Djordje Mihailovic converted a penalty as the United States pounced early in a 4-1 victory over New Zealand to stave off possible elimination at the Olympics. (More Football News)
Mihailovic calmly hit the penalty in the eighth minute a꧅fter Nathan Harriel was brought๊ down in the box by Matthew Garbett.
Four minutes later, senior player Walker Zimmerman, a༺ defender, made it 2-0 when he poked in a goal in a scramble in front of the net following a free kick.
Gianluca Busio scored on a rebound at the half-hour mark and celebrated by dancing with teammate Kevin Paredes. Busio later left the game with wha☂t appeared to be a hamstring injury, but he said it was just a precaution.
Paxton Aaronson add♌ed a fourth goal for the United States in t๊he 58th and New Zealand avoided the shutout with Jesse Randall's late goal.
New Zealand's 2-1 opening victory over Guinea had put the team in a strong position to advance. Tไhe OlyWhites, as they are known, started the d✨ay second in the group to France.
The United States is set to play Guinea in its final group match Tuesday in Saint-Et♔ienne. New Zealand plays France in Marseille.
Mitrovic said he's not scoreboard watching.
Ne🐻w Zealand adv✱anced to the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Ukraine 2, Morocco 1
There was no reprieve for Morocco this time.
After the chaos and violence that marred the end of its 2-1 win over Argentina in the Olympic 🍌men's soccer tournament, Morocco conceded late again against Ukraine on Saturday — and this time theℱ goal stood.
On Wednesday, Morocco fans rushed the field and threw bottles in protest when Cristian Medina appeared to score an equalizer in the 16th 🥂minute of stoppage time for Argentina — causing the game to be suspended for around two hours. That goal was later disallowed by VAR for offside.
But there was no sign of a repeat of those scenes when Ihor Krasnopir scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win for 10-man Ukraine at S🃏tade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Morocco looked like it was edging closer to the quarterfinals after Soufiane Rahimi's 64th-minute penalty leveled the game at 1-1. The forward, who took his total to three goals for the Paris Games, won the spot kick when he was fouled by Volodymyr S𓆉aliuk. Saliuk was sent off for the offense.
Ukraine had ta🔴ken the lea൩d in the 22nd through Dmytro Kryskiv.
Ukraineඣ's late win🐎 left all four teams in Group B tied on three points after Argentina shook off defeat to Morocco by beating Iraq 3-1.
Argentina 3, Iraq 1
While Iraq threatened to pull o✅ff another surprise when Aymen Hussein leveled the game 1-1 in first-half stoppage time, goals from Luciano Gondou and Ignacio Ferᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnandez sealed victory for Argentina.
Thiago Almada, who Argentina coach Javier Mascherano said had a watch stolen when the team's training base was robbed earlier this week, opened the scoring with a volley in the 14th at🌺 Stade de Lyon.
Gondou's far-post header in the 62nd restored Argentina's lead after Hussein's goal and Fernandez curꦫled in𒊎 a long-range shot from the edge of the box in the 85th.
“There were two op𒀰tions: dwell on what happened or look ahead. We focused on what we can contro🌄l, which is to play football,” Mascherano said.
France 1, Guinea 0
Kiliann Sildillia's goal in the 76th minute gave France a 1-0 win over Guinea inꦐ Nice, moving the ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhost country closer to the quarterfinals.
Thierry Henry's squad was set for an easier oppone๊nt in their second G🌃roup A match, after France defeated the United States 3-0 in their opener.
The West African team dominated the first half but the French came out stronger after 🐭the break. Sildillia headed in a cross ♕from Michael Olise to break the deadlock.
Spain 3, Dominican Rep. 1Spain reached💧 the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win ove🐭r the Dominican Republic in Bordeaux.
Goals from F🔥ermín Lopez, Alex Baena and Miguel Gutierrez made it two wins from two fo𝓡r Spain in Group C.
Lope🎶z scored in the 24th, but Angel Montes de Oca evened the game in the 38th.
The Dominican Republic's Edison Azcona was se🐻nt off before halftime. Baena restored Spain's lead in the 55th and Gutierrez𝔍 sealed the win in the 70th.
Spain𝔍's men are aiming to add to a golden😼 period for its nation's soccer teams after the women's team won the World Cup last year and the men won the European Championship earlier this month.
Egypt 1, Uzbekistan 0
Ahmed Koka scored in the 11th minute and Egypt beat Uzbekistan 1-0 to move🍸 a step𝔍 closer to the knockout phase.
Egypt is 💎in second plꦫace in Group C, behind Spain. A draw would be enough to see it advance.
The Dominican Republic plays U𝓡zbekistan and is third on one poi🌺nt.
Paraguay 4, Israel 2
Marcelo Fernandez scored twice and Paraguay pulled away from Israel with two lJapan 1, Mali 0ate goals in a 4-2 win in Gr💃oup D 🍸in Paris.
Fernandez scored his first in the 25th minute for Paraguay, which had lost 5-0 in its opener againsꦺt Japan. Israel pulled even on Omri Gandelman's goal early in🌺 the second half.
Julio Enciso scored in the 69th to put Paraguay back in front until Oscar🐠 Gloukh's equalizer in the 80th.
Fabian Balbuena scored three minutes into stoppage time to pull Parag🍬uay in ♎front before Fernandez capped it.
Is🅘rael dre✃w 1-1 with Mali in the Olympics' first event, also at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Japan 1, Mali 0
Rihito Yamamoto scored in the 82nd minute to give Japan a 1-0 victory over Mali i൲n Group D in Bord🤪eaux.
Japan clinched a spot in the knockout round.
Mali will have to wait until the resultsꩵ of the final matches in the group toཧ see if it advances for the time since 2000.
