MARSEILLE, France – There have been no regrets from the US males’s Olympic soccer group following its 3-0 loss within the match opener in opposition to host nation France.
For a group that’s all 23 years outdated or youthful, apart from three gamers (in accordance with Olympic guidelines), the rating was not a correct reflection of the end result and margin.
The People, together with French supervisor Thierry Henry, really believed that after the match – which marked the primary Olympics look for the USMNT since 2008.
The objective now?
“We get out of the group and we see (France) within the closing,” ahead Djordje Mihailovic stated.
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Listed here are 5 takeaways from the match.
Hardest check was first, entire competitors nonetheless in entrance of USMNT
Two groups will advance from Group A, and the People clearly plan on being one in every of them. Victories in opposition to each New Zealand and Guinea would go a great distance in attaining that.
“France is certainly one of many favorites on this competitors and the best way we held our personal immediately was, I believe, actually powerful from us,” ahead Kevin Paredes stated.
Defender Walker Zimmerman, the one American with World Cup expertise as an overager, stated turning the web page is important in a match that has groups in motion each three days.
“You haven’t any different alternative,” he stated.
Henry, who patted American gamers on the again within the combined zone after the match, stated the U.S. stunned him with their techniques of enjoying up-tempo.
“It was a chase sport,” he stated.
Griffin Yow, who got here on instead, had a objective known as again in stoppage time when the offside flag went up.
“I’ve full confidence on this group to win these subsequent two video games and advance … I’ve no worries or doubts,” Paredes stated.
The U.S. performs New Zealand on Saturday.
USMNT outclassed by France’s large names
For 60 minutes, the match remained scoreless, with each groups seeing probabilities however nothing materializing – till Alexandre Lacazette discovered the again of the online.
The previous Arsenal ahead, the oldest participant on the pitch, took an additional contact to the fitting that U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte noticed. The issue was that he then misplaced Lacazette behind a defender and by the point he situated the ball, he’d been crushed to the far put up.
The U.S. almost took the lead previous to that sequence when a blast from Mihailovic ricocheted off the crossbar. Lower than two minutes later, Lacazette and his teammates had been celebrating.
“That is soccer,” Schulte stated. “You’ve gotten an opportunity on one finish, a objective that appears good all the best way, rattles off the crossbar, and so they come down the opposite finish and rating. I believe that’s simply form of life and the sport.”
The People almost equalized on two header probabilities however as a substitute noticed France safe an insurance coverage objective when Michael Olise additionally beat Schulte to the far put up from distance with a curling shot.
“(We) created, however (had been) not scientific,” USMNT head coach Marko Mitrović stated.
USMNT’s transition protection must be improved
The most important motive for the primary two France targets may be chalked as much as the group’s transition protection.
Going ahead, Zimmerman stated, defenders should get extra stress in the event that they’re attacking that near the field.
“That’s the irritating half, is feeling like we had been in it, had moments of management, had moments of alternative,” Zimmerman stated. “And we didn’t capitalize on it. And so they did.”
Zimmerman added that the U.S. should tighten up its set-piece protection, which led to France’s third objective, a header from Loic Bade.
“Positively one thing we’re going to take a look at and positively going to need again,” Schulte stated.
‘La Marseillaise’ in Marseille
The People skilled firsthand “La Marseillaise” within the metropolis the place it first took maintain because the nationwide anthem within the late 1700s.
A mass of purple, white and blue – not the American variety, though the U.S. wasn’t with out illustration within the near-sellout crowd of 67,000 – belted out the notes and set the tone for an emotional 90 minutes.
Taking part in the host group throughout a global competitors shouldn’t be a standard alternative, particularly in a soccer-crazed nation corresponding to France, Zimmerman stated.
“It was a tremendous ambiance, superb crowd,” he stated.
He added: “That is going to be laborious to duplicate, particularly within the subsequent few video games.”
USMNT was prepared for France’s physicality
Referee Yael Falcon was busy throughout the match, whistling France for penalties 16 occasions and the U.S. for 10.
France equipped numerous stress within the first half because the People labored to advance the ball out of the defending third. A variety of the time, U.S. gamers wound up on the bottom.
Mihailovic stated that kind of match was anticipated.
“It’s good to be bodily in such a atmosphere,” Mihailovic stated.
Mitrović known as France “very bodily” and “nice athletes.”
“It’s not straightforward to play in opposition to them,” he stated.
As all the time, there’s a silver lining.
“I believe we brought on them a variety of issues,” Mitrović stated.