Medford’s Paxten Aaronson is excited to play in the Olympics, the biggest stage of his soccer career

There are plenty of reasons for Paxten Aaronson to be excited about the U.S. men’s soccer team’s return to the Olympics after a 16-year absence. There are also two big reasons for the Medford native to hold his breath.

The first is the home team, France, which beat the U.S., 3-0, in the teams’ tournament opener on Wednesday before a mighty crowd in soccer-mad Marseille.

The second is Argentina, an even more star-studded squad, the Americans’ expected quarterfinal opponent with a second-place group stage finish. That’s an easy scenario to envision if the U.S. beats Guinea and New Zealand to set a date in Paris with Copa América winners Julián Álvarez and Nicolás Otamendi.

Aaronson often is humble on camera, but he’s got a menacing streak. It fueled all those attacking charges with the Union back in the day, then U.S. youth teams, Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt, and the Netherlands’ Vitesse Arnhem.

So it isn’t surprising that the 20-year-old is ready for this moment with the same vigor.

» READ MORE: Paxten Aaronson makes it three players with Union ties on the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team

“I think we have the potential to go all the way,” he told The Inquirer, chatting over a Zoom call from his hotel room in France. “Honestly, in terms of the first game against France, it’s probably the favorite in the tournament. And then from there, you go game by game, step by step, but I think we have the connection, first of all; the chemistry; and I think now you can’t really underrate America.”

That’s some big talk, especially coming off the senior U.S. men’s team’s flop at the Copa América. The men’s Olympic tournament is limited to players 23 years old or younger, except for three overage players per 22-player squad, and clubs aren’t required to release players for the event the way they are for others. So this U.S. squad isn’t even the best it could be within the rules.

But Aaronson insists, and if anyone would, why not a player on the team? If you’re going to face up to the tournament’s favorites, you might as well bring confidence.

“I think it goes to show that this team rates itself against any opposition in the world, goes to show that we have that self-confidence,” he said. “And we do believe that we can compete against every country.”

Aaronson’s U.S. teammates include two old friends from the Union, Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel. Aaronson has known McGlynn since they were 7 years old and Harriel since they were rising through the Union academy as teens.

“We always have a good time,” Aaronson said. “It’s always a joy playing with them. When me and Jack play on the same team in training, we always talk about it. Our small-sided team always wins when me and Jack are together.”

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

There’s also a teammate at the club where Aaronson will spend the coming season, the Netherlands’ Utrecht, in Taylor Booth. The Utah native has been there for two years, and Aaronson got to play with him briefly at the start of preseason camp before heading to the Olympics.

“It’s just always nice when a fellow American is at your club. You settle in much quicker,” Aaronson said. “Having like a close friend there means everything off the field, and then of course having that chemistry on the field is also great.”

Aaronson went to Vitesse for the second half of last season because he wasn’t playing in Frankfurt, and Eintracht wanted him to play. He did pretty well at Vitesse, with four goals in 14 games.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to save Vitesse from relegation — or from a financial scandal that led to an 18-point standings deduction. But that obviously wasn’t Aaronson’s fault.

Utrecht should be a more stable situation: the club finished seventh in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, and has been a topflight constant for decades.

“I was there for three weeks, did a mini-preseason camp,” Aaronson said. “I got a good energy from it. I think it’ll be a great fit for me this year.”

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

Eintracht also showed its long-term commitment to Aaronson by signing him to a contract extension through 2028.

“Obviously, my end goal in all of this is to be a key player for Frankfurt. I really love the club,” Aaronson said. “My time at Vitesse went really well. I can’t complain at all about it. I think for my individual development, it was the perfect step for me — of course, I would have wanted to go a little bit different with the club in terms of the relegation.”

Aaronson spoke highly of U.S. manager Marko Mitrović, who has led the under-23 team since last September. He previously was the U.S. under-19 team coach, and from 2016 to 2019 was an assistant with the Chicago Fire. (Chicago’s manager at the time, Veljko Paunović, played for the Union in 2011.)

Similar to Aaronson, Mitrović is down-to-earth and honest on camera. The 46-year-old Serbian also appreciates the opportunity this country has given him: He became a U.S. citizen last year and lives in the Chicago area with his family.

But Aaronson did not hesitate to call Mitrović “a really intense guy,” and a strong communicator.

» READ MORE: 10 players to watch in the Olympics men’s soccer tournament

“He’s a coach that for me is very good at dealing with players, very good at communicating, and I think for a U-23 team it’s very important,” Aaronson said. “I’ve also had coaches that maybe don’t communicate as much. And I know for every young player it’s super important to have a coach that’s up-front with you, brutally honest, and that is constantly communicating to you what he wants out of you.”

Perhaps, Aaronson said, “it’s just an American thing,” but the team appreciates Mitrović's openness.

“I know us American players love when we’re told to do something, because we’re just driven to do that,” Aaronson said. “He’s a coach that provides that. He also provides a lot of confidence in his players, and he’s a very good motivator, and someone that the entire staff, the [U.S. Soccer] Federation, and all the players can get behind.”

Mitrović's instructions to Aaronson have included preparing him to play multiple positions: central attacking midfielder, winger, or even backup striker if starter Duncan McGuire needs a break. Aaronson is ready for all of it.

“I’m obviously ready to do whatever coach and the team need me to do, and what I’m asked of,” he said. “I had a lot of success in the U-20 World Cup qualifying [tournament] playing the No. 9 [striker].”

That 2022 tournament, which doubled as Olympics qualifying, definitely was against worse opposition. But Aaronson had seven goals and an assist in seven games, and people noticed.

“I have the freedom to drop back as ‘false’ [a deeper forward role] and get on the ball as long as I’m making those runs in the box,” he said. “So I have no problem with playing it, and I honestly do feel pretty confident playing it.”

» READ MORE: Meet the players on the first U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team in 16 years

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: vs. France at Marseille, Olympics group stage, 3 p.m. (USA Network, Telemundo 62)

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

July 30: vs. Guinea at Saint-Étienne, Olympics group stage, 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)