The U.S. men’s soccer team’s return to the Olympic stage after a 16-year absence was met with a sobering reality check in Marseille. Facing host nation France, the Americans suffered a 3-0 defeat in their opening match of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In the first 45 minutes, the young U.S. squad, led by coach Marko Mitrovic, held their own against a dominant French side. Despite being outshot 8-3, the Americans maintained their composure, weathering the storm of French attacks and physical play.
As the second half kicked off, hopes were high for Team USA. Djordje Mihailovic nearly put the Americans ahead in the 59th minute with a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar. However, this moment of promise quickly faded.
Just two minutes later, French captain Alexandre Lacazette broke the deadlock with a long-range strike that caught U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte off guard. Lacazette wasn’t done, though. In the 69th minute, he turned provider, setting up Michael Olise for France’s second goal. The final nail in the coffin came in the 85th minute when Loïc Badé headed home from a corner kick, sealing the 3-0 victory for the hosts.
With games against New Zealand and Guinea on the horizon, the Americans will need to regroup quickly if they hope to advance from Group A.
As the team looks to bounce back, they’ll be leaning on the experience of players like Walker Zimmerman, one of the squad’s three overage players and a veteran of the 2022 World Cup. The road ahead is tough, but Olympic dreams are still alive – for now.
