US Men’s National Team Falls to France in Olympic Opener

The U.S. men's national team kicked off its journey at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a tough 3-0 loss to host France on Wednesday in Marseille.

After a first half where neither team seemed to find their rhythm, France made the breakthrough in the 61st minute. Alexandre Lacazette struck with a low-driven shot from outside the 18-yard box, putting the French ahead.

Just eight minutes later, French midfielder Michael Olise dazzled the crowd with a curling shot from distance, doubling the lead for his side. To cap off the victory, Loic Bade added a third goal with a header from a corner kick in the last few minutes of the match.

The U.S. team had their chances to get back in the game. Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic came close with a shot that hit the crossbar just moments before France’s opening goal. Later, defender John Tolkin missed a close-range header that could have changed the game.

Head coach Marko Mitrovic expressed his disappointment after the match, feeling his team was unlucky not to come away with points. He highlighted that creating chances is essential, but converting them is crucial, noting, «Some days everything goes in your favor and some days it doesn’t. We have to move on.»

The result puts the U.S. in last place in Group A with zero points, while France tops the group. Earlier in the day, New Zealand defeated Guinea 2-1, placing them in second position with Guinea just above the U.S. due to goal differential.

Now faced with the challenge ahead, the U.S. must secure results in their next two matches to have a shot at advancing. Their next game is against New Zealand, set for Saturday, July 27, at 1 p.m. ET.