The USA waited 5,827 days between their last Olympic goal in 2008 and their first in 2024. An effort 16-years in the making, the weight on this team's shoulders was lifted just seven minutes into their 4-1 thumping of New Zealand Saturday in the group stage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The four goals is the most the US men have ever scored in an Olympic match, and the 3-goal margin of victory tied the highest in team history at the Games. And it all began quickly.
After Nathaniel Harriel was taken down in the box, the U.S. U23 squad earned a penalty kick and Djordje Mihailovic confidently stepped up and slotted home. Not five minutes later, the lead was doubled through defender Walker Zimmerman.
The squad's veteran, Zimmerman forced the ball into the back of the net after some pinball in the box. At 31 years, 70 days, Zimmerman is the oldest U.S. Olympic men’s soccer player to score at the Games since the team’s first participation in 1924.
And then, 30 minutes into the match, the U.S. added a third through midfielder Gianluca Busio. The Venezia star, though, was removed from the match five minutes later after suffering a non-contact injury.
After a double-change early in the second half, the U.S. added a fourth through Paxten Aaronson, who was fed by a recently-introduced Griffin Yow in the 58th minute.
New Zealand did earn a late consolation effort, finding the back of the net in the 77th minute through Jesse Randall, but it was too little, too late.
In Marseille, U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic fielded the same starting XI as in the terrible performance on matchday one, a 3-0 loss to France. The U.S. rebounded brilliantly, making up their negative goal-differential and staking the pole position to advance with a result against Guinea on matchday three on Tuesday.
GOAL rates the U23 USMNT players from Marseille.