If the United States can beat Guinea on Tuesday, it will very likely qualify for the quarterfinals and become the first U.S. men’s soccer team to make the knockout rounds at an Olympics in 24 years.
— Jack McGlynn remembers when the goal was as basic as could be: No United States men’s soccer team had even qualified for an Olympics since 2008, so for months just getting to these Paris Games was all that mattered.
But now the U.S. men want more.
On the eve of their final group-stage match, McGlynn, who is one of only two Americans to have played with the team throughout this entire Olympic cycle, said he and his teammates are well aware of the stakes. If they can beat Guinea on Tuesday in Saint-Etienne, they’ll very likely qualify for the quarterfinals and become the first U.S. men’s team to make the knockout rounds at a Summer Games in 24 years.
„We know that this is the most important game we’ve had so far“, said McGlynn, a sharp-passing midfielder for the Philadelphia Union. „I was a part of the team that qualified us here, and that was kind of a huge deal for us.“
He added: „I think to now be here — we kind of understand the significance.
