The U.S. will be heading to the Olympics for the first time since 2008. Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

USMNT secures spot in Olympics for first time in 16 years

By Adam Stites | Last updated 7/2/22

United States men's soccer will be one of 16 countries competing for gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

On Friday night, the U.S. beat Honduras, 3-0, in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship to secure a spot in the Olympics and end a 16-year drought.

The U.S. started strong Friday with a goal from Paxten Aaronson early in the third minute to take a quick lead.

A DREAM START FOR THE UNITED STATES

Paxten Aaronson scores in the first 3️⃣ minutes over Honduras!

: @FS1 pic.twitter.com/a2XwAkukMV
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 2, 2022

Two more first-half goals from Alejandro Alvarado Jr. and Quinn Sullivan extended the lead and pushed the game out of reach for Honduras before halftime.

In September 2021, CONCACAF — the governing body of North American, Central American and Caribbean soccer — announced that the top two teams in the under-20 championship would earn Olympic bids. Previously, those spots were determined with a separate Olympic qualification tournament.

Also on Friday, Dominican Republic earned the other Olympics berth by beating Guatemala in penalty kicks. The U.S. and Dominican Republic will meet in the tournament final Sunday.

The U.S. won both silver and bronze at the 1904 Olympics when only three teams from two countries competed, but hasn't won a medal in men's soccer since. Beginning in 1992, an age limit of 23 years old has been set for Olympics competition. The U.S. finished fourth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but haven't competed since losing in the group stage at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

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