The Americans’ Olympic Dreams Dashed by Morocco’s Dominant Win
In the shadows of the iconic Parc des Princes, the USA Men’s Soccer Team’s Olympic journey concluded with a piercing 4-0 loss to Morocco, extinguishing the aspirations ignited by their promising group stage performance. The agony was sealed by Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, who graced his home turf with an unstoppable strike following a blistering counterattack 70 minutes in. But, truth be told, the game had slipped away from the U.S. much earlier.
Ilias Akhomach’s goal had already posed an insurmountable challenge for the youthful American squad, which managed to net seven goals in their previous two matches but found themselves stymied against this formidable African team. Mehdi Maouhoub added a penalty in stoppage time, serving as a final celebration for Morocco rather than adding to the Americans’ woes.
After the match, Kevin Paredes summed up the situation with bitter simplicity, “They kept scoring, we didn’t.” Walker Zimmerman, highlighting the demoralizing effect of Akhomach’s goal, called it “the dagger,” and acknowledged the team’s frustration by stating, “It’s tough and pretty frustrating.”
Despite the crushing defeat, there were glimmers of hope and growth to be gleaned from this tournament. The U.S. squad, comprised primarily of players under 23, showcased resilience and promise by holding their own against France before securing victories over New Zealand and Guinea. These efforts propelled them into the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time since 2000.
Coach Marko Mitrović maintained his confidence in the front three—Paredes, Paxten Aaronson, and Griffin Yow—who had dazzled against Guinea. Unfortunately, they couldn’t replicate their magic against Morocco, who proved why they topped their group. Alongside Hakimi, forward Soufiane Rahimi, who scored the opener from the penalty spot, remained a persistent threat.
Reflecting on the game, Jack McGlynn noted the atmosphere, saying, “With the crowd being on their side, we wanted to silence them early, but we failed and they punished us.” Overwhelmingly supportive Moroccan fans dominated the venue, their fervent chants and bright red attire creating an intimidating environment for the American players from the kickoff.
Controversy also surfaced as referee Yael Falcón, an Argentine, awarded a penalty against U.S. defender Nathan Harriel, a decision upheld by VAR despite protests from Harriel himself. This penalty was calmly converted by Rahimi, setting a tone the U.S. struggled to recover from.
As the half progressed, the Americans found themselves chasing shadows. In a rare second-half opportunity, Zimmerman headed the ball in front of goal, setting up a point-blank chance for Miles Robinson, who disappointingly failed to capitalize.
Zimmerman reflected on the missed chance, admitting, “It just didn’t come together for us today.” The Americans’ woes were compounded when Hakimi’s run set up Akhomach for another goal, putting the game well beyond reach.
As the final whistle blew, the realization set in: their Olympic journey was over. Though bitter in defeat, the young U.S. team’s efforts hinted at a brighter future on the global stage.
