USMNT's stunning loss to Morocco wasn't as surprising as it sounds

The lopsided ending may seem surprising from the outside, but Thursday's loss was far from an upset.  

The USMNT made it past the Olympic group stage for the first time since 2000 and even avoided a matchup against Argentina, the defending Copa America and World Cup champion. However, the breaks weren't enough to make up the difference in talent. 

While Morocco's win catapulted its national team to the semifinals of the Olympics for the first time, it wasn't an underdog. Only two years ago, the country came with a win of reaching the World Cup final, and in this year's group play, it upset the aforementioned Olympic favorite, Argentina. 

On Friday, Morocco largely dominated the action, finishing with an 8-1 shot advantage while dominating corners 8-3. Morocco held only a 1-0 advantage more than halfway through the match, but the USMNT collapsed down the stretch, allowing tallies at 63', 70' and another during stoppage time. 

The USMNT wasn't unlucky but instead ran into a much better team. Furthermore, it may have been a tad overhyped, especially after looking decidedly outmatched against top contender France (3-0) while wiping the floor with lesser-quality opponents in New Zealand (4-1) and Guinea (3-0). 

The lesson from Friday's defeat might be hard for the USMNT to swallow. While it might think it's ready to compete with the big dogs, recent and past history proves that the program is still far from reaching the heights of the sports powerhouses.