olympic champions Canada were placed in Group A with hosts France, while defending World Cup champions Spain will once again meet Japan (the only team to beat La Roja last summer).

The U.S. were placed in Pot 1 for the draw, alongside France and Spain. The sorting of the pots meant that the USWNT was obliged to face Germany in the group stage due to rules preventing two teams from the same confederation from being placed in the same group.

From Pot 2, Canada could not be paired with the U.S., while Germany could not be placed in a group with UEFA rivals France or Spain.

The USWNT will be looking to reestablish itself as a truly elite team after two rocky showings in major tournaments. The U.S. was unconvincing in winning bronze at the 2020 Olympics, while a round-of-16 exit at last summer’s World Cup was the earliest exit from that tournament in program history.

The USWNT will start its quest for a fifth Olympic gold medal against the African qualifier on July 25 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice. The U.S. will head to Marseille for its second match, facing Germany at the Stade Vélodrome on July 28. The final USWNT group-stage clash will also be at the Stade Vélodrome, with Australia the opponent on July 31.

The Confederation of African Football’s final round of Olympic qualifying will see Zambia and Morocco play a two-legged tie in the first week of April. The winner will claim the final place in Group B. Nigeria and South Africa will square off for the other CAF place in France.

The tournament will see 12 teams sorted into three groups of four, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the quarterfinal stage. The top two third-placed teams in the group stage will complete the field for the knockout round.

Unlike the men’s tournament, which functions as an under-23 event with a handful of overage players, the women’s Olympic soccer tournament has no age restrictions.

2024 Olympic women’s soccer draw

Group A

  • France
  • Colombia
  • Canada
  • New Zealand

Group B

  • USA
  • Zambia or Morocco
  • Germany
  • Australia

Group C

  • Spain
  • Japan
  • Nigeria or South Africa
  • Brazil

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2024 Olympics draw: USMNT to face France, New Zealand, playoff winner

The USMNT will face the tournament host to kick off the Olympics on July 24

The U.S. men’s under-23 national team has been matched up with host country France, New Zealand and the winner of an Asian-African playoff following Wednesday’s 2024 Olympic draw.

The USMNT was drawn into Group A, and will face France in the tournament opener on July 24 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. 

The U.S. will then face New Zealand at the same venue on July 27, before closing out group play on July 30 at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne.

The U.S. men will participate in the Olympics for the first time since the 2008 competition in Beijing. Before qualifying through the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship, the U.S. had fallen short three Olympics in a row.

The men’s tournament will see 16 teams separated into four groups of four, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the quarterfinal stage.

So far, 12 teams have qualified. Three Asian teams will qualify through the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, which takes place from April 15 to May 3. The final spot will come from an intercontinental playoff between an Asian team and Guinea, the fourth place team from the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.

Men’s soccer at the Olympics is an under-23 event (players born on or after January 1, 2000), with every team eligible to select three overage players.

2024 Olympics men’s soccer draw

Group A

  • France
  • USA
  • AFC-CAF playoff winner
  • New Zealand

Group B

  • Argentina
  • Morocco
  • AFC 3
  • Ukraine

Group C

  • AFC 2
  • Spain
  • Egypt
  • Dominican Republic

Group D

  • AFC 1
  • Paraguay
  • Mali
  • Israel

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USWNT guaranteed to face Germany in Olympics after draw pots revealed

Even before the draw, the USWNT already knows one of its three group-stage opponents

The 2024 Olympic draw isn’t until Wednesday, but the U.S. women’s national team already knows one of its three group-stage opponents.

After the four pots for the draw were revealed on Monday, the USWNT is guaranteed to face Germany in the Paris Olympics group stage.

The USWNT will be in Pot 1 with host France and 2023 World Cup champion Spain. In Pot 2 will be Germany, Japan and Canada.

Because the USWNT can’t be drawn with Concacaf country Canada, and Germany can’t be drawn with European countries France and Spain, the USWNT and Germany already know they’ll face off at the Olympics.

The USWNT and Germany have met 35 times, with the U.S. holding a 23W-5L-7D advantage. Most recently, the two sides split a pair of friendlies in November 2022.

The draw for the 2024 Olympic men’s and women’s soccer tournament will be held on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET, and will be streamed live on FIFA+ and FIFA.com.

For the women’s tournament, 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four. The top two teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

Ten of the 12 teams have qualified, with two spots yet to be determined from Africa. South Africa will face Nigeria and Morocco will face Zambia in two-leg playoffs next month to determine the final two berths.

2024 Olympics women’s draw pots

  • Pot 1: USA, France, Spain
  • Pot 2: Germany, Japan, Canada
  • Pot 3: Brazil, Australia, Colombia
  • Pot 4: New Zealand, Africa 1, Africa 2

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