PARIS — In an openly hostile environment, facing a faster and stronger opponent, the U.S. men’s team was no match for Morocco, conceding a goal in the first half and two more in quick succession in the second half to fall 4-0. The loss ended the U.S. Olympic hopes.
While there is reason for optimism about reaching those expected levels, Morocco demonstrated exactly how far the USMNT needs to go to be competitive on an Olympic stage.
Morocco brought an overwhelming advantage in fans to the Parc des Princes, with boos and whistles accompanying every touch of the ball by the United States. Flares were launched from the stands before the match even began, and the Moroccan fans maintained a constant, literal rhythm throughout the match that the American fans simply could not match.
On the field, the outcome was much the same. The United States appeared to have the first good scoring chance of the match, when Miles Robinson set up Paxten Aaronson from the left side of the box. Aaronson’s shot went wide left, but any celebration would have been short-lived: it was ruled offside.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, who plays for Paris St. Germain at the Parc des Princes, orchestrated attacks early in the first half, most notably a five-touch beauty that began with a corner kick and ended with a shot on goal that sailed just over the crossbar and out of the reach of goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
The atmosphere was intense throughout the match. Midway through the first half, the coaches of both countries engaged in a shouting match on the sideline that required referee intervention, and the referees warned both coaches. The action on the field remained mostly calm, and so did the U.S. side of the field. Morocco created chance after chance throughout the first half, and eventually, the U.S.’s luck ran out.
After a suspicious penaltyMorocco soon broke through with a penalty. Soufiane Rahimi fired low and just out of Schulte’s reach to score the first goal of the match and Rahimi’s fifth at these Olympics. The players rejoiced 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, arguably, the Americans’ own inability to mount an attack against it. American John Tolkin, who plays for the New York Red Bulls of the MLS, in particular was vocal about the Moroccan attack, but his fury was all he could offer.
Two numbers told the story of the first half: 8 and 1, as in the number of shots on goal by Morocco and the United States, respectively. Or, perhaps, 4 and 0, as in the number of shots on goal. Morocco held a nearly 2-1 advantage over the United States in time of possession in the first half, and the United States was fortunate to be down just 1-0.
The start of the second half was more favorable for the American team, but only because the first was overwhelming. Fourteen minutes into the break, both Kevin Paredes and Miles Robinson missed scoring opportunities, but the brief burst of hope was enough to inspire the first “USA” chants of the afternoon. The Moroccan fans quickly silenced it, but the goal was there.
Unfortunately for the United States, that bit of energy seemed to ignite the Moroccan team, and Ilias Akhomach scored in the 63rd minute after a brilliant pass from Abde Ezzalzouli. A VAR check for a possible handball before the goal found insufficient evidence to disallow the goal, and the Moroccan fans danced in wisps of smoke.
At that point, the story was pretty much over, but Hakimi made sure to remind everyone that they were playing in his (adopted) home. Seven minutes later, he scored the third goal past Schulte. Another penalty following a handball in the 90+1 minute made it 4-0.
The United States leaves the tournament having performed as well as expected, coming out of a group stage they should have come out of and losing to a better team in the knockout round.