The United States' dream of a surprise Olympic men's football medal run came crashing down on Friday, as they were comprehensively defeated 4-0 by Morocco in a devastating quarter-final encounter at the Parc des Princes.
Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, playing on his home ground, provided a fitting finale to the Moroccan dominance with a clinical finish in the 70th minute, capping off a blistering counterattack. However, the truth was that the US had already appeared to be on the back foot long before Hakimi's goal.
Ilias Akhomach's goal earlier in the match had proved to be an insurmountable hurdle for the young American side, who, despite scoring seven goals in their previous two matches, struggled to break down a formidable African opponent. Mehdi Maouhoub's stoppage-time penalty was merely a symbolic gesture, providing the Moroccans with another opportunity to celebrate their resounding victory.
"They kept scoring, we didn't," a dejected Kevin Paredes said after the match. "I don't know what other words I could say."
Walker Zimmerman described Akhomach's goal as "the dagger," adding that "going down in the way we did was tough [and] pretty frustrating."
"It's sad because I think it's a group that has a lot of belief in each other and a lot of character," Zimmerman continued, "and I don't think it showed through today."
Despite the heavy defeat, the US players, almost all under 23 years old as per tournament regulations, can draw positives from their overall performance.
After pushing France all the way in a closely contested opening match, the Americans, led by the consistently impressive Paredes, secured victories over New Zealand and Guinea, propelling them into the Olympic quarter-finals for the first time since 2000.
"Hopefully, we take this defeat, and it hurts a lot, but it just makes us better," Paredes said.
Against Morocco, manager Marko MitroviÄ opted to retain the same attacking trio from the Guinea match - Paredes, Paxten Aaronson, and Griffin Yow - but the verve and dynamism they displayed in Saint-Ãtienne was absent against a superior Moroccan side, who topped their group.
Soufiane Rahimi, a constant threat in attack and who scored Morocco's opening goal from the penalty spot, leads the tournament's scoring charts and provided a formidable complement to Hakimi in defence.
"Obviously, with the crowd being on their side, we kind of wanted to silence them early," Jack McGlynn stated. "We failed to do so, and they punished us."
The Moroccan fans, clad in red and filling every corner of the stadium, created an intimidating atmosphere, singing, chanting, and whistling with every American touch of the ball from the first whistle. They also targeted referee Yael Falcón with jeers, a reaction likely stemming from his Argentinian nationality.
Morocco's opening match against Argentina had descended into chaos near its conclusion, featuring a pitch invasion and a controversial VAR decision that favoured the Moroccans. This left many Moroccan fans apprehensive about an Argentinian referee officiating their quarter-final. However, the most contentious decision made by Falcón actually left the Americans feeling aggrieved.
After absorbing much of the Moroccan attack for the first 25 minutes, the US found themselves defending as a high ball drifted towards their right-sided penalty area. Three players - US full-back Nathan Harriel, Morocco's Oussama El Azzouzi, and Rahimi - converged, all with their legs extended.
While it appeared that El Azzouzi made the most significant contact with Rahimi, Falcón blew his whistle, awarding a penalty for what appeared to be a minor touch from Harriel on Rahimi's calf. VAR upheld the decision.
"It wasn't a penalty," Harriel said succinctly after the match. "It wasn't a penalty, but whatever - we can't do anything about it now."
Rahimi converted the penalty, sending a shot past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, who nearly saved but could not push it wide.
This early setback set the tone for the US, who struggled to find their footing for the remainder of the game. By halftime, Morocco's players seemed to be enjoying themselves, effortlessly exchanging passes as the US chased in vain.
The Americans did manage to create a few opportunities early in the second half, with their best chance coming when Zimmerman, one of the three permitted overage players, headed a looping ball back in front of goal. However, Miles Robinson, another senior player, scuffed his shot from close range, missing the target as Zimmerman looked on with disappointment.
"It just didn't come together for us today," Zimmerman stated. "And it's hard when that happens in such an important moment."
On the sidelines, MitroviÄ watched with a frustrated air. Moments later, Abde Ezzalzouli burst down the left wing, delivering a perfect cross for Akhomach, who slotted the ball into the back of the net.
The Moroccans were soaring. The US were crumbling.
