Robinson, Zimmerman and Mihailovic on US men's Olympic soccer roster

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Weah's red card against Uruguay and the United States' first-round exit from the Copa America should be a lesson for players as they head to the Olympics, according to likely captain Walker Zimmerman.

“It's a great example of how one moment can kind of change your entire outlook on the tournament,” the 31-year-old defender said at a news conference Monday after coach Marko Mitrović announced his 18-man roster. “And so that’s going to be the learning experience from us, is looking at unfortunately what happened to the senior team in that moment and make sure that that doesn’t apply to us in our tournament.”

Zimmerman, fellow defender Miles Robinson and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic will be the three overage players as the U.S. men play in the Olympics for the first time since 2008.

Olympic soccer is limited to players under 23, with each team allowed three over the age limit. The U.S. wild card picks are all from Major League Soccer; FIFA does not require clubs to release players for the Olympics.

“It was actually a really difficult process the last 10 months, first talking to the clubs and trying to get all the players released,” Mitrović said on his 46th birthday during a joint news conference with the women's team.

The U.S. beat Japan 1-0 in its 2008 opener, allowed a goal in second-half injury time in a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, then was eliminated with a 2-1 loss to Nigeria after Michael Orozco’s third-minute red card for elbowing an opponent.

“We had an amazing talk with Sacha Kljestan at the last camp, where he came in and told us about his Olympic experience and ultimately how they didn’t get out of their group because of some silly things: a red card, a late goal given up," Zimmerman said, referring to the former national team midfielder. “That’s going to be a really key point for us, is how we can handle those small moments and make sure we don’t slip up for a dumb reason.”

Defender Maximilian Dietz was added after missing the June training camp ahead of a 2-0 friendly loss to Japan because of a hamstring injury sustained on May 4 with second-division German club Greuther Fürth.

Ten players were dropped from the June roster: defenders Jalen Neal, Bryan Reynolds and Jonathan Tomkinson; midfielders Cole Bassett, Aidan Morris and Rokas Pukštas; and forwards Esmir Bajraktarevic, Cade Cowell, Damion Downs and Johan Gomez.

The U.S. men will train in Bordeaux starting Tuesday. They open on July 24 against host France, then meet New Zealand and Guinea. The top two nations in each group advance to the quarterfinals.

Fifteen players have appeared with the senior national team for a total of 114 international appearances.

Zimmerman took a red eye flight from Portland after Nashville's Sunday night loss in Major League Soccer. The 31-year-old has 42 international appearances and last played for the U.S. against Canada in the June 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final. Zimmerman captained the national team nine times and played in all four American matches at the 2022 World Cup, starting three.

“My cycle, we didn’t qualify, and that’s when I thought my dream is over: I won’t have a chance to play in the Olympics,” Zimmerman said.

Robinson, a 27-year-old on Cincinnati, was on the U.S. roster for the Copa America but didn’t get any playing time. He has 29 international appearances, scoring the extra-time goal that beat Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. He missed the 2022 World Cup while recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon.

Mihailovic, a 25-year-old on Colorado, has three goals in 11 international appearances but hasn’t played for the national team since the loss to Panama in the July 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals.

Others with senior national team experience are midfielder Gianluca Busio (13 appearances); defender John Tolkin (four); defender Kevin Paredes (three); forward Taylor Booth, midfielder Tanner Tessmann and defender Caleb Wikey (two each); and forward Paxten Aaronson, defender Benjamin Cremaschi, midfielder Jack McGlynn, forward Duncan McGuire and goalkeepers Patrick Schulte and Gaga Slonina (one apiece).

Dietz, defender Nathan Harriel and forward Griffin Yow have never played for the senior team.

Cremaschi at 19 is the youngest player and also is age eligible for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Aaronson and McGlynn were part of the under-20 team that earned the U.S. Olympic berth in 2022.

Ten players are from MLS, two each from newly promoted Venezia in Italy and the Dutch league and one each from the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Germany second division and Belgium's top league. All but Dietz played in MLS at some point or in an MLS development academy.

Omissions included Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady, Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna and Dallas winger Bernard Kamungo.

Women's coach Emma Hayes said the four alternates can be made active because of temporary injuries with six hours notice and the active roster can switch for each game.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Patrick Schulte (Columbus), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea)

Defenders: Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville)

Midfielders: Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Miami), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia)

Forwards: Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht), Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (Westerlo)

Alternates: goalkeeper John Pulskamp (Kansas City), defender Jacob Davis (Kansas City), midfielder Josh Atencio (Seattle), forward Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig)

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Lindsey Horan, captain of the United States women's soccer team, speaks during an olympics news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Tierna Davidson, a player on the United States women's olympic soccer team, speaks to reporters after a news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

FILE - United States midfielder Djordje Mihailovic (14) dribbles the ball during the first half of an international friendly soccer match against Jamaica, Wednesday, June 5, 2019, in Washington. Defenders Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman along with forward Djordje Mihailovic will be the three overage players on the 18-man U.S. Olympic men’s soccer roster after failing to get used by the senior national team at the Copa America. Olympic soccer is limited to players under 23, with each team allowed three over the age limit. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

