The United States men's soccer team's Olympic journey came to an end on Friday with a 4-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals. The Americans were hoping to make more history in Paris after reaching their first quarterfinal match in over two decades.
The United States men's soccer team's Olympic dream was shattered on Friday as they suffered a 4-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinal round. The Americans were hoping to make more history in Paris after reaching their first quarterfinal match in over two decades with a 3-0 win over Guinea earlier this week.
USMNT Suffers Heartbreaking Elimination in Olympics Quarterfinals
Morocco's top goalscorer in these Games, Soufiane Rahimi, was first on the board with a penalty kick in the 29th minute after a foul was called on U.S. defender Nathan Harriel. It marked his fifth goal of the Paris Olympics.
The U.S. held off Morocco's offense in the first half, but it was lights out after both sides walked on the pitch at Parc des Princes in the second half of the game.
USMNT Suffers Heartbreaking Elimination in Olympics Quarterfinals
Ilias Akhomach, Achraf Hakimi, and Mehdi Maouhoub would all score for Morocco, ending what would've been a historic medal opportunity for the USMNT.
The men's squad, competing in their first Olympics since 2008, was hoping to emulate the run of the 2000 squad in Sydney, who advanced to the semifinal round. The USMNT has never won an Olympic medal in the modern Olympic era.
USMNT Suffers Heartbreaking Elimination in Olympics Quarterfinals
By contrast, the women's squad are off to a dominant start. They won all three of their group matches and are set to play Japan on Saturday at Parc des Princes in Paris.
The USWNT have advanced to the knockout stage in all eight Olympic tournaments. Their worst finish was a quarterfinal loss in 2016 against Sweden, but they have medaled every other time, including four golds.
The USMNT's elimination marks the end of a disappointing Olympic campaign for the United States. The team failed to live up to expectations and was outplayed by a more talented and experienced Morocco side.
The loss is a major setback for the USMNT program, which has been rebuilding in recent years. The team will need to regroup and find a way to improve if they want to compete for medals in future Olympic Games.
Despite the disappointing result, the USMNT players should be proud of their efforts in Paris. They played with heart and determination, but they were simply outmatched by a better team.
The future of the USMNT is still bright. The team has a lot of young talent, and they will only get better with experience. The USMNT will be back in action in the 2026 World Cup, and they will be looking to make a deep run in the tournament.
