Ricardo Pepi, Joe Scally, Brenden Aaronson & the USMNT stars who would be better off playing at the Olympics than going to Copa America

The most recent U.S. U-23 camp was filled with players who have already earned senior caps. It's logical, then, that most, if not all, of those players would continue through the Olympics if everything goes to plan.

Fullbacks John Tolkin and Kevin Paredes have very real cases to be the USMNT's backup left-back, but both are better served with the U-23s. So too are goalkeepers Patrick Schulte and Gaga Slonina, although the latter wasn't involved in the most recent camp due to injury.

Gianluca Busio, Cade Cowell, Aidan Morris and Bryan Reynolds all have legitimate U.S. experience, but all will likely start for this team in the Olympics. Paxten Aaronson, Caleb Wiley, Diego Luna and Esmir Bajraktarevic have all earned senior looks, too.

It's a good thing, really. Years ago, a U.S. U-23 team would have been littered with college kids. These days, it's a group with real senior experience for club and country as they head towards the Olympic Games.

Pepi's agent is already speaking of a big summer. He's made a fuss of Pepi's lack of playing time at PSV and, if nothing changes, Pepi could be on the move yet again this summer.

Well, if Pepi wants to be in the shop window, scoring boatloads of goals at the Olympics would be a good way to attract potential suitors.

Pepi has been good for PSV this season, albeit in a bench role behind Luuk de Jong. He's a fantastic striker who has a case to start for the USMNT. The big problem is that he isn't the only one with a case, as Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright can also make a very real argument to be the U.S. No. 9.

Of that foursome, only Pepi and Balogun are age-eligible for the Olympics and, of those two, Pepi makes the most sense. He seems like he'd be, at best, a bench option for the senior team at the Copa. With the Olympic squad, he could be one of the better strikers in the whole tournament.

It may be a tough pill to swallow, particularly after missing the 2022 World Cup, but a dip down to the U-23s could do wonders for Pepi's development.

If Pepi doesn't go, the U.S. could use an overage spot for a striker. As things stand, Duncan McGuire is the guy at the U-23 level, but you'll almost certainly need two strong strikers to really compete for this thing.

Vazquez seems like a perfect option, should it come to that. He's lighting it up at Monterrey, having scored nine goals in 18 games. He's a big, physical presence with plenty of touch. At this U-23 level, he could be a legitimate bully.

Right now, Vazquez seems locked into that second tier of strikers behind those mentioned above. It's hard to imagine him making it to the Copa America unless there are a few injuries in front of him. An Olympic run, then, could be his best chance to impress the USMNT brass.

Scally is almost certainly not going to start at the Copa America. Sergino Dest is entrenched on the right, as Antonee Robinson is on the left. When given chances to really make his case, Scally has fallen somewhat short. Right now, he's a backup.

He's also age-eligible for the Olympics. The U-23s already have Reynolds as a starting right-back, but could Scally benefit more from getting those minutes in France?

Borussia Monchengladbach may not release him, but it's certainly worth considering. Another tournament on the bench may not do too much for Scally. He played zero minutes at the World Cup and, if all goes to plan, there won't be many minutes on offer at the Copa either.

A significant runout with the U-23s could be a good confidence boost for a player who is thriving in the Bundesliga. Best of all, there's no real downside due to his age, making this something of a no-brainer.

This is something of a tricky one.

It's clear that Aaronson has fallen down the pecking order with the USMNT. He wasn't originally called up to the Nations League squad and only joined after an injury. And, if he was called up to the Olympic squad, the U.S. would need to use an overage spot on him. He's just a few months too old for the cutoff.

Still, the idea is tempting. Aaronson is a player who has struggled for the past two seasons, although he has turned his form around recently. He's heading towards a crossroads this summer, too, as he faces a potential return to Leeds or a new move elsewhere. Because of that, the idea of him joining his brother Paxten on this Olympic team is interesting. In this team, Aaronson would have a chance to be the veteran, to be a star. That experience could be vital for him.

The overage thing makes it tricky and the U.S. may be better suited looking elsewhere. In an ideal world, though, Aaronson looks like a player who could really benefit from this experience if given the chance.

Take a quick glance at the U-23 pool and you'll quickly spot a weakness: centerback. Even with a strong pool of central defenders, it's smart to bring one as an overage player to add leadership. For this U.S. team, it may be a good idea to bring two.

Walker Zimerman seems tailor-made to be an overage player for this group. He has World Cup experience and, at the moment, he seems to be a bit behind other options with the senior team. A Copa America spot feels unlikely, but Zimmerman would add a lot of value to this young team.

From a leadership point of view, Zimmerman seems perfect for this group. He's also still one heck of a defender. He was largely good at the World Cup, save for one mistake against Wales. By and large, he's always been steady.

If the U.S. does go with two defenders, though, there will be plenty of options to fill a second spot...

Right now, there's a hell of a fight going on at the centerback position. Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers are all battling for four Copa America spots. Berhalter can't take all of them... could any of them be secured for the Olympics?

Richards and Ream are the Copa America locks, but Berhalter will have to choose two from the remaining four. It'll be a tough choice. All have a legitimate argument to play, and perhaps start, at the Copa America.

The big question when it comes to the Olympic team, though, is if any would be released by their clubs to participate. Gent could may be be convinced to put McKenzie in the shop window that is the Olympics. Trusty, who told GOAL that he'd be interested in an Olympic spot, less so considering Sheffield United's potential drop to the Championship. Carter-Vickers, meanwhile, has been battling injuries all year, which means Celtic may want to give him a full preseason to prep for the 2024-25 campaign.

If U.S. Soccer can secure one of these guys, though, they'd be a perfect fit. Each is talented and each would have a point to prove, particularly after being left off the Copa America squad. Again, though, it all comes down to club decisions.

Similar to Zimmerman here. It's smart to bring a veteran No.6 just because of how important that position is. If you're following the same line of thought as you are at centerback, Acosta is the Zimmerman of this scenario.

He's a veteran with World Cup experience, famously executing that foul on Gareth Bale to save the USMNT in their opener. He's earned plenty of respect throughout his USMNT tenure. And, in Acosta's case, he's a weapon on set pieces, which always is a bit more important in international tournaments.

If the U.S. wants a steady presence as a defensive midfielder, Acosta is a safe bet, but they could also give the spot to a relative newcomer...

He's new to the USMNT fold, but he made a decent impression in his first few caps. Even so, Maloney seems to be just out of the midfield picture for the Copa America. Could he be a good fit for the Olympics, though?

He's been ever-present for Heidenheim and is an absolute menace in the midfield. The 24-year-old can cover crazy ground, which makes him a valuable asset for a team like this. He likely won't offer much in the attacking end, but he won't have to with the stars in this U-23 team.

The issue for Maloney (and Acosta) is that the U.S. team will already have to make some tough calls in midfield. Still, if they want some extra protection, Maloney is a good choice.