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US dealt harsh lesson by France in men's Olympic soccer opener

Related Topics: Gianluca Busio, John Tolkin, France

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MARSEILLE, France -- At the end of a chaotic, controversial and farce-filled day of Olympic soccer, the United States men's team finally made its return to the Summer Games only to see France run away to a much-anticipated celebration.

Given the relative insanity of what came earlier Wednesday -- highlighted by the hours-delayed, VAR-infused ending to Morocco's upset of Argentina following a shocking fan invasion of the field -- the party atmosphere at the Velodrome stadium felt almost quaint. But every result is critical in this sprint of a tournament, and France's 3-0 victory over the Americans gave at least most of the 67,000 fans a reason to applaud coach Thierry Henry's squad at the end of the evening.