Venezia's American duo Tanner Tessmann and Gianluca Busio have high hopes for the USMNT at the Paris Olympics three months out from the Games.
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Tessmann & Busio share Olympic ambitionsDuo believe Venezia chemistry will benefit U.S.Look ahead at Paris Games this summerWHAT HAPPENED?
In an interview with FIFA, the American duo shared their Olympic ambitions ahead of the Paris Games this Summer, while also actively being in a promotion battle in Serie B with Venezia. Three years after arriving during the same transfer window as teenagers, the midfield pairing are now ready to lead the USMNT in their first appearance at the Summer Games since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT BUSIO SAID
On the Games, Busio said he believes the U.S. will surprise a lot of people, with a brilliant opportunity awaiting the squad.
“I believe we can do something special there,” said Busio. “We have very talented young players. We’ll have the older guys coming in, too, and they're going to be a big help for us. We have guys playing in Europe, in MLS, all over the world. I think we're as talented as any other team.”
The 21-year-old has dreamt of the opportunity for quite some time, and is now ready to take the stage that so many historic athletes have stepped foot on to.
“Like every American, we grew up watching the Olympics,” said Busio. “I remember watching iconic athletes producing amazing moments, like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps. They were the two main ones for me. It would be incredible to be at an event like that. I hope me and Tanner can do it.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Busio also believes that the midfield duo's chemistry in Venice could be the biggest boost the U.S. have heading into the Paris Games, with over two years of training and matches alongside each other in Italy.
"One of the main things for coaches and national teams is to build a group that will fight for each other and a team that has chemistry. That's hard to do when you only have two or three camps together before the Olympics. For myself and Tanner to have that connection means we can work with other players more – we don't have to worry about each other. We know what we can do together," the ex-Sporting Kansas City midfielder added.
The young midfielders are currently focused on promotion into Serie A with Venezia, but in the back of their minds, they'll also be thinking of the opportunity that awaits them this Summer. As two of the first-choice players under Mitrovic, they'll be looking to lock their names into his XI this Summer.
Getty ImagesWHAT TESSMANN SAID
Tessmann also believes their relationship – on and off the pitch – has been one that is beneficial to the U.S. ahead of this Summer.
“It's fun to play with Busio,” said Tessmann, who calls him by his nickname, ‘Buse’. “We have a spark to us in midfield. Our relationship off the pitch also helps. We've become close friends and that allows us to communicate better on the field.”
Ahead of this Summer, though, Tessmann is incredibly confident in the player pool, the U.S. squad and everything that has brought them together ahead of this moment.
"We have a lot of talents who are playing in different parts of the world. It's very interesting to see them play in their respective leagues. We have diversity in how we play and where we come from, and it really adds to the group. Our coach, Marko [Mitrovic], is doing a great job with us. When he brings it all together, I believe the team can be very strong. I think we can do something big."