USMNT Olympics Opener: France Downs Baby Yanks 3-0

MARSEILLE – When I first started my professional career as a life scientist, a choice work assignment took me to Lyon, France, not far from where the U.S. Men’s Under-23 Team played against their French opponents today in Marseilles. I lived near a butcher. On weekends I would stop by his specialty shop and watch him eviscerate all sorts of countryside-raised fowl. He was meticulous. An artist.

Watching this afternoon’s match between the two Olympic foes, I was reminded just how precise the French can be at their respective trades, especially playing football.

At halftime of the back-and-forth match, the score was knotted up at 0-0. Then whatever France’s head coach, Thierry Henry, communicated in the locker room, it resulted in his team coming out with sharp knives and intentions of dissecting the Yanks into bit size pieces. And that they did. They easily scored three unanswered goals and fended off several on-point shots that the Americans mustered up.

In the 61st minute, the French captain, Alexandre Lacazette, back peddled into midfield to receive a pass from teammate, Michael Olise.  Lacazette successfully held off U.S. midfielder Gianluca Busio and lashed a low, hard, 25-yard shot across the face of goal and into the left-side netting.

Eight minutes later it was Olise’s turn to bring the huge local crowd to its feet. Olise beat Paxten Aaronson to the inside of the box and bent a shot past diving goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.

In the 85th minute, an unmarked Loïc Badé drilled in an admirable header off of a corner kick.

Henry’s game plan outsmarted that of U.S. head coach Marko Mitrović. Henry was appointed head coach of the France Under-21 Men’s National Team and the Under-23 Men’s National Team in August 2023. His U-23s boast an unbeaten 4-0-2.

The Stars and Stripes did get off nine shots on goal, of which, three were on target. It is fair to say they were inches from finding the back of the net.  The attempts brought roars from many on-site faithful who were otherwise, subdued by their team’s and the heat and humidity.

In the 72nd minute of play Colorado Rapids’ midfielder, Djordje Mihailović unleashed a shot from about 25 yards out. Much to his dismay, his curling ball rattled the crossbar. Mihailović started the match and played through the 75th minute.

Sixty seconds later, Aaronson’s attempted header off a cross from Kevin Paredes. It was pucked off by Frances’s resolute goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. A minute later, left-back, John Tolkin, came rushing into the box and struck the left post with his header attempt.

Post-game Mitrović spoke with members of the media. The disappointed skipper said, “I don’t think it was a fair result. We didn’t deserve to lose this way, but we have to learn our lesson.” He added, “The guys on their team, they have so much quality to use even if they’re 25 yards from the goal.”

His viewpoint is accurate. The young Yanks just could not finish and make an Olympic-size game of it.

The Olympic tournament includes 16 nations playing in four groups of four. The top two finishers in each group following a round-robin will move on to the quarterfinals. New Zealand defeated Guinea 2-1 in the other Group A match on Wednesday.

The USA will return to Marseille for a must-win big meeting with New Zealand on Saturday, July 27.  Fans can tune in at 11 a.m. MT on USA Network, Telemundo, Peacock.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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