PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Timbers defender Claudio Bravo was named to the U-23 Argentina Men’s National Team roster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, it was announced today. The group will play their first match on July 22 against Australia.
This marks Bravo’s first appearance at the Olympics. He’s made 10 appearances for the U-23 squad, and helped the Argentina side win the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. For the Timbers, Bravo has started 14 matches across all competitions in 2021, tallying one assist, in a 2-2 tie against Houston Dynamo FC.
Bravo and the Argentina will compete in Group C, one of four groups in the tournament. They will kick off the tournament on July 22, facing Australia (3:30 a.m. PT). Next, the U-23 squad will face Egypt on July 25 (12:30 a.m. PT), and will close out group play on July 28 against Spain (4 a.m. PT). The tournament final will be played on August 7. All broadcasts are TBD.
Portland acquired the 24-year-old Argentinian from Liga Profesional de Fútbol side Club Atlético Banfield after the 2020 season, signing him to a multi-year contract using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). Bravo began his career in the youth academy of Banfield, making his professional debut with the first team in a 4-0 win over Rosario Central on Sept. 24, 2017. The defender tallied four assists in 56 appearances (54 starts) across all competitions for Banfield (2017-20).
