U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team vs. Morocco: Match Recap | 2024 Paris Olympics

PARIS (Aug. 2, 2024) – A promising run by means of France ended for the U.S. Olympic Males’s Soccer Workforce on the Parc des Princes, the place it fell to a gifted Moroccan squad 4-0 in Friday’s quarterfinal.

The People’ first Olympic look since 2008 featured two group-stage victories and first knockout spherical berth in 24 years, however Morocco is having fun with a footballing renaissance of its personal. Fueled by a partisan crowd and marshaled by 2022 World Cup linchpin and Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, the Atlas Lions, who gained Group A over Argentina, have been too sturdy on Friday.

Morocco pressured the U.S. all through the primary half and went head on a Soufiane Rahimi penalty kick. The USA then loved its greatest spell early within the second half, however the North Africans snuffed out any hopes of a comeback with Ilias Akhomach’s objective within the 63rd after which Hakimi’s solo effort within the seventieth. A stoppage-time penalty kick from El Mehdi Maouhoub capped the scoring for the Atlas Lions.

Morocco, the U-23 African champions, superior to an Olympic semifinal for the primary time and can meet both Spain or Japan on Aug. 5. The U.S. completed the competitors with a 2W-2L-0D report. Though this U.S. facet gained’t match the fourth-place end achieved by the 2000 group in Sydney, this summer time marks the primary time the U.S. Males gained two video games at any Olympic match.

U.S. head coach Marko Mitrović made only one change Friday from the lineup that clinched the quarterfinal berth with a 3-0 win over Guinea on July 30. Jack McGlynn, in his first Olympic begin, changed Maximilian Dietz within the U.S. midfield. Each McGlynn and Dietz have been filling the position vacated by the injured Gianluca Busio. Up entrance, Griffin Yow earned his second-straight begin after two matches of reserve obligation. The remaining 9 People have been kicking off their fourth sport in 10 days.

The U.S. would wish to lean on that chemistry and familiarity within the cauldron of the Parc des Princes, which was buzzing with Morocco supporters. The nations are shut each culturally and geographically. Three Atlas Lions have been born in France and 6 play their membership soccer there, together with Hakimi. The 25-year-old proper again was a key determine in Morocco’s historic run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals. As one in every of three allotted overage gamers on the Olympic facet, the captain has been instrumental this summer time as properly.

Taking part in on his dwelling floor, Hakimi helped create Morocco’s first good scoring probability with a Thirteenth-minute supply into the U.S. penalty space. His cross was touched again to Akhomach, and the Villarreal ahead lashed a shot towards the higher proper nook that U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte was in a position to knock away. That probability, nevertheless, set the tone for the primary half, as Morocco’s fast passing and fluid motion pressured the People right into a extra defensive posture.

The Lions took a deserved lead as the sport approached the half-hour mark. Their sustained strain resulted in a bit of fine fortune as U.S. proper again Nathan Harriel inadvertently kicked Rahimi whereas swinging for a bouncing ball within the penalty space. Referee Yael Falcón pointed to the spot, and Rahimi dispatched the following penalty kick to Schulte’s proper for his tournament-leading fifth objective. The 28-year-old Al Ain striker, who sparked the Emirati membership’s 2023-24 Asian Champions League title run, has discovered the online in every of Morocco’s 4 Olympic matches.

Halftime supplied the prospect for the People to catch their breath and so they started the second half with extra endurance and composure in possession. The USA tried three photographs (one on the right track) within the first 10 minutes of the interval; it managed one within the first 45. The primary huge U.S.probability then got here within the 59th, as some good side-to-side motion led to a Walker Zimmerman header that reached fellow middle again Miles Robinson close to the penalty spot, however the FC Cincinnati man spun his first-time bid vast.

