The United States men’s soccer team dropped its opening game at the Paris Olympics, but they bounced back on Saturday and cruised to a 4-1 victory over New Zealand.
The win was crucial for the men’s team, as they entered Saturday’s game needing to come out victorious in order to avoid an early exit from the Summer Games.
France shutout the U.S. earlier in the week, while New Zealand defeated Guinea — the USMNT’s next opponent.
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Only the top two teams from each group earn a spot in the knockout stage in the under-23 tournament.
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USMNT midfielder Djordje Mihailovic calmly hit the penalty in the eighth minute after Nathan Harriel was brought down in the box by Matthew Garbett.
Four minutes later, senior player Walker Zimmerman made it 2-0 when he poked in a goal in a scramble in front of the net following a free kick.
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Gianluca Busio scored on a rebound at the half-hour mark and celebrated by dancing with teammate Kevin Paredes. Paxton Aaronson added a fourth goal in the 58th.
New Zealand avoided the shutout with Jesse Randall’s late goal.
The U.S. is set to play Guinea in its final group match Tuesday in Saint-Etienne. Meanwhile, New Zealand is scheduled to take on France in Marseille.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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