USA vs. Morocco preview: Semifinals bid at stake

By reaching the quarterfinals, the US men’s team now has a chance to play for a medal at these Olympics. The USA finished second in Group A, and as a result, got to play Group B winners Morocco in the quarterfinals. The winner of this game goes to the semifinals with a chance to play for a medal.

USA’s group stage recap

The US got their Olympics off to a bit of a rough start. Of course, playing the host nation in the opening game is always a tough challenge. It’s an even tougher challenge when that host nation is France. The US defended well for an hour but eventually fell 3-0.

They bounced back nicely in their second game though. Against New Zealand, the US was flying. They scored early on a penalty by Djordje Mihailovic and didn’t look back. Walker Zimmerman, Gianluca Busio, and Paxten Aaronson all added goals. In the end, they ran out 4-1 winners.

To close out group play, the US knew a win would see them through to the knockout rounds. It didn’t take long for the US to go 1-0 up on Guinea, once again from Djordje Mihailovic. From that point on it was the Kevin Paredes show as he scored two goals to lock up the three points for the US. With the win, the US advanced to the knockout rounds at the Olympics for the first time since 2000.

Huge opportunity for the Americans

Friday’s game against Morocco represents a massive opportunity for the US. If they win, they have a chance to play for a medal. Winning a medal would be a historic achievement for American soccer. The US has never won an international tournament away from home and hasn’t made the podium at the Olympics since the 1904 Games in St. Louis when American school teams competed.

A win against Morocco would not only give the US a chance to play for a medal but also wash away some disappointment with the senior team. The Copa America was hosted in the US this summer and the US bombed out big time. They were eliminated in the group stage and…

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Author : Lawrence Dockery

Publish date : 2024-08-01 15:27:58

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