In the second round of the Olympic men's soccer group stage, the match between New Zealand U23 and USA U23 attracted the attention of fans from all over the world. The match kicked off at 1:00 a.m., and the players from both sides showed a strong desire to win right from the start, and the atmosphere on the field was tense and intense.
At the beginning of the first half, New Zealand U23 tried to limit the attacking force of the USA through aggressive scrambling and tight defense, but the USA U23 gradually took control of the game by virtue of their strong physical quality and technical and tactical ability. In the 7th minute, there was a sudden change in the field, Khalil was tripped by the opponent's defender in a breakthrough in the penalty area, and the referee decided to award a penalty kick. Mihajlovic, as the penalty taker, calmly sent the ball into the lower right corner of the goal for the U.S. team to take the lead, 1-0.
Just three minutes later, the U.S. added another goal. Mihajlovic sent a precise set piece, and amidst the chaos in the penalty area, Zimmermann seized the opportunity to stab the ball into the net, increasing the score to 2-0. The US attacking wave didn't stop there, and in the 30th minute, Kevin Paredes sent a great assist to Bushaw, who followed up with a shot to make the score 3-0. by the end of the half, the US U23s had already taken control of the game with a three-goal lead. lead and were firmly in control of the game.
At the end of the match, New Zealand U23 did not give up as they stepped up their offense and tried to close the gap. However, the USA's defense was also solid, and New Zealand found it difficult to find a good opportunity. It wasn't until the 58th minute that the U.S. attacked again, with Griffin You sending an inverted triangular pass from the left, which Paxton Aaronson recognized and pushed home to further increase the score to 4-0.
Despite the scoreline, New Zealand U23 did not get discouraged and they continued to look for a breakthrough. Finally, in the 79th minute, Gabbert's assist helped Randall to turn and shoot the ball inside the penalty area, bringing the score to 1-4. However, the goal did not change the result of the game, and the USA U23 finally beat the New Zealand U23 4-1.
After this game, the U.S. U23s managed to overtake their opponents with this victory and move up to second place in the group.
