New Zealand vs United States

Stade Velodrome sets the stage for a high-stakes 2024 Paris Olympic Games showdown between New Zealand and the United States.

New Zealand defied their underdog status in a shocking first-round win against Guinea, beating the African country 2-1 to secure only their second-ever win at the Olympic Games and ascend to second in Group A behind host nation France. A point against the United States may prove enough for New Zealand to qualify for the Olympic knockouts for the second tournament on the trot, and they can rely on a formidable group of players that won the OFC Nations Cup with the senior national team in June. Despite starting all five Olympic games since 2020 as pre-match outsiders, the OlyWhites boast an impressive record in that stretch (W2, D2, L1), meaning the USA will likely have to go above and beyond to take three points in Marseille.

Anything other than a clear-cut win may be the end of the United States’ hopes of reaching the knockout stages at the Olympic Games for the first time since 2000 following a disheartening 3-0 defeat to tournament favorites France on matchday one. Despite a nightmarish start to their Group A campaign, head coach Marko Mitrovic hailed his team’s effort in the aftermath and will, no doubt, appreciate a less formidable opponent on paper at the Stade Velodrome. Back-to-back defeats by 2+ goals ‘to nil’ hardly bode well for the USMNT’s bid to post their first Olympic win in over two decades. Notoriously slow out of the gates, Mitrovic’s men have taken a halftime lead in just two of their last 12 U23 outings.