The United States U-23s are through to the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time since the year 2000 thanks to a 3-0 victory over Guinea to finish as Group A runners-up. A goal from Djordje Mihailovic and a Kevin Paredes brace were more than enough for the United States to get the job done, finishing behind France, who went 3-0-0. Even without Gianluca Busio, who missed the match with a hamstring injury, Marko Mitrovic’s side created plenty of chances while also staying locked in on the defensive end to get the much-needed result. They’ll now be set for a matchup with Morocco on Friday morning at 9 a.m. ET.
With seven goals scored and only one conceded in their last two matches, an opening-day loss to France is firmly in the rear-view mirror. Mihailovic and Paredes have both scored two goals while assisting another. Griffin Yow and Paxten Aaronson have also been stellar in attack but the defense has been able to keep out most things that come their way as well to complete this turnaround.
Patrick Schulte, for example, is a player who embodies the United States’ improvement. Against France, he could’ve done better on a few of the goals conceded but closing out the cleansheet against Guinea, the Columbus Crew man was there to stop a chance from point-blank range, ensuring that the United States blanked the opposition. Those are stops that while they don’t mean much to the final standings, they do matter for confidence ahead of facing Morocco, a team with plenty of quality going forward.
That match is one where things start to get real in a win-or-go-home scenario. For a team that has never earned a medal, in Olympic play, they’re now one step closer, but PSG star Achraf Hakimi and a strong Morocco side stand in their path.