US Men Beaten 4-0 by Morocco and Eliminated from Olympic Soccer Tournament

Morocco's forward #15 Mehdi Maouhoub (R) celebrates with Morocco's defender #02 Achraf Hakimi (L) after scoring a penalty kick for his team's fourth goal during the men's quarter-final football match between Morocco and the USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Parc des Princes in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Morocco's forward #15 Mehdi Maouhoub (R) celebrates with Morocco's defender #02 Achraf Hakimi (L) after scoring a penalty kick for his team's fourth goal during the men's quarter-final football match between Morocco and the USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Parc des Princes in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
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US Men Beaten 4-0 by Morocco and Eliminated from Olympic Soccer Tournament

Morocco's forward #15 Mehdi Maouhoub (R) celebrates with Morocco's defender #02 Achraf Hakimi (L) after scoring a penalty kick for his team's fourth goal during the men's quarter-final football match between Morocco and the USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Parc des Princes in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Morocco's forward #15 Mehdi Maouhoub (R) celebrates with Morocco's defender #02 Achraf Hakimi (L) after scoring a penalty kick for his team's fourth goal during the men's quarter-final football match between Morocco and the USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Parc des Princes in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

The United States was eliminated from the Olympic men's soccer tournament on Friday after a 4-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

Soufiane Rahimi, Ilias Akhomach, Achraf Hakimi and Mehdi Maouhoub scored the goals at Parc des Princes that ended US hopes of a medal at the Paris Games, The Associated Press reported.

Morocco, which enjoyed fervent support in the French capital, will play the winner of Japan vs. Spain in the semifinals in Marseille on Monday.

The US qualified for the quarterfinals of the Olympics for the first time since Sydney 2000 but was outclassed by a polished Morocco team that had already beaten Argentina in the group stage.

Rahimi scored a penalty in the 29th minute and Akhomach doubled the lead in the 63rd.
Hakimi rolled in the third after a solo run in the 70th.

Maouhoub, a substitute, finished off the rout with a penalty in second-half stoppage time.

In front of a packed crowd at the home of Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco dominated the chances in the first half, but needed a penalty to find a breakthrough after Nathan Harriel fouled Rahimi in the box.

Despite protests from the American players, referee Yael Falcón Pérez pointed to the spot and Rahimi fired low to the left and beyond the dive of Patrick Schulte.

Miles Robinson had a golden chance to level the game in the 59th when collecting a knockdown from about six yards out, but shot wide.

That miss proved even more costly when Morocco extended its lead four minutes later through Akhomach, who slotted past Schulte from close range after Abde Ezzalzouli’s cross.

Hakimi, who plays his club soccer for PSG, added a third shortly after — carrying the ball to the edge of the box before firing into the bottom right hand corner.
Morocco made it 4-0 in stoppage time when Harriel handled in the box and, after a VAR review, a second penalty was awarded and Maouhoub converted.



Liverpool Restore 12-point Lead as Jota Seals Win over Everton

Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Everton - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 2, 2025 Liverpool's Diogo Jota shoots at goal REUTERS/Phil Noble
Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Everton - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 2, 2025 Liverpool's Diogo Jota shoots at goal REUTERS/Phil Noble
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Liverpool Restore 12-point Lead as Jota Seals Win over Everton

Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Everton - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 2, 2025 Liverpool's Diogo Jota shoots at goal REUTERS/Phil Noble
Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Everton - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 2, 2025 Liverpool's Diogo Jota shoots at goal REUTERS/Phil Noble

Liverpool continued their march towards the Premier League title with a 1-0 victory over Everton in a scrappy Merseyside derby as Diogo Jota slotted home the winner in the second half on Wednesday.

The champions elect, with 73 points after 30 games, restored their 12-point lead over second-placed Arsenal while Everton, whose nine-game league unbeaten ended, are 15th on 34 points.

Everton's Beto had an early goal chalked off for offside and missed a sitter before Jota broke the deadlock in the 57th minute with his first goal in two-and-a-half months. Anfield erupted when Luis Diaz back-heeled the ball into Jota's path and the Portuguese forward beat a tackle before firing into the net, Reuters reported.

"Massive, of course," Jota said summing up the win. "Not only because it is a derby, but because of the (first game since the) international break. It was important to start with three points and hopefully that gives us momentum for the rest of the season."

Liverpool fans thought Everton should have been reduced to 10 men after 11 minutes following a fierce tackle by defender James Tarkowski on Alexis Mac Allister, but Everton's captain was only shown a yellow card.

The teams had met in an explosive derby in February that ended 2-2, with Tarkowski equalising deep in stoppage time in a chaotic game that featured four red cards, including one to Liverpool manager Arne Slot.

While Liverpool are unbeaten in 26 league games, they went into last month's international break on a negative note after being eliminated by Paris St Germain in the Champions League and losing to Newcastle United in the League Cup final.

Slot's men looked sluggish and disjointed on Wednesday and Everton could have gone ahead when Beto raced away from defender Virgil van Dijk and beat goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher before hitting his shot against the post.

Kelleher started in goal for Liverpool, with regular starter Alisson recovering from a concussion suffered on international duty with Brazil.

The heated mood in Anfield was cranked up another notch with the contentious early tackle. Tarkowski won the ball but his studs-up follow-through caught Mac Allister square in the calf. VAR confirmed the decision of a yellow card, which gave the centre back the joint most yellow cards without being sent off in Premier League history, with 63.

"I thought at the time that it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game," Everton boss David Moyes said.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said on the Sky Sports commentary that Tarkowski was very lucky to escape a red card for a tackle that was a "potential leg breaker".

"We were playing against Everton, they make it very difficult for you," Van Dijk said. The games we have played against each other over the years have always been tough.

"They have a certain way of playing and you have to be ready for it. The first half wasn't our greatest but we kept a clean sheet and obviously Jota made a fantastic goal. Three points and we move on."

Moyes remained without a victory at Anfield in 22 games leading Manchester United, Sunderland and West Ham United as well as his current team.

"Liverpool were the better team, there's no doubt about that," Moyes said.

"But I don't like the goal, I think the goal was offside. I'm really surprised it wasn't given. Or maybe I'm not surprised. I don't think many managers come here and think that they get loads of decisions at Anfield generally."