Colorado’s Cole Bassett one step closer to making USA Olympic team

The United States Men’s National Team will feature in the Summer Olympics for the first time in 16 years and among the players headed to Paris could be Colorado’s very own and Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett.

The 22-year-old was named to the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team roster for two international friendly matches against Japan, US Soccer announced on Wednesday. The matches will be held on June 7 and June 11 in Kansas City as the countries prepare for the Olympics in July.

Bassett represented the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team following the 2023 MLS season and the midfielder made his Senior Men’s National Team debut in December of 2021 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he scored the match-winner for his first international goal.

Bassett rode that strong performance into this season where he’s emerged as one of the best players on the Rapids. He’s pacing for a career-high in goals and assists while starting in all 15 games for the Rapids thus far.

The Littleton native has notched 24 goals and 14 assists in his MLS career and will be under consideration for Marko Mitrovic’s final Paris roster. That team is limited to players under the age of 23, with three overage players allowed. The head coach called up 25 players for these exhibition matches with the only overage player being Nashville’s Walker Zimmerman. Team USA will only be allowed to bring 18 players to Paris with three of those possibly being overage, meaning Bassett has to shine to survive the squeeze.

Rapids defender Moise Bombito was also called up for Canada’s Olympic preparations.