GOAL examines who impressed, and who didn't as USMNT advance to Olympic knockouts for first time since 2000
The USMNT are off to the knockout stages of the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first American men's squad since 2000 to advance to the quarterfinals.
An opening-match bashing at the hands of France had things begin on a sour note, with Thierry Henry's side blanking the U.S. 3-0. However, bounce-backs against both New Zealand (4-1) and Guinea (3-0) advanced the USMNT to the knockouts, as they outscored opponents by a combined 7-1 in the two matches.
Winger Kevin Paredes shined, striker Duncan McGuire struggled, while the midfield now poses a conundrum. Regardless, though, the U.S. advanced, and that's major progress for the men's game.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the U23 USMNT during the Group Stage of the Paris Games.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Kevin Paredes
What a performance against Guinea on matchday three. In a sensational effort, he scored two brilliant left-footed strikes to round-out the Group Stage.
He had a rather quiet matchday one against France, where his most eventful moment was picking up a yellow card against Les Bleus. Against New Zealand, he was more lively, notching his first assist of the tournament en route to an eventual 4-1 victory over New Zealand.
A locked-in starter under coach Marko Mitrovic, Paredes may now be the glue for the attack when they crawl into the final-third. He is going to be incredibly important against Morocco Friday, and buzzing with confidence, he's in the best position possible to have an impact.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Duncan McGuire
It's hard to blame McGuire for his performances. This selected roster isn't one built around a proper target man forward. However, he's had a rather poor tournament so far.
Starting the first two matches, the Orlando City forward was handed faith by Mitrovic, but little came of it. He failed to register a single shot on target in either contest, while making little impact in the attack.
Against Guinea, he was moved to the bench to begin the match, with the center-forward role being handed to Paxten Aaronson. McGuire came on midway through the second half, but again, little impact came of it.
He's hitting a slump, to borrow a baseball metaphor, and now it's looking like the U.S. will be relying on Aaronson centrally as they move forward in the tournament.
WINNER: American soccer
For the first time since 2008, the U.S. appeared at the Olympic Games. That is so incredibly important for the growth of American soccer stateside, especially in the men's program.
To add to it, they've now qualified for the knockout stages. A feat achieved for the first time since 2000 – where a young Landon Donovan and Tim Howard broke out for the national team.
After a poor Copa America showing by the senior team, seeing this U23 squad inspire and come together in the Group Stage after a rough start was brilliant. The young players on the squad, on all ends of the pitch, coalesced and succeeded at a level on the Olympics platform not seen in two decades.
The outlook of the senior team may be bleak now, but at the moment, this young up-and-coming core is underscoring why there is excitement in the program.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Caleb Wiley
In a surprising turn of events, new Chelsea signing Caleb Wiley has barely seen the pitch in the Paris Games. Many expected him to be the clear starter for the U.S., but Mitrovic handed that role to Tolkin against France and has not looked back.
It's a massive disappointment for the young left back, who ideally was looking to impress his new club before they determine if he's sent to be on loan in Europe this summer. Wiley did get minutes against Guinea as the USMNT closed out the group stage, but he logged a mere 12 minutes. He was handed a late four-minute cameo against France too, but they were meaningless minutes at the end of the match.