The Olympic men’s football tournament kicked off with a bang, with France showcasing their dominance in a 3-0 victory over the United States. Despite a valiant effort from the Americans, who repeatedly threatened the French goal, the host nation ultimately proved too strong. Djordje Mihailovic’s long-range shot that hit the crossbar in the second half was the closest the US came to scoring, with France making the most of their opportunities through goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Michael Olise, and Loic Bade.
Meanwhile, Japan enjoyed a resounding 4-0 win against Paraguay in Group D, capitalizing on a red card shown to Wilder Vera in the 25th minute. Shunsuke Mito and Shota Fujio each scored two goals for Japan, who dominated the second half.
Iraq secured a crucial comeback win in Group B, defeating Ukraine 2-1. Valentyn Rubchynskyi put Ukraine ahead in the 53rd minute before Aymen Hussein converted a penalty in the 56th to equalize. Ali Jasim then scored the winning goal in the 75th minute, putting Iraq at the top of the group alongside Morocco.
In other matches, Egypt and the Dominican Republic played to a scoreless draw in Group C, while Mali fought back from a goal down to draw with Israel in Group D. The Dominican Republic’s debut at the Olympics was marked by an apparent goal from Peter Gonzalez that was ruled out due to a foul.
The opening day of the Olympic men’s football tournament provided plenty of excitement and drama, with several teams showcasing their ambitions for gold.