Morocco snatched the momentum again after which pulled away with objectives within the 63rd and seventieth minutes. The U.S. inevitably was stretched because it appeared for the equalizer and the Atlas Lions took benefit. First, Actual Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli was in a position to race down the U.S. proper, flip the nook and feed Akhomach on the close to publish. Hakimi did the injury seven minutes later, discovering area within the U.S. half earlier than sneaking a low shot previous a diving Schulte and inside the proper publish. Morocco’s closing objective, like its first, got here from the penalty spot. Reserve ahead El Mehdi Maouhoub did the honors in stoppage time.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

MAR – Soufiane Rahimi (penalty kick), twenty ninth minute: Nathan Harriel made contact with Rahimi whereas attempting to clear a excessive ball and the American proper again was whistled for the foul. Morocco’s main scorer despatched the following penalty towards the left publish and simply out of attain of goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. MAR 1, USA 0

MAR – Ilias Akhomach (Abde Ezzalzouli), 63rd minute: Ezzalzouli gained a header, knocked the ball towards Bilal El Khannouss after which raced up the left wing. El Khannouss’s return go evaded Harriel and Ezzalzouli was free to show the nook and ship a low, arduous go throughout the six-yard line. Akhomach made a tough near-post run and smashed a shot previous goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. MAR 2, USA 0

MAR – Achraf Hakimi, seventieth minute: Morocco’s captain gained an aerial duel in opposition to Kevin Paredes in midfield and had ample room to dribble. Hakimi drove in from the proper, reached the sting of the U.S. penalty space and as John Tolkin approached, he trickled a sluggish however perfectly-placed shot simply inside the proper publish. MAR 3, USA 0 FINAL

MAR – El Mehdi Maouhoub (penalty kick), ninetieth minute +1: A bid from Ilias Akhomach was judged to have glanced off Harriel’s hand, and Morocco substitute Maouhoub dispatched the penalty kick with a tough blast to his left. MAR 4, USA 0 FINAL.

-U.S. MEN’s OLYMPIC SOCCER group match report-

Match: United States Males’s Olympic Soccer Workforce vs. Morocco
Date: August 2, 2024
Competitors: 2024 Olympics Males’s Soccer Event – Quarterfinal
Venue: Parc Des Princes; Paris, France
Attendance: TBC
Kickoff: 9:00 a.m. ET
Climate: 81 levels, partly cloudy

Lineups:
USA: 1-Patrick Schulte, 2-Nathan Harriel, 3-Walker Zimmerman, 12-Miles Robinson, 5-John Tolkin (17-Caleb Wiley, 80’); 16-Jack McGlynn (21-Josh Atencio, 72’), 8-Tanner Tessmann (Capt.), 14-Djordje Mihailovic (13-Duncan McGuire, 66’); 7-Kevin Paredes, 11-Paxten Aaronson (15-Benjamin Cremaschi, 80’), 9-Griffin Yow (10-Taylor Sales space, 66’)
Substitutes: 18-Gaga Slonina, 4-Maximilian Dietz
Head coach: Marko Mitrović

MAR: 1-Munir El Kajoui; 2-Achraf Hakimi, 17-Oussama El Azzouzi, 4-Mehdi Boukamir, 11-Zakaria El Ouahdi; 18-Amir Richardson (6-Benjamin Bouchouari, 80’), 14-Oussama Targhaline (13-Yassine Kechta, 81’); 10-Ilias Akhomach (3-Akram Nakach, 90’+3), 8-Bilal El Khannouss, 16-Abde Ezzalzouli (7-Eliesse Ben Seghir, 73’); 9-Soufiane Rahimi (15-Mehdi Maouhoub, 80’)
Substitutes: 12-Rachid Ghanimi, 5-Adil Tahif
Head coach: Tarik Sektioui

Stats Abstract: USA / MAR
Pictures: 9 / 15
Pictures on Purpose: 1 / 8
Saves: 4 / 1
Nook Kicks: 3 / 8
Fouls: 17 / 10
Offside: 1 / 0

Misconduct Abstract:
USA – Jack McGlynn (Warning) fifteenth minute
MAR – Bilal El Khannouss (Warning) 57th
USA – Paxten Aaronson (Warning) seventy fifth

Officers:
Referee: Yael Falcon (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximiliano del Yesso (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Facundo Rodriguez (ARG)
Fourth Official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (NZL)