The underdog U.S. team had chances, but were ultimately undone, 3-0, by an opponent that was simply too good
For a moment, it felt like the U.S. U23 men's national team might sneak something out of Wednesday's Olympic opener.
They may not have been taking it to France, but they were certainly frustrating them. The Olympic hosts are the overwhelming favorites to win gold, and, for the first 60 minutes, the U.S. – playing their first Olympic match in 5,824 days in front of a packed house at the historic Stade de Marseille – kept them under control.
It was in the last 30 minutes that the differences became clear. The U.S. wasn't the cause of their own undoing necessarily, but they certainly didn't help themselves. When facing a team with France's quality, you can't make even the most minor of mistakes, and the U.S. made far too many in a game that ended up as a blowout.
The 3-0 scoreline will flatter France, but not too much. They were the better team. The goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Michael Olise and Loic Bade were deserved. The U.S. were rightfully beaten by a team that stayed the course and waited for the U.S. to break.
They inevitably did, but it didn't always look inevitable. The U.S. had their chances to take the lead. Djordje Mihailovic hit the crossbar. John Tolkin hit the post. Paxten Aaronson forced one heck of a save, too. If the U.S. converts one of those chances, who knows? How would those goals have changed this game?
We'll never know, but we do know this: the U.S, which last qualified for the Olympics in men's soccer in 2008, is already up against it. They'll need results against Guinea and New Zealand in their upcoming group games. This France game, in some ways, was always just a bonus. Unfortunately for the U.S., it wasn't to be.
"Football is a very special game and I think that just creating opportunities is a good thing," U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic said after the match. "Obviously, we wanted to convert those opportunities. But some days everything goes in your favor and some days it doesn't. I don't think that they [France] had opportunities besides shots outside of the box and that's how we conceded. There were situations that were clear for us that we didn't convert, but you have days like this.”
Now the tournament really starts. What lessons will the U.S. learn from this Olympic opening loss? The answer to that question will ultimately determine how this group shakes out.
GOAL rates the U.S. players from Stade de Marseille.
GettyGoalkeeper & Defense
Patrick Schulte (4/10):
Got a bad jump on the first France goal and it really cost the U.S. Could have possibly done better on the second, too.
John Tolkin (7/10):
Nearly got a massive goal but was denied by the post. Outside of that, battled well and helped the U.S. push back from the start.
Walker Zimmerman (6/10):
Not at fault for either goal. Overall, did decent enough defensively.
Miles Robinson (6/10):
Wasn't quite as good as Zimmerman but, as above, wasn't at fault for the goals. Just one of those days for the centerbacks, who could only watch on as France scored twice from distance.
Nathan Harriel (7/10):
Had some strong moments on both sides of the ball. A lot was asked of him and, overall, the Philadelphia Union defender stepped up.
AdvertisementGettyMidfield
Tanner Tessmann (7/10):
Was really effective in the center. Was easy to see his instincts for the game as he sniffed things out defensively while demanding the ball when the U.S. had it.
Gianluca Busio (6/10):
Needed to step up to Lacazette on his goal. Outside of that, did some good work defensively, but that was the big moment, wasn't it?
Djordje Mihailovic (6/10):
Came so close to a spectacular goal early in the second half, but was kept out by the crossbar. Had some dangerous moments, but it didn't quite happen.
GettyAttack
Kevin Paredes (7/10):
Was controversially booked in the first half, which definitely took some energy out of his game. Had a few good crosses and was probably the team's most dangerous chance-creator.
Duncan McGuire (5/10):
Just didn't see enough of the ball. Only had three touches in the France box, which is never a good sign for a striker.
Paxten Aaronson (6/10):
Forced a really good save seconds after the France goal. Looked dangerous throughout and was good in the moments when he did get on the ball.
Getty ImagesSubs & Manager
Maximilian Dietz (6/10):
Came on shortly after the second goal to provide a bit more stability defensively. Unfortunately, that didn't quite happen.
Jack McGlynn (7/10):
Immediately showed his quality. Whether it's from a set piece or from open play, McGlynn can really pass the ball.
Griffin Yow (6/10):
Scored a goal in extra time, but was just offside. Could have been huge, too, as the U.S. looks ahead to a potential goal-difference battle.
Taylor Booth (6/10):
A shame to only see him get roughly 15 minutes because he really can be a difference-maker. Looked confident when he did get on the ball.
Caleb Wiley (N/A):
Tossed on late with the game already out of reach.
Marko Mitrovic (5/10):
Definitely some questions to be answered about the starting XI, and the concerns about the squad won't be quieted after this 3-0 opening loss. Could he have made some subs sooner, too?
