Morocco faces the USA in the first quarterfinal game of the Olympics 2024 Men’s Football Tournament played in Paris.
MR-U23 vs US-U23 Match Details
Date: Friday, 2 August 2024
Time: 15:00 (CET), 18:30 (IST)
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
MR-U23 vs US-U23 Match Preview
After becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-final of a World Cup with the senior team two years ago, the U-23 side of Morocco entered the quarterfinals of the Olympics for the first time in 2024. The Atlas Lions picked up a stunning 2-1 win over Argentina in the opening game to kick things off but then faced a setback in the 2-1 loss to Ukraine. However, the team came out all guns blazing in the final group game, winning convincingly 3-0 against Iraq to top Group B. Top-scorer Soufiane Rahimi scored his fourth goal of the tournament after Richardson scored the opener in the 19th minute and before Abde Ezzalzouli wrapped the win in the first half itself. The U-23 Africa Cup of Nations winners will now face the USA in the last-eight hoping to repeat the feat of the senior side in Qatar. Having already beaten a higher-ranked side like Argentina, Morocco has nothing to fear about taking on the Stripes and creating more fairytales in Paris.
USA reached the knockout stage of the Olympic men’s football tournament for the first time in 24 years but their journey could have ended in the group phase again following a 3-0 opening day defeat to France. However, Marko Mitrovic's side did not lose their cool and thrashed New Zealand 4-1 before registering a big 3-0 win over Guinea in the final group game. The Yanks required a victory to make it through and wasted less time to get into the scoresheet. Dorde Mihailovic curled home a sublime free-kick and Kevin Paredes scored in either half to secure a dominant victory. The USA finished fourth at Sydney in 2000, the last time they reached the knockouts. They could repeat the achievement or progress further in the competition by defeating another African team albeit with a better run-of-form in the quarter-finals.
MR-U23 vs US-U23 Predicted Lineups
Morocco U23
Mohamedi; Hakimi, Boukamir, El Azzouzi, El Ouahdi; Targhalline, El Khannouss, Richardson; Akhomach, Rahimi, Ezzalzouli
USA U23
Schulte; Harriel, Zimmerman, Robinson, Tolkin; Dietz; Tessmann, Mihajlovic; Paredes, Aaronson, Yow
MR-U23 vs US-U23 Dream11 Match Prediction
A tight battle is expected between Morocco and the USA but the latter might just about sneak in a victory to progress to the next round. We predict a 2-1 win.
MR-U23 vs US-U23 Dream11 Top picks
Captain Pick: Soufiane Rahimi
Vice-captain Picks: Djordje Mihailovic, Kevin Paredes
MR-U23 vs US-U23 Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Schulte (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 95)
DEF: Hakimi (Cr - 9, Pts - 112), Zimmerman (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 8.5), Harriel (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 139)
MID: Paredes (Cr - 9, Pts - 198), Targhalline (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 98), Mihajlovic (Cr - 9, Pts - 181), Richardson (Cr - 8.5, Pts -129)
FW: Yow (Cr - 8, Pts - 86), Rahimi (Cr - 9, Pts - 232), Aaronson (Pts - 8, Cr - 121)
Vice-captain: Djordje Mihailovic
Captain: Soufiane Rahimi
