U.S. men’s Olympic team key takeaways: Breakout stars, quarterfinal clash, predictions

At the end of a summer that’s been full of disappointment for fans of the U.S. men’s national team, the success of the men’s Olympic squad here has been a welcome change. At first, the notion that the U.S. had even qualified a men’s team was something to celebrate — the Americans last made an Olympics in 2008 — but now the goal is bigger.

With the U.S. in the City of Lights for a quarterfinal on Friday against Morocco, here are some questions (and answers!) to get you up to speed on how the U.S. is doing in this under-23 tournament, as well as what it’s up against at the Parc des Princes.

1. What’s been the biggest takeaway from the U.S.’s group stage?

Olympic tournaments on the men’s side are always a bit of a guessing game, as the rosters — which can include three overage players per team — aren’t as well-defined as each country’s senior team. That said, U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic was clear from the start that he expected the Americans to be able to play against anyone — and so far, they have.

Tactically, they’ve shown different approaches depending on the situation and, for the most part, been able to follow through on what they’ve promised. In the tournament opener against France, they were compressed and composed, largely stalemating the hosts in front of a packed crowd for an hour before eventually wilting late. (Afterward, French coach Thierry Henry specifically praised Mitrovic for crafting a strong game plan.)

In the last two games, Mitrovic opened up the scheme far more and the players responded, creating a slew of high-quality chances and scoring seven goals to seal a place in the knockouts for the first time since 2000. That ability to adapt to the moment speaks to the quality of the players and the savvy of their manager.

2. Which players deserve a proper call-up to the senior team based on their performances?

The consistent standout for the U.S. has been Kevin Paredes, a former D.C. United winger who has played the last two seasons for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. Paredes, who is just 20, has been a whirlwind on the flank for the Americans, constantly motoring up and back to make an impact in every phase of the U.S. game.

Mitrovic said after the U.S. game against Guinea — in which Paredes scored twice — that he believes this could ultimately be a breakout tournament for Paredes internationally. It’s hard to argue, too: whether beating his man and pinging inch-perfect crosses or cutbacks to teammates flashing into the box or finishing cleanly when presented with an opportunity of his own, Paredes has been a dynamo.

Against Guinea, Paredes partnered with Paxten Aaronson and Griffin Yow to present a front three full of energy and excitement. Whether Mitrovic gives that group another go against Morocco remains to be seen but there is no doubting that whatever the shape, Paredes will feature prominently.

3. What is the U.S.’s biggest strength and biggest weakness going into the Morocco match?

The most significant concern is surely how the U.S. will handle an outstanding Morocco attack. Soufiane Rahimi, who is the tournament’s goals leader, and Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi (who will be playing in his club’s home stadium) are as good as any player the U.S. has faced at the tournament this side of France’s Alexandre Lacazette. Mitrovic brought in senior team defenders Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson as two of his overage players because he knew there would be moments where the U.S. would have to suffer a bit, and this match figures to be one of them.

From a positive standpoint, the U.S. has demonstrated its offensive creativity — the through-ball from Aaronson to Paredes that led to a goal against Guinea was as pretty as anyone could want — and they handled the pressure of playing decently in front of a partisan crowd against France for much of the night. Friday’s game figures to be a similar pressure cooker, as Morocco will have strong support at the Parc des Princes.

Can the U.S. players meet the moment?

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4. Time for predictions: How far is this U.S. team going in the Olympics and why?

There is a lot working against the U.S. in this matchup, whether it’s big-name player comparisons or the fact that much of the stadium will likely be against them. And Morocco, while not quite a household name like Argentina or France, has become an upstart in international soccer recently, with talent up and down their roster.

Ultimately, it feels like too much. The Americans have been impressive in many ways in France, and I expect them to score and give Morocco every bit of a battle. At the end, I think Morocco will find a way in extra time, sending the U.S. out after a hard-fought 2-1 match.