U.S. men's soccer team drops Olympic quarterfinal to Morocco

The United States men's soccer team is out of the Paris Olympics.

The Americans lost Friday's quarterfinal match 4-0 to Morocco, with Soufiane Rahimi scoring the only goal the Atlas Lions would need from the penalty spot in the first half at Parc des Princes in the French capital. 

Ilias Akhomach doubled the Moroccans' advantage midway through the second, with captain Achraf Hakimi adding a third on a brilliant individual effort with 20 minutes left to play.

Mehdi Maouhoub completed the rout with another penalty in second half stoppage time.

Paris 2024 marked the U.S.'s first appearance in the men's Olympic tournament since 2008, and its first run to the knockout stage since reaching the semifinals eight years before that in Sydney.

Olympic men's soccer is limited mostly to players 23 years old or younger, with three overage exceptions per team allowed. USMNT regulars like Christian Pulisic are in preseason with their European clubs and didn't participate, leaving a mostly MLS-based roster to compete at the Summer Games. The Atlas Lions are led by Hakimi, the Paris Saint Germain star.

Morocco will now face either Spain or Japan next week in Marseille for a place in the Aug. 9 gold medal match.

Here are a few quick takeaways from Friday's contest.

Play of the game

Akhomach's backbreaking goal came following a surging run by winger and fellow former Barcelona prospect Abde Ezzalzouli. Ezzalzouli then sent a perfect pass across the face of the goal to Akhomach, who knocked the ball past U.S. keeper Patrick Schulte from close range.

Turning point

Morocco was clearly the better team, but the U.S. was in good shape until it conceded a silly penalty in the 29th minute. After squandering several chances to clear the ball, Philadelphia Union defender Nathan Harriel hacked down Atlas Lions striker Rahimi with a mistimed kick. Rahimi stepped up to the spot and buried the attempt himself, giving Morocco a lead it would only add to as the game went on.

Key stat

The possession and shot counts demonstrate just how dominant Morocco was from start to finish. The Atlas Lions had almost 60% of the ball even with the U.S. chasing the game for two-thirds of it, and they sent eight of their scoring chances on-target compared to the Americans' one. Sometimes, the scoreline doesn't accurately reflect the way a match went down. This wasn't one of those instances.

What's next for the U.S.?

It's the end of the road for this version of the U.S. U-23s, but several Americans could have put themselves in contention for senior team caps this fall following their strong performances in France. Although he was beaten on Hakimi's goal, fullback/winger Kevin Paredes was superb in the group stage. 

Overagers Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman could compete for the up-for-grabs starting center back spots with full-strength USMNT. Djordje Mihailović, Olympic coach Marko Mitrović's third overage selection, didn't hurt his stock. Nor did fellow central midfielder Tanner Tessmann. 

If any of those players go on to earn major roles for the U.S. at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, these Summer Games can be viewed as a success for the program.

What's next for Morocco?

The Atlas Lions have to have their eyes on the gold medal now. Morocco made history at the last World Cup, becoming the first African and Arab nation to qualify for the semifinals. The country's U-23 team has now equaled the feat by reaching the final four at the Olympics for the first time ever.

Playing in front of a huge crowd of Moroccan expatriates in Marseille, they'll be hoping to go at least one game further when they meet either Japan or Spain for a spot in the title game next week. Argentina and France are expected to progress on the other side of the bracket.

Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports who has covered the United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him at @ByDougMcIntyre.