U.S. Men's Olympic soccer kicks off Paris 2024 preparations with 2-1 win over Mexico in Phoenix

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The path to Paris is starting on the right foot.

On Wednesday evening, the United States Men’s Olympic soccer team officially kicked off preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics with a 2-1 win over Mexico in an international friendly match at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium.

The first goal from the United States came from forward Esmir Bajraktarevic on a 22-yard shot from outside the box in first-half stoppage time.

“I got the ball, I remember I was one-on-one,” Bajraktarevic said. “I was like, ‘I’m just gonna have a hit.’ And it went it.”

It is the first goal for the 18-year-old, one of the youngest players on the team who plays for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.

The United States controlled most of the first half, dominating possession and keeping up the pace. But the script was flipped in the second half as Mexico became the aggressor and put the pressure on goal.

United States goalkeeper Patrick Schulte proved to be a stalwart in the net, stopping multiple chances from Mexico.

Midfielder Obed Vargas was able to tack on a late goal for the United States when he scored in stoppage time.

Mexico’s Jesus Bridigio added one more after that on the final play of the game.

The United States team is in Phoenix for training camp as it prepares for next summer. The camp marks the official beginning of the road to the Olympics.

It’s early on in the team’s preparations, but coach Marko Mitrović is pleased so far.

“It’s our first camp, we are quite limited with the time with camps and friendly games,” Mitrović said. “Today was step one in trying to develop and build the best team for the Olympic Games. We try to use every opportunity to learn about each other, how we want to look on the field, and our identity.

“We’re only three days (in). I think the best evaluation will come after the end of the camp. Really good group of guys, they’re all professionals,'' he added. "They know what they’re doing. Everything so far is going really good on-and-off-the-field. I mean that’s the only way we can work as a group. Positive so far.”

The team, which is made up of men's U23 team players as required in the Olympics, has already started to build chemistry, going out to group dinners and with more planned in