PARIS — In the aftermath of the U.S. men’s Olympic team being bounced in the quarterfinals from the Paris Games on Friday, defender Walker Zimmerman was asked what he hopes his teammates take away from this Olympic experience.
Zimmerman, one of the three permitted veteran players on this otherwise under-23 roster, hesitated for just a beat. Then he offered a soliloquy that was part criticism of U.S. Soccer’s men’s program and also part hope — a combination most fans have probably grappled with recently, too.
Ultimately, Zimmerman said, he has sensed a lessening of appreciation from some American players about the preciousness of being able to represent the United States — a reticence, he added, that can be incredibly damaging.
“I think to some degree we’ve gotten away from that and (players) feel like just because we’re whoever you are that you just can get called in — that stuff pisses me off,” Zimmerman said. “I think guys need to, every time they put on the jersey, I don’t care how talented you are, you want to play with pride. I think we have the characters to do it, but we don’t always do it.”
Strong words, to be sure — and Zimmerman, 31, didn’t offer any specific names — but with 42 senior team caps and his history at the heart of the 2022 U.S. World Cup team, Zimmerman’s opinion comes from a meaningful foundation. It also comes from a place of optimism, at least insofar as what he would like to see in the future from his Olympic teammates.
