SAINT-ETIENNE, France (July 30, 2024) – The U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team is making the most of its first Olympic appearance in 16 years and ensured it will be staying in France thanks to Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat of Guinea at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

With its second decisive win in four days, the USA clinched second place in Group A and set up a quarterfinal showdown with Morocco on Friday, Aug. 2 at the fabled Parc des Princes in Paris.

Since its 3-0 loss to group-winner France in the opener, the U.S. (2W-1L-0D) has been rampant, getting seven goals from five different players and pulling away early with dominant first-half performances. The Americans struck three times in the first half hour in their 4-1 victory against New Zealand on July 27 and then were ahead by a pair in almost the same juncture against Guinea on Tuesday. Djordje Mihailovic and Kevin Paredes (twice) did the honors for the U.S., while goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made six saves and earned his first Olympic shutout.

As a result, the U.S. is into the quarterfinals at the Olympics for the first time since the famous fourth-place finish in 2000, and for just the second time since the current tournament format was introduced in 1960.

With a quarterfinal berth at stake in Saint-Etienne, U.S. head coach Marko Mitrović made two changes to the line-up that started against New Zealand. Injured midfielder Gianluca Busio was replaced by Greuther Fürth’s Maximilian Dietz. Up front, Griffin Yow, the D.C. United product who plays for Belgium’s Westerlo, earned his first Olympic start after some strong work in reserve. He took Paxten Aaronson’s spot on the left wing, with Aaronson sliding to center forward in place of Duncan McGuire.

The lively Yow demonstrated his value early as the Americans pressed high, attacked quickly and put the Guineans on their heels. Yow had the first U.S. chance when he stole a wayward fourth-minute clearance and lashed an 18-yard shot that forced a leaping save from goalkeeper Soumaïla Sylla.

Ten minutes later, Yow’s nimble turn and dribbling run across the top of the penalty area drew a foul by Guinea’s Bangaly Cissé. Mihailovic, who opened the scoring against New Zealand from the penalty spot, put the Americans ahead once again—this time from much further out. Although stationed outside the left post, the Colorado Rapids star was able to curl an exquisite, bending free kick over the Guinean wall and beyond Sylla’s reach into the upper left corner. The Americans didn’t let up. Tanner Tessman had a good look in the 22ndand then Yow came close with a side-of-the-foot volley in the 30th.

A minute later, the U.S. doubled its lead with a brisk, well-worked team goal. Tessman and Mihailovic combined to find Aaronson in his more central position and the Utrecht forward ran right and slid a perfect ball through the right channel and into Paredes’ path. The forward took one touch, finished with composure and became the Americans’ record-tying fifth scorer at a single Olympic tournament.

Guinea (0W-3L-0D) didn’t fold, but it was chasing the game absent injured captain Naby Keïta, the overage talisman who won multiple titles at Liverpool. The Americans were committed to limiting Guinea’s attacking threats largely to long-range bids. The Syli National didn’t put a ball on frame until the 41st minute and even as it had more of the ball during a desperate second half, Guinea wound up taking 11 of its 16 shots from beyond the penalty area.

Paredes added the star-spangled exclamation point in the 75th. Mihailovic’s replacement, Jack McGlynn, pulled Guinea’s defense apart with a switch of play to the right. Paredes took a touch back inside, smashed a 16-yard shot inside the right post and sealed the first Olympic brace for an American man since Rick Davis tallied two against Costa Rica at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Schulte preserved his clean sheet with a leaping, stoppage-time save of a Chérif Camara header and the U.S. had its first win over an African team in its Olympic history. More importantly, it ensured a longer stay in France.

The hosts’ 3-0 win over New Zealand in Marseille set the final standings in Group A, while Morocco’s 3-0 defeat of Iraq earlier Tuesday clinched Group B for the Atlas Lions (2W-1L-0D). The USA and Morocco will meet Aug. 2 in the Games’ host city of Paris, with the winner of that match moving on to an Aug. 5 semifinal in Marseille against the survivor of a quarterfinal between Spain and either Japan or Paraguay.