The U.S. men's U23 national team crashed out of the 2024 Olympics, falling to Morocco 4-0 in the quarterfinals Friday in Paris.
Morocco went up early in the first half from the penalty spot on what was a controversial call, and it set the tone for the match. Two Moroccan players and defender Nathaniel Harriel went to challenge for a ball in the air, and the Philadelphia Union defender's boot made contact with the calf of Soufiane Rahimi, who fell to the ground.
The Al-Ain striker scored the ensuing penalty kick after a brief VAR review to make it 1-0 in the 28th minute.
The U.S. made it to halftime without conceding again, needing a new identity on the pitch for the final 45 if they were to secure a result. They came out of the break with a much higher tempo, but nothing came of it, and Morocco began to dominate.
Minutes after the USMNT's best chance of the game, a close-range effort from Miles Robinson that was hit wide, the Atlas Lions doubled their lead. It was a sensational counter, led by ex-Barcelona star Abde Ezzalzouli and finished by winger Ilias Akhomach in the 63rd minute.
They added a third seven minutes later, with PSG star Achraf Hakimi putting the game away, making it 3-0 after a solo-effort that saw the U.S. defense just watch him dribble by. They then added a fourth in stoppage-time after another penalty was called on Harriel, this time for a handball offense despite the defender's arm being tucked in on his side in a natural position.
The USMNT lacked ambition and aggression much of the game, and seemed to be affected by a predominantly Moroccan crowd.
“To go down in the nature that we did was tough, pretty frustrating,” U.S. defender Walker Zimmerman said. “It’s sad because I think it’s a group that has a lot of belief in each other and a lot of character and I don’t think it showed through and that’s what’s hard is knowing how much everyone did care, had each other’s back.”
Overall, it was a brilliant and unexpected run for the U23 squad at these Olympics, and it could be a spark for the program for years to come. But the U.S. - playing in the Olympics for the first time since 2008 and in the knockouts for the first time in 24 years - were not up to the task in the quarterfinals. And on a day in which they needed to be at their best, they didn't deliver
GOAL rates the USMNT's players from the Parc Des Princes in Paris.