Nathan Harriel’s years of hard work pay off with a place on the U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team

When Nathan Harriel made his way up the Union academy’s ranks a few years ago, he didn’t have as much hype as other prospects.

Perhaps it didn’t help that he wasn’t originally from here, growing up in the Tampa, Fla., area and moving here in 2018 to attend the Union’s high school. Or that defensive prospects don’t usually get as much hype as attacking ones (though plenty of Union defenders have). Or that he only rarely made U.S. youth teams until recently, which means the rest of the country didn’t hype him up, either.

No, Harriel became a Union stalwart the old-fashioned way: with a whole lot of hard work. And now he has his biggest reward yet.

Four years after turning pro with the reserves and three years after reaching the first team, the 23-year-old right back is part of the U.S. men’s Olympic team. He’s off to France this week with Union teammate Jack McGlynn to prepare for the Summer Games’ kickoff at the end of the month.

» READ MORE: The Union’s Jack McGlynn makes the U.S. Olympic soccer team, opening the door to stardom

“Playing on a bigger stage, for my country, representing my hometown of Oldsmar, Florida — just extremely honored to be a part of it, and actually making it happen,” Harriel told The Inquirer. “Growing up, as young kid I watched so much of every Olympics there was.”

He was most into track and field back then, because he was a runner. Alas, Harriel probably won’t be able to meet up with Team USA’s sprinters and hurdlers in Paris, because his team will play its group games down south in Marseille and Saint-Étienne.

Then again, if the Americans finish second in their group, they’d play their quarterfinal in Paris. Maybe someone will pass the word along.

“It’s just the biggest stage, and the biggest honor, I think, to be a part of for any athlete,” Harriel said. “Being able to be there at Paris 2024 is something that I can say and never be taken away from me.”

It was a long and sometimes tricky wait for Harriel to get the call from U.S. coach Marko Mitrović — and the Union’s ongoing winless run likely didn’t help. Harriel was right in the middle of some of the 18 goals the team gave up in six games from June 1 to July 3. But he stepped up in Saturday’s scoreless tie with the New York Red Bulls, the first game after the announcement of his Olympic berth.

» READ MORE: Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, and other USMNT players know they blew a big opportunity at the Copa América

Harriel said he did not speak with Mitrović between the end of the under-23 team’s last camp in June and when Mitrović called to tell Harriel he’d made the team.

“It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s good pressure to be to be a part of,” Harriel said. “You’re striving for something huge and great, and it’s a little bit uncomfortable at times, but you’ve got to get uncomfortable to be comfortable in certain situations.”

But all that matters now, as he said, is this: “At the end of the day, I’m on the roster for the Olympics.”

Now he can look forward to being on that huge stage, including the Americans’ opening game against host France at Marseille’s famed Stade Vélodrome. Les Bleus’ attack will have marquee youngsters in Arnaud Kalimuendo (Rennes) and Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, ex-Crystal Palace), and a veteran big gun in Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, ex-Arsenal). Their manager is a star name too, French legend (and CBS-TV analyst) Thierry Henry.

The matchup is set for July 24 at 3 p.m. Philadelphia time. (It’s two days before the Opening Ceremony, because the soccer tournament always starts early to fit all the games in.) It will be just under four months after the same teams met in a friendly game in France, a 2-2 tie when the U.S. came back from 2-0 down.

Harriel and McGlynn were 74th-minute substitutes, and McGlynn assisted the equalizer.

» READ MORE: U.S. Soccer has a big decision to make about Gregg Berhalter’s future as USMNT manager

“Playing against France on the biggest stage, and [in] their home country, in the first event of the Olympics, is a huge honor to be a part of,” Harriel said. “It’s definitely going to be intimidating environment for sure. … But at the end of the day, you line up against another kid, you guys both play [for] this job for a living, and the only thing we can do out there is play to the best of our ability, perform, and take home the first three points, because it’s huge to get a win in your first game.”

The biggest reason Harriel made the team is his versatility as a defender. Though he’s a right back by trade, he can play left back or center back when needed. That is a huge asset with Olympic soccer rosters limited to 18 players, plus four alternates who travel in case of injury.

“I think it’s helped a lot,” he said. “If you can play more than one position, it’s huge for your chance to be on the roster, and even play in a game. So yeah, just be prepared for whatever I’m called upon to do, in these games coming up, by Marko.”

Over the years, both in Florida and in the Union’s academy, Harriel knew that three straight U.S. under-23 squads failed to qualify for the Olympics. Freddy Adu, Amobi Okugo, and Sheanon Williams were in the 2012 cycle; academy product Zack Steffen (then at Germany’s Freiburg) was in the 2016 cycle; and Matt Freese was in the 2020-21 cycle.

» READ MORE: Sam Coffey makes the U.S. women’s soccer Olympic team, but Alex Morgan doesn’t

Harriel didn’t join this cycle’s U.S. squad until after what was then an under-20 team had won a 2022 event that doubled as qualifying for the Olympics and the 2023 under-20 World Cup. But that team had four Union players — Paxten Aaronson, Brandan Craig, Jack McGlynn, and Quinn Sullivan — and they knew how much it mattered to end the drought.

So did Harriel as he watched from afar.

“To finally be a part of it, and to make our stamp in the world, is a huge opportunity,” he said, “and we have to take it with full force.”

Times listed are Eastern. All of NBC’s online streaming of the Olympics is available free with pay-TV provider authentication at NBCOlympics.com, or via subscription on Peacock.

July 24: Group stage vs. France at Marseille, 3 p.m. (USA Network, Telemundo 62)

July 27: Group stage vs. New Zealand at Marseille 1 p.m. (USA Network, Telemundo 62)

July 30: Group stage vs. Guinea at Saint-Étienne, 1 p.m. (USA Network, Telemundo 62)

Aug. 2: Quarterfinal at Bordeaux (if group winner), 3 p.m. (Universo, English TBD), or Paris (if runner-up), 9 a.m. (Telemundo, English TBD)

Aug. 5: Semifinal at Lyon (if group winner), 3 p.m. (USA Network, Telemundo 62), or Marseille (if group runner-up), noon (E!, Telemundo 62)

Aug. 8: Bronze medal game at Nantes, 11 a.m. (English TBD, Telemundo 62)

Aug. 9: Gold medal game at Paris, noon (USA Network, Telemundo)