Mateta nets in Final but France settle for silver

Club

9 Aug 2024

Jean-Philippe Mateta's Olympic Games ultimately ended in the disappointment of a defeat in the Gold Medal match, despite the forward scoring – but his silver medal still saw the forward make Crystal Palace history.

The Palace man has been in action for the hosts at this summer's Games football tournament, and – as any Palace would expect given his recent scoring run – has continued to showcase his lethal finishing on the international stage, with 18 goals in his last 18 games for club and country prior to Friday evening's Gold Medal match.

Indeed, by firing in two vital goals in the semi-final win over Egypt, Mateta ensured he would become the first-ever player to win an Olympic medal while playing for Palace.

In Friday's Gold Medal match against Spain, France took an early lead through a fortuitous goal from Enzo Millot – but found themselves 3-1 behind at the interval as their visitors dominated the rest of the half.

But France and Mateta fought back superbly in the second period, reducing the deficit with 11 minutes remaining when Maghnes Akliouche deflected in a Michael Olise free-kick.

And in the very dying seconds, when Arnaud Kalimuendo was wrestled to the ground and VAR awarded a penalty, Mateta stepped forwards and took on the ultimate responsibility from 12 yards.

He duly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way – and his country into ecstasy. His fifth goal of the tournament, invaluable.

Sadly, however, he and France were forced to settle for silver when Spain substitute Sergio Camello twice kept his calm in one-on-one situations in extra-time, the visitors eventually winning out 5-3 at Parc des Princes.

Nevertheless, Mateta's exploits for his country on the grand stages are unlikely to be forgotten any time soon – a truly wonderful tournament for the Palace No. 14.

What happened previously in the tournament?

Coached by French football legend Thierry Henry, hosts France were placed in Group A alongside the USA, Guinea and New Zealand, with the top two teams from each pool qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Les Bleus had kicked off their campaign with a 3-0 win over the United States at the Stade de Marseille, with Mateta playing the first 71 minutes of the eventually dominant win.

France were forced to ride their luck in the first-half, however, with their goalkeeper Guillaume Restes tested on several occasions and the USA striking the crossbar.

But in the second-half, Alexandre Lacazette and Michael Olise struck in quick succession for France to set them on course for three points, with Loic Bade adding a third five minutes from time.

Three days later, Mateta and France made it two wins from two with a 1-0 win over Guinea, courtesy of Kiliann Sildilla's 75th-minute glancing header at the Stade de Nice.

France went close to breaking the deadlock after half-an-hour when Olise played through Mateta, but Guinea goalkeeper Soumaila Sylla smothered the effort and deflected it behind.

The hosts were then forced to ride their luck in a first-half otherwise dominated by Guinea, who saw two goals disallowed and another effort cleared off the line.

But in the 75th minute, Sildillia met Olise's whipped cross to guide a match-winning header home.

And in the final round of matches, Les Bleus put New Zealand to the sword to run out 3-0 winners – securing a perfect group stage record of three wins, seven goals scored, and zero conceded.

Having threatened with a low effort 15 minutes into their final match in Marseille, it was Palace man Mateta – wearing the captain's armband for the first time – who gave France the lead on 19 minutes with a delightful finish.

The striker was on hand when Joe Bell's tackle ricocheted into his path but – with plenty of work still to do – dinked the goalkeeper exquisitely from a tight angle to put his side ahead.

Mateta once again played just past the hour mark before being substituted, with further strikes from Désiré Doué and Arnaud Kalimuendo seeing France advance to the quarter-finals in style.

In the last eight, Mateta was once again the match-winner, scoring the crucial goal in a heated quarter-final against Argentina.

The effort was a flicked, near-post header from Michael Olise's corner after five minutes, his second goal in as many Olympics matches – and it proved to be decisive.

The Palace man had arguably his best game of the tournament against the Argentines, setting up Millot for a blocked shot with a storming run, and moments later testing goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli.

In the second-half, Mateta hit the side-netting with another impressive header from an Olise cross, and later Olise had another effort disallowed by VAR for a foul in the build-up.

The rest of the game was played to a fiery backdrop, with tensions bubbling over at full-time and both sets of players involved in a final-whistle confrontation which saw Millot dismissed.

In the semi-finals against Egypt, France started shakily but grew in dominance in the first-half, and went close through Mateta with an early glancing header.

Shortly after the hour mark, Alexandre Lacazette missed a glorious opportunity to put the hosts ahead in Lyon – and was duly doubly punished when Mahmoud Saber smashed Egypt into an unlikely lead.

But that only set the stage for Jean-Philippe Mateta.

After the Palace man was denied from close range, and then saw a good penalty shout go begging, he duly grasped glory.

