US men's soccer team ends 24-year wait to reach QF at Olympics. France to meet Argentina

US men’s soccer team ends 24-year wait to reach QF at Olympics. France to meet Argentina

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United States’ Kevin Paredes celebrates scoring his side’s 3rd goal during the men’s Group A soccer match between the United States and Guinea, at Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

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France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, left, shoots the ball to score his side’s first goal, during the men’s Group A soccer match between New Zealand and France at the Velodrome stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal, during the men’s Group A soccer match between New Zealand and France at the Velodrome stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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France’s head coach Thierry Henry gestures from the sideline during the men’s Group A soccer match between New Zealand and France at the Velodrome Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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Argentina’s Thiago Almada celebrates with Nicolas Otamendi scoring his side’s opening goal against Ukraine during the men’s Group B soccer match at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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Hinchas de Argentina alientan a su selección antes del comienzo del partido contra Ucrania por el Grupo B de los Juegos Olímpicos, en el estadio Lyon el martes 30 de julio de 2024, en Decines, Francia. (AP Foto/Laurent Cirpriani)

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Ukraine’s Oleksandr Martyniul fall as Argentina’s Giuliano Simeone (17) dribbles during a men’s Group B soccer match at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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Morocco players celebrate their side’s third goal by Abde Ezzalzouli (16) during a men’s Group B soccer match between Morocco and Iraq at Nice Stadium at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nice, France. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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Egypt’s Ibrahim Adel celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal during the men’s group C soccer match between Spain and Egypt at Bordeaux Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Bordeaux, France. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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Egypt’s Ibrahim Adel is congratulated after scoring his side’s opening goal during a men’s group C soccer match between Spain and Egypt at Bordeaux Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Bordeaux, France. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

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Dominican Republic’s Nunez Rafael controls the ball during the men’s group C match between the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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Dominican Republic’s Gonzales Peter and Uzbekistan’s Buriev Abdurauf compete for the ball during the men’s group C match between Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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United States’ Djordje Mihailovic, left, is congratulated after scoring his side’s opening goal during the men’s Group A soccer match between the United States and Guinea at Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

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United States’ head coach Marko Mitrovic stands on the pitch prior to the men’s Group A soccer match between United States and Guinea, at Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

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A security official stands guard near the pitch during a men’s Group B soccer match between Morocco and Iraq at Nice Stadium at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nice, France. Morocco won 3-0. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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Japan’s Mao Hosoya celebrates with Japan’s Joel Chima Fujita, left, after scoring his side’s opening goal, during the Group D soccer match between Israel and Japan, at the La Beaujoire stadium, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nantes, France. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)

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Paraguay’s players celebrate after a goal during the men’s group D match between Israel and Paraguay at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

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Spectators hold a banner reading “Genocide Olympics” during the men’s group D match between Israel and Paraguay at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

By JAMES ROBSON

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — To chants of “U.S.A.” America’s men ended a 24-year wait to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic soccer tournament by beating Guinea 3-0 on Tuesday.

Victory in Saint-Etienne saw the U.S. reach the knockout phase of the Games for the first time since Sydney 2000, and it will play Morocco in Paris on Friday.

“Right now I’m living this moment and we’ll analyze what it means once we are done with it,” U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic said.

Two goals from Kevin Paredes and a brilliant free kick from Djordje Mihailovic secured the victory that meant the U.S. advanced in second place behind Group A winner France, which beat New Zealand 3-0.

The Americans — playing in the Olympics for the first time since Beijing 2008 — responded impressively to their opening 3-0 loss to France by winning back-to-back games against New Zealand and Guinea.

Next up is a Morocco team that finished atop Group B and beat Argentina along the way.

“I watched actually the first game against Argentina,” Mitrovic said. “I was in my room, our game was 9 p.m., theirs was 3 p.m. I actually think they are a very, very good team.”

A win against Morocco would see the U.S. emulate its performance in Sydney when it reached the semifinals.

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“We came here to be who we are and I think we did it again today and we just have to recover and go to the next game,” Mitrovic said.

Mihailovic, who hit the bar when the score was still goalless in the game against France, scored a curling free kick from the edge of the area to give the U.S. the lead in the 14th minute.

Paredes slotted in his first in the 31st and powered in another in the 75th.

France vs. Argentina

It will be a repeat of the World Cup final when France meets Argentina in the quarterfinals in Bordeaux on Friday.

Argentina won that epic contest on penalties after a 3-3 draw in Qatar in 2022 and rivalries between the nations could be intensified by racist chants made by Argentina’s players after they won the Copa America this month.

“I won’t talk about it,” France coach Thierry Henry said Tuesday. “We just qualified. We’re going to play a game. My head is still into this game.”

France maintained its 100% record at the tournament with victory over New Zealand in Marseille through goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Desire Doue and Arnaud Kalimuendo.

Thiago Almada scored a brilliant solo in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Ukraine — securing back-to-back victories after the shock opening defeat to Morocco. Claudio Echeverri sealed the win, but it wasn’t enough to advance atop Group B.

Morocco took top spot after beating Iraq 3-0 in Nice.

Morocco and Argentina were level on points and had identical goal difference and goals scored. It meant Morocco took first place by virtue of its 2-1 win over Argentina at the start of the tournament.

Palestinian protest

Play was briefly suspended during the second half in Nice after a man holding a Palestinian flag invaded the pitch. He was swiftly removed by police. Several dozen riot police were then deployed along the field to prevent further incidents.

At the Parc des Princes in Paris, where Israel played Japan, fans held a banner that read “Genocide Olympics.”

Egypt stuns Spain

Ibrahim Adel scored a pair of goals and Egypt advanced atop its group by beating Spain 2-1.

Spain had already reached the knockout round and was vying for a first-place finish in Group C but was instead leapfrogged after defeat in Bordeaux.

Dominican Republic played to a 1-1 tie with Uzbekistan, which had already been eliminated.

Second place for Spain means it has a quarterfinals match against Japan, which maintained its 100% record in Group D when Mao Hosoya scored in stoppage time to beat Israel 1-0.

Egypt plays Paraguay, which finished runner-up in Group D after Marcelo Fernandez’s goal secured a 1-0 win over Mali.

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AP Sports writer Anne M. Peterson in Marseille and Barbara Surk in Nice contributed to this report.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympic Hightlights

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FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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FILE - Ilona Maher of USA is tackled by Sharni Williams of Australia in a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup 7’s championship held in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The main task for Maher, the breakout social media star on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics, is winning a medal in Paris. (AP Photo/Halden Krog, File)

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FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

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Sammy Sullivan of USA in action during HSBC rugby sevens series in Singapore, on May 4, 2024. The anthem played as Army officer Sammy Sullivan stood to attention and saluted beside her U.S. rugby teammates before a gold-medal game in Hong Kong against Olympic champion New Zealand. No prizes for guessing where her mind may have drifted to: Paris in July. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

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USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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FILE - Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands competes during the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Vienna 2022 men’s semifinal game against Austria at the Red Bull Beach Arena in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Van de Velde, convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in England has qualified for the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, File)