In the U.S. men’s first Olympic soccer tournament appearance in 16 years, they suffered a 3-0 defeat against France in the opening match of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. The game took place at Stade Velodromede in Marseille. Alexandre Lacazette scored the first goal for France, followed by Michael Olise and Loïc Badé. All three goals came in the second half of the game. Both teams were missing their top players like Kylian Mbappé and Christian Pulisic, as European clubs are not obligated to release players for the Olympics.
The turning point in the match was Olise’s goal, which was considered the most beautiful of the three goals scored by France. The U.S. had several opportunities to score throughout the game, but failed to capitalize on them. Overage midfielder Djordje Mihailovic hit the crossbar, while John Tolkin and Paxten Aaronson missed point-blank shots. Despite their efforts, the U.S. was unable to secure a point in the match.
It had been over 5,800 days since the last time a U.S. men’s team played in the Summer Games, and their return was met with a disappointing result. Looking ahead, France will face Guinea in their next match, while the United States will take on New Zealand. The U.S. team will need to improve their performance in the upcoming games to secure a spot in the knockout stage. Coach Marko Mitrovic and the players have the opportunity to learn from their defeat and bounce back stronger in the remaining group stage matches.
