On an action-packed opening day of the 2024 Olympic men’s football preliminaries, France secured a commanding 3-0 victory over the USA, marking a strong start for the host nation.
The match, held in Marseille, was tightly contested for over an hour, with the USA nearly taking the lead in the second half when Djordje Mihailovic’s long-range effort struck the crossbar. Just moments later, France capitalized on their opportunity; Alexandre Lacazette fired a low drive from 20 yards out, finding the back of the net in the 61st minute.
France doubled their advantage seven minutes later when Michael Olise, recently signed by Bayern Munich, curled a stunning shot into the same corner. Loic Bade sealed the victory with a header in the 85th minute, elevating France to the top of Group A.
“It was unfortunate – on another day maybe it goes in,” Mihailovic reflected on his close attempt. “Most importantly, we need to emotionally recover because we were in the game for the first 70 minutes. Even after they scored, we responded very well.”
USA coach Marko Mitrovic praised his players’ efforts despite the loss. “I can’t say anything to the players. They were in the right spot. I have that feeling inside that we didn’t deserve to lose this way,” he commented.
French coach Thierry Henry acknowledged the resilience of the American team. “I knew it was going to be tough. You guys never give up. That fighting spirit is always in you. You always believe that you can come back,” Henry said.
In other matches, Morocco stunned Argentina with a 2-1 victory in a game that was suspended for about two hours after fans invaded the pitch during stoppage time. Spain edged past Uzbekistan 2-1, and New Zealand claimed a 2-1 win over Guinea.
Japan delivered a dominant performance with a 5-0 win against Paraguay, while Iraq defeated Ukraine 2-1. Mali and Israel played to a 1-1 draw, and Egypt and the Dominican Republic settled for a 0-0 stalemate.
“There was definitely stuff to make us feel good going into the next two matches,” Mihailovic added, looking ahead to the USA’s upcoming games.
Reference(s):
France beat USA 3-0 to start 2024 Olympic men's football preliminaries
cgtn.com
