USA to soccer knockout stage for first time in 24 years

USA to soccer knockout stage for first time in 24 years

Team USA beat Guinea 1 – 0 Tuesday in their fifth Olympic match in Paris. The win guaranteed the team a place in the quarterfinals.

This will be the team’s first knockout stage appearance since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and only the second appearance since the Rome 1960 games when the group stage format was first introduced.

Double-digit fouls throughout the match

The Americans came out agressive with a missed goal attempt by Paxten Aaronson in the eleventh minute. Guinea struck back quickly with two quick goal attempts by Aliou Balde just ten minutes later.

It was an aggressive game on both sides, with a total of 17 fouls committed. 8 from Team USA and 9 from Guinea, with a yellow card awarded to both teams.

Eden, Utah, native Taylor Booth, the first player on the Olympic men’s soccer team from the state, committed two of the team’s fouls in the 80th and 81st minute of the match.

Booth played a total of 24 minutes on the field, with two committed fouls and an offsides call in the 91st minute.

(L) SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE – JULY 30: Taylor Booth #10 of the United States plays the ball under pressure from Mohamed Soumah #4 of Guinea during the second half of the Men’s group A match during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on July 30, 2024 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by John Todd/ISI/Getty Images); (C) SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE – JULY 30: Maximilian Dietz #4 of the United States goes up for a header with Ousmane Camara #11 of Guinea during the Men’s group A match during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on July 30, 2024 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/ISI/Getty Images); (R) SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE – JULY 30: Griffin Yow #9 of the United States battles for the ball with Aliou Balde #7 of Guinea during the first half of the Men’s group A match during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on July 30, 2024 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by John Todd/ISI/Getty Images).

First Team USA win against an African Nation in Olympics

This was the first time Team USA has played Guinea in men’s soccer in the Olympics, and is the team’s first win over an African nation in the history of the games.

Guinea is 0-3 in the group stage after losing to New Zealand in the Olympic opener and falling to France over the weekend.

Team USA is headed to the quarter-finals against Morocco on Aug. 2.