Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel bring lessons from the Olympics back to the Union

For a few moments, Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel saw the future.

Yes, the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team’s 4-0 loss to Morocco in the Olympic quarterfinals was a sour ending to what briefly had been a joyride: winning two of three group games in the Americans’ first run at a men’s Olympics tournament in 16 years. But as great as those vibrant victories over New Zealand and Guinea were, the real lessons came from the defeats that bookended the campaign: the opening 3-0 loss to host France and the Morocco game.

Those were the days that showcased what U.S. men’s players should aspire to: the skill, intensity, and lifelong commitment of opponents who reached the medal round. Morocco won the bronze medal on Thursday, and France will play Spain for the gold on Friday (noon, Telemundo 62, Peacock).

“You see some of the top talents and how it is across the world, so it’s a good learning experience for sure‚” said McGlynn, who has many suitors in Europe — including some who’ve called the Union this week. Harriel now has clubs asking about him as well, manager Jim Curtin revealed in a news conference Thursday.

McGlynn praised his teammates for showing “we’re a team that plays good football, kind of a different style than how you typically think of Americans. We play out of the back. We’re technical. We’re fast-paced and energetic.”

» READ MORE: Takeaways from the U.S. men’s soccer team's loss to Morocco

Harriel promised that there won’t be another 16-year Olympic drought any time soon, and not just because the Americans won’t have to qualify for Los Angeles in 2028.

“The fans are definitely upset because of [us] not coming home with a medal, and that was our goal, but at the same time, there’s positive movement,” he said. “U.S. Soccer is only going to keep on growing, and we’re definitely going to be back at the Olympics. … We’re definitely going to be sticking around, challenging these big teams, these big countries, and not backing down from anybody.”

After the U.S. was eliminated, veteran centerback Walker Zimmerman offered polite criticism of his teammates — and by extension, some of his former teammates on the senior U.S. squad.

“[Players] feel like just because we’re whoever you are, that you just can get called in,” Zimmerman told reporters in France, adding some stronger language along the way. “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.”

The 31-year-old was a key part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup team and one of three overage players on the Olympic squad to bring this exact kind of leadership. He praised his Olympic colleagues for seeming to get the point.

“I think, hopefully, they realize how unique and how short these moments are, these tournaments are,” he said. It’s just a blip in your life, and you’ll get remembered for it. But you’ve got to make sure that you operate in the right way when you’re in it because it’s so short.”

» READ MORE: The U.S. men’s soccer team earned its first Olympics quarterfinal berth in 24 years

McGlynn, who played at the under-20 World Cup last year, said he understood.

“Everyone has to take it as an honor every time they put the crest on,” he said. “You’re not just representing yourself out there. You’re representing the whole country, and your family, and everything you grew up with. Every time you put that jersey on, you have to play like that.”

Now McGlynn and Harriel face new challenges. The first is coming back to the Union to help the club win, and that starts with Friday’s Leagues Cup round of 32 game vs. CF Montréal at Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). Both players likely will take part, as they returned to town last weekend and have had time to rest.

Once the tournament run ends, it will be back to the regular season and a push toward the playoffs.

“Ready to go,” McGlynn said emphatically when asked if he’s tired.

After that, the challenge won’t just be about the Union. Can McGlynn and Harriel make it to European clubs? Can they crack a senior squad rotation that already is full of not just big-time players, but men young enough to be stalwarts beyond 2026? Even when the U.S. men were regulars at the Olympics, many of those players did not become senior-level regulars.

» READ MORE: The truth about the Leagues Cup was on full display at Subaru Park on Sunday

There’s a lesson here too, and it’s one too often ignored by young players — and starry-eyed youth coaches. They dream of England’s Premier League, with its big money, big American TV contract, and comfort of a common language and familiar food. But while many English clubs are willing to buy American players, they aren’t nearly as willing to play them.

Look no further than Downingtown’s Zack Steffen and Media’s Auston Trusty. There was much hype when they were bought by Manchester City and Arsenal, respectively, but neither player ever really stood a chance. U.S. Olympic backup goalkeeper Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina is on Chelsea’s books, but could suffer the same fate Matt Miazga did eight years ago: just two first-team games and five loans elsewhere before returning to MLS.

“If the jump is too big, you can find yourself loaned out all over the world and never get real traction at a club,” said Union manager Jim Curtin, who has watched countless prospects — from the Union and beyond — flame out in Europe over the years. “It has to be the right club at the right time. Because more often than not, you see players go overseas, which sounds great, to top clubs, but then they’re never playing for those top clubs.”

The Union’s history books hold proof of that. Brenden Aaronson started his European journey at Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg, succeeded there, then moved on to England’s Leeds United. Mark McKenzie started at Belgium’s Genk for a few years and now has interest from clubs in England and Germany.

» READ MORE: A look back at one of Brenden Aaronson's biggest moments with Leeds United

Harriel knows both players — and knows the lesson.

“Look at the kids who left here right away: Did they go to England first? No, they went to Belgium, and they went to the Austrian league,” he said. “Playing in these top leagues, no matter where at in Europe, you’ll definitely get good competition.”

Finally, look at Morocco’s Olympic team. Its European footprint is spread across Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain. Passport rules and other complications make it hard for Americans to crack those circuits, but it’s still notable that there are just two U.S. players in France’s Ligue 1 (Folarin Balogun and Emmanuel Sabbi) and Spain’s La Liga (Johnny Cardoso and Luca de la Torre).

That might seem like a more challenging path culturally at the start. But it’s more likely to get a player — and the U.S. national team — to a better place in the end.