PARIS — Playing in an openly hostile environment, facing an opponent both faster and stronger, the United States men’s national team couldn’t run with Morocco, giving up one first-half goal and two more in quick succession in the second half to fall, 4-0. The loss ends the United States’ Olympic hopes.
While there’s reason for optimism at performing up to expected levels, Morocco demonstrated exactly how far the USMNT has to go to be competitive on an Olympic stage.
“It’s sad, because I think it’s a group that has a lot of belief in each other,” Team USA’s Walker Zimmerman said. “I don’t think that showed through today.”
Morocco brought an overwhelming fan advantage to Parc des Princes, boos and whistles accompanying every United States’ touch. Flares launched from the stands before the match even began, and Morocco’s supporters kept up a steady, and literal, drumbeat throughout that the American fans simply couldn’t match.
On the field, the result was much the same. The United States appeared to have the match’s first good scoring opportunity, as Miles Robinson set up Paxten Aaronson from the left side of the penalty box. Aaronson’s shot went wide left, but any celebration would have been short-lived; he was deemed offside.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi — who plays for Paris St. Germain in Parc des Princes — orchestrated attacks early in the first half, most notably a five-touch beauty that started with a corner kick and ended with a shot on goal that floated just over the crossbar and out of keeper Patrick Schulte’s reach.
Passions ran high throughout the match; midway through the first half, both countries’ coaches engaged in a shouting match on the sidelines that required officials’ intervention, and referees warned both coaches. The action on the pitch remained mostly composed, and also mostly on the United States’ end of the field. Morocco set up for chance after chance throughout the first half, and finally, the United States’ luck ran out.
After a suspect penalty, Morocco broke through on the ensuing penalty kick shortly afterward. Soufiane Rahimi punched the ball low and just out of Schulte’s reach for the first goal of the match, and Rahimi’s fifth of these Olympics. The players exulted on the pitch as at least four different smoke bombs and flares covered the Parc stands in red, green and white smoke.
The first half ended with the United States growing increasingly frustrated with Morocco’s style of play — and, likely, with the Americans’ own inability to mount much of an attack against it. The USA’s John Tolkin, who plays for MLS’s New York Red Bulls, in particular was demonstrative about the Moroccan attack, but rage was all he could offer.
Two numbers told the story of the first half: eight and one, as in the number of shots on goal by Morocco and the United States, respectively. Or, perhaps, four and zero — as in the number of those shots that were on target. Morocco held a nearly 2-1 advantage over the United States in time of possession in the first half, and the U.S. was fortunate to be down only 1-0.
The beginning of the second half proved more favorable for the USMNT, but only because the first was so overwhelming. Fourteen minutes into the half, both Kevin Paredes and Miles Robinson missed opportunities to score, but the brief burst of hope was enough to inspire the afternoon’s very first “U-S-A” chants. The Moroccan fans quickly whistled it down, but it was there.
Unfortunately for the United States, that little bit of energy seemed to fire up the Moroccan side, and Ilias Akhomach scored in the 63rd minute off a brilliant pass from Abde Ezzalzouli. A VAR check of a possible handball before the goal didn’t find sufficient evidence to overturn, and the Morocco fans danced in wreaths of smoke.
The story was pretty much over at that point, but Hakimi made sure to remind everyone that they were playing in his (adoptive) house. He rolled a third goal past Schulte seven minutes later. Another penalty kick off a handball in stoppage time made it 4-0.
“Hopefully people saw the bright spots of this group,” Zimmerman said. “They showed form on an international stage, showed they have a bright future ahead of them.”
The United States exits the tournament having performed about as well as expected, getting out of a group stage they should have exited, and losing to a better team in the knockout round.
“The hardest part with an Olympics,” Zimmerman said, “is that this is not a tournament you get back to that often, if ever.”
