Photo: Paul Rudderow
The United States men’s Olympic soccer team won its second match of the group stage on Saturday, by a score of 4-1 over New Zealand. The team jumped on Oceania’s leading soccer nation for three goals in the game’s first half hour.
The US’s advancement situation
The group’s schedule for match three:
| Tuesday, July 30 | 7 PM Eastern | |||
| France | v | New Zealand | Marseille | |
| United States | v | Guinea | Saint Étienne | |
No side in the group is mathematically eliminated or guaranteed to advance.
| Pts | GD | GF | GA | W | D | L | ||
| 1 | France | 6 | +4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | United States | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 3 | -2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Guinea | 0 | -2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
How things stand right now:
- Guinea’s result against France serves as a warning to the U. S. to take them seriously.
- If Frances wins or draws against New Zealand, it will win the group.
- Guinea cannot win the group. New Zealand must lose to France and Guinea must defeat the United States by three goals or more for Guinea to advance.
- New Zealand must either draw France while Guinea defeats the U. S. or defeat France while scoring enough goals to surpass the U.S. if it beats Guinea. At a minimum, New Zealand must score four against the French and shut them out.
- France can fail to advance only if loses to New Zealand by enough goals to lose its goal difference and goals-scored advantages.
- If France wins or draws New Zealand, the U. S. will advance if it wins or draws against Guinea.
Great update Tim. Thanks!