FILE - United States' Walker Zimmerman reaches for the ball on a cross during the first half of an international friendly soccer match against Colombia Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Carson, Calif. Defenders Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman along with forward Djordje Mihailovic will be the three overage players on the 18-man U.S. Olympic men’s soccer roster after failing to get used by the senior national team at the Copa America. Olympic soccer is limited to players under 23, with each team allowed three over the age limit. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - United States' Miles Robinson (12) during a FIFA World Cup qualifying soccer match against Jamaica, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Austin, Texas. Defenders Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman along with forward Djordje Mihailovic will be the three overage players on the 18-man U.S. Olympic men’s soccer roster after failing to get used by the senior national team at the Copa America. Olympic soccer is limited to players under 23, with each team allowed three over the age limit. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Crystal Dunn, a player on the United States women's olympic soccer team, speaks to reporters after a news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Crystal Dunn, a player on the United States women's olympic soccer team, speaks to reporters after a news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Emma Hayes, head coach of the United States women's soccer team, smiles during an olympics news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Emma Hayes, head coach of the United States women's soccer team, listens during an olympics news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Head coaches of the United States men's and women's olympic soccer teams, Marko Mitrovic and Emma Hayes, take questions during a news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Gianluca Busio, a player on the United States men's olympic soccer team, speaks to reporters after a news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Walker Zimmerman, a defender on the United States men's olympics Soccer team, smiles during a news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Marko Mitrovic, right, head coach of the United States men's olympics soccer team, listens as defender Walker Zimmerman talks during a news conference in New York, Monday, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilians began voting in the first round of local elections on Sunday for mayors, deputy mayors and councilors in the country’s 5,569 municipalities.

In Sao Paulo, three mayoral candidates are running neck-and-neck, including incumbent Ricardo Nunes, left-wing lawmaker Guilherme Boulos and self-help guru turned far-right politician Pablo Marçal. A runoff is scheduled for Oct. 27.

Much of the attention leading up to Sunday’s vote has been on Brazil ’s biggest city, where the race has been marred by episodes of violence involving Marçal.

Last month, José Luiz Datena, a former TV presenter turned candidate, slammed Marçal with a metal chair during a televised debate following references to allegations of sexual misconduct. In a later debate, an aide to Marçal thumped an adversary’s counterpart, resulting in a bloody face.

Marçal sparked more controversy on Friday, when he published on social media a falsified medical report indicating cocaine use by Boulos. The document was widely debunked by local media that pointed to inconsistencies including the fact that it was signed by a doctor who had passed away.

Boulos, a longtime campaigner for housing rights who is backed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, vehemently denied the veracity of the document. On Saturday, a judge sitting on Sao Paulo’s electoral court ordered the suspension of Marçal’s Instagram account for 48 hours and deemed that there are “indications of various offenses under the Electoral Code.”

Some of former President Jair Bolsonaro ’s political base has been drawn to Marçal, enthralled by his fiery rhetoric, although the far-right leader is supporting Nunes.

In Rio de Janeiro, incumbent Eduardo Paes is hoping to avoid a second-round runoff. Polls indicated until recently that was possible. But his principal challenger Alexandre Ramagem has steadily climbed in the polls in recent weeks, rendering the outcome of Sunday’s vote uncertain.

Ramagem, the former chief of Brazil’s intelligence agency under Bolsonaro, is being investigated as part of a wider probe into alleged spying on political opponents. He has denied the accusations.

Bolsonaro is backing Ramagem, and his ascent in the polls is widely attributed to the former president's campaigning on his behalf.

More than 155 million Brazilians are eligible to vote. Forty-three percent of the electorate is in the southeastern region, where Rio and Sao Paulo are located. Women make up around 52% of voters.

Nearly 1,000 transgender politicians are running Sunday in every one of Brazil’s 26 states, according to the nation’s electoral court, which is tracking them for the first time. The number of candidacies has tripled since the last local elections four years ago, when trans rights group Antra mapped them.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. Brasilia time and close at 5 p.m. (2000 GMT).

A second round will be held in municipalities with more than 200,000 registered voters if none of the candidates for mayor obtains an absolute majority.

Leaflets for candidates in the municipal elections lie scattered in the Rocinha community of Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Former President Jair Bolsonaro, center, supports Rio de Janeiro mayoral candidate Alexandre Ramagem, right, after voting in the municipal elections, in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A supporter takes a selfie with former President Jair Bolsonaro as he accompanies Rio de Janeiro mayoral candidate Alexandre Ramagem during the municipal elections in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Tereza Domingos holds her parrot Noninho after voting in the municipal elections in the Rocinha community of Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A supporter hugs former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, center, as he supports for Rio de Janeiro mayoral candidate Alexandre Ramagem during municipal elections in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A man votes in municipal elections in the Rocinha community of Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party, center, campaigns with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, and his running mate Marta Suplicy, left, the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party, center, campaigns with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, and his running mate Marta Suplicy, left, the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party, center, gestures to supporters as he campaigns with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, and his running mate Marta Suplicy, left, the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party campaigns the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, campaigns with mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party campaigns the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party, right, campaigns with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, campaigns with mayoral candidate Guilherme Boulos of the Socialism and Liberty Party the day before elections in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)