On 83 minutes, former Palace man Michael Olise found space in midfield and slid Mateta through, charging down the middle. The striker blasted the most clinical of finishes past the goalkeeper and into the top corner, celebrating wildly in front of a jubilant Groupama Stadium.

Egypt were reduced to 10 men four minutes into extra-time – and then, just five minutes later, it was Mateta's moment again.

The Palace forward, wearing the captain's armband once again after Lacazette was withdrew, was in the right place at the right time to thump home a header from Loïc Badé's looping header across goal.

Olise would put the seal on the victory shortly after extra-time restarted – but it was Mateta who left the field of play on 118 minutes to a standing ovation, the toast of the French public.

Despite defeat in the Gold Medal match, it ensured Mateta's place in Palace history: the only player in the club's history to win an Olympics medal while still being attached to the club.

Match Details

All match times BST.

Friendlies

Thu, 4th July: France 4-1 Paraguay (Mateta scored twice in his first appearance for a France national team since June 2019)
Thu, 11th July: France 7-0 Dominican Republic (Mateta was not in the squad for this fixture)
Wed, 17th July: France 1-1 Japan (Mateta played 72 minutes of a draw in Toulon)

Summer Olympic Games

Wed, 24th July: France 3-0 United States (Mateta played the first 71 minutes of a dominant win for the hosts)
Sat, 27th July: France 1-0 Guinea (Mateta played the first 58 minutes of a win which puts his side on the brink of qualification)
Tue, 30th July: New Zealand 0-3 France (Mateta captained the team and scored a brilliant goal in the 19th minute to set his team on course for victory)
Fri, 2nd Aug: France 1-0 Argentina (Mateta scored the winning goal in the quarter-finals: a bullet header in the fifth minute)
Mon, 5th Aug: France 3-1 Egypt (a.e.t. Wearing the armband for a third time, Mateta blasted home a vital equaliser on 82 minutes before heading home shortly after the restart to put his team into the Gold Medal match)
Fri, 9th Aug: France 3-5 Spain (a.e.t. Wearing the armband again, Mateta scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser from the spot in the second minute of injury time, making it 3-3, but was forced to settle for a silver medal as Spain won out in extra-time)

France's Olympics squad explained

Mateta earned his place in France's Olympics squad following a spectacular end to the 2023/24 season, scoring nine times in six games, including the Eagles' first-ever home Premier League hat-trick: a final-day treble against Aston Villa.

While the football tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics is an Under-23s competition, Mateta qualifies as one of three overage players in France's squad.

He had – prior to two warm-up games earlier this month – previously won 11 caps at Under-21s level, scoring three times. Before being named in France's provisional squad, the striker had last represented his country in June 2019.

What else should I know?

The tournament is being held between Wednesday 24th July and Saturday 10th August in seven host venues across France, including main host city Paris; Bordeaux; Marseille and Nice.

Brazil are the two-time defending men’s champions, but failed to qualify on this occasion, with France having previously won gold in the United States in 1984 and silver in the very first summer tournament, which they hosted in 1900.

With Paris this year’s host city, Les Bleus will be among the favourites to win gold at the competition.

Their preparations began with a training camp which began on 16th June – and culminated with three friendly matches earlier this month, which you can read about below.

What happened in the warm-up games?

Henry's team friendlies began at the beginning of the month, with France U23s facing Paraguay U23s at Stade Jean-Dauger in Bayonne – and winning out 4-1, thanks to Mateta being in sparkling form.

The forward was named in the starting XI, but the game did not get off to an ideal start when Juan Salcedo took advantage of a third-minute France error to place the visitors into the lead.

But France hit back on the stroke of half-time when Mateta, racing onto a through-ball, blasted past the advancing 'keeper from the angle – the striker's first goal for his country in over five years.

And it took Mateta just nine second-half minutes to grab his second goal of the match.

With Enzo Millot felled just inside the box and VAR subsequently awarding a penalty, Mateta picked up the ball and stepped up to send the 'keeper the wrong way.

A fine night's work complete, Mateta was replaced on 64 minutes, with France going on to score twice more to finish the rout.

The forward was then not involved in France U23s' following game: a 7-0 win over Dominican Republic in Toulon.

France's final preparatory fixture was against Japan at the Stade Mayol in Toulon on Wednesday evening, with Les Bleus hosting Japan – but finding themselves frustratingly held to a 1-1 draw.

Mateta started the game but saw his team fall behind in the 25th minute as Japan forward Joel Chima Fujita finished off a fine team move by slotting the ball past goalkeeper Guillaume Restes.

Olise equalised for the hosts in the 47th minute with an impressive effort from outside the box, and despite Mateta going close five minutes later, they were forced to settle for a draw.

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