In a captivating start to the 2024 Olympic men's football preliminaries, host nation France secured a commanding 3-0 victory over the USA on Wednesday.
Despite a near miss from USA's Djordje Mihailovic, who hit the crossbar, France took the lead in the 61st minute when Alexandre Lacazette drilled the ball into the back of the net. Just seven minutes later, Michael Olise added a second goal with a powerful strike from distance, putting France firmly in control of the match.
Loic Bade sealed the victory in the 85th minute with a decisive header, ensuring France topped Group A ahead of New Zealand, who also claimed a win against Guinea. USA coach Marko Mitrovic expressed his disappointment after the match, stating, \"I have that feeling inside that we didn't deserve to lose this way.\"
\"It was unfortunate – on another day maybe it goes in,\" said Mihailovic, reflecting on his long-range effort that struck the crossbar. He emphasized the need for emotional recovery, adding, \"We were in the game for the first 70 minutes, even after they scored, we responded very well.\"
France coach Thierry Henry praised his team's fighting spirit, saying, \"You guys never give up. That fighting spirit is always in you. You always believe that you can come back. I played in MLS, I coached in MLS, so I know that's something that you have.\"
The opening day also saw Morocco defeat Argentina 2-1 in a game that faced a two-hour suspension after fans invaded the pitch during stoppage time. Other notable results from Wednesday include:
- Spain 2-1 Uzbekistan
- New Zealand 2-1 Guinea
- Egypt 0-0 Dominican Republic
- Iraq 2-1 Ukraine
- Japan 5-0 Paraguay
- Mali 1-1 Israel
\"There was definitely stuff to make us feel good going into the next two matches,\" Mihailovic added, looking forward to the challenges ahead for the USA team.
Reference(s):
France beat USA 3-0 to start 2024 Olympic men's football preliminaries
cgtn.com
