France set up Olympics quarter-final with Argentina following New Zealand win
Oliver King
July 30, 2024 04:16 MYT
July 30, 2024 04:16 MYT
France set up a quarter-final meeting with Argentina at the Paris Olympics after topping Group A with a comfortable 3-0 win over New Zealand in Marseille.
Thierry Henry's side remain the only side in the tournament to win all of their games so far, and made light work of their opponents on Tuesday.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, who captained the side with Alexandre Lacazette on the bench, started off the scoring after the ball bundled its way into his path before finishing beyond Alex Paulsen in the 19th minute.
In a game that saw Les Bleus accumulate 34 shots at the Orange Velodrome, their dominance was rewarded with two quickfire goals late on.
Desire Doue would double the hosts' advantage from close range, with Arnaud Kalimuendo rounding off the scoring three minutes later to see France remain perfect.
France's triumph saw them win their first three games at the Games for the first time in their history, while also keeping three clean sheets on the spin for the first time at the Olympics.
????????́? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?? Victoire 3-0 face à la Nouvelle-Zélande ! Un 3e succès de rang qui nous permet de terminer en tête du groupe A RDV vendredi pour le choc contre l’Argentine #NZLFRA | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/yZBEEzO17i — Equipe de France (@equipedefrance) July 30, 2024
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In the other Group A encounter, the United States qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time since 2000 as they eased to a 3-0 win over Guinea.
A rampant start to the encounter saw Djordje Mihailovic and Kevin Paredes have Marko Mitrovic's two goals to the good just after the half-hour mark.
Despite finishing the encounter with just 37.8% possession, the United States were clinical in the final third as Paredes put the game beyond doubt in the 75th minute.
They return to action this Friday when they face Group B winners Morocco, who clinched top spot with a 3-0 win over Iraq while also finishing ahead of Argentina.
For the first time since ?????? ????, we're heading to the knockouts!!! Gear up for the quarterfinals » https://t.co/8UaE2YXPLo!!! #OlyMNT x @Visa pic.twitter.com/xKCKTk2Hgf — U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) July 30, 2024
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