Proving the doubters wrong, the USMNT showed why they are back in the Olympics after 16 years.
USMNT vs France:
The USMNT were not able to defeat France despite playing an even game with them. France scored three second half goals to beat the USA.
The possession was almost perfectly split in half with the USA having 47.1% and France having 52.9%. Despite not scoring, USA got three shots on goal while France had four.
The French captain and veteran Alexandre Lacazette was the difference maker as he had the game winning goal and an assist all in ten minutes.
The USA played a good game, but were simply beaten by a better team.
USMNT vs New Zealand:
A quick turnaround for the USMNT as they beat New Zealand 4-1.
Unlike the first game, goal scoring was no issue here. Three goals in 30 minutes from Djordje Mihailović , Walker Zimmerman and Gianluca Busio and a fourth from Paxten Aaronson later on.
The USMNT came to prove people wrong and have made history while doing so. This is the first time a USMNT has scored four or more goals in an Olympic match. Not only did they score four goals, they had eight total shots and 22 shot attempts. Scoring this many goals put them in a good position to squeak their way into the quarter-finals.
With one game remaining in the group stage, all the men have to do against Guinea is win by two or more goals for a guaranteed spot in the knockout rounds.
USMNT vs Guinea:
The goal for this game was easy – winning by two goals. Which is exactly what the USA did, beating Guinea 3-0.
In the first half Mihailović opened up the scoring for the USA with a free kick right outside the box. Kevin Paredes added another goal 15 minutes later. The icing on the cake was Paredes’ second goal 75 minutes into the match, making the score 3-0. The rest of the game was about maintaining this score.
After going up early, USA’s defense and goalkeeper had to be on their best game. Netminder Patrick Shulte saved six out of six shots on goal.
Quarterfinal Preview – USMNT vs Morocco:
The USA made every shot count, and put themselves into the knock-out stage for the first time since 2000. They play Morocco on Friday, August 2, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. ET in the quarterfinals.
Morocco had a similar time in the group stage. They also went 2-0-1, beating Argentina 2-1, losing to Ukraine 2-1, and beating Iraq 3-0.
The USA has proven they know how to win in different ways. A high scoring win against New Zealand, holding their lead in a close game against Guinea, and winning a match they had significantly less possession in.
USA midfielder Mihailović showed why he was selected as one of the three eligible players older than 23. The versatile midfielder found the back of the net three times, driving the team to their two wins. Paredes also notched a brace against Guinea, which helped secure their spot in the quarterfinals.
Moroccan forward Soufiane Rahimi had four goals through the group stage. If the USMNT want to move onto the semi-finals, they will have to have an eye on him at all times.
Comparing the two teams, the USA gets more help in terms of scoring than Morocco does. Five different USA players have goals while only three Moroccan players have scored.
This quarterfinal game should be an extremely even match that either team could win.
After being excluded from the Olympics for 16 years, many did not know what to expect with this USA team. The group stage was not easy by any means for the USA men, but they managed to squeak through and found themselves in the knockout stage for the first time in 24 years.
USA and Morocco kick-off the men’s quarterfinals Friday, August 2 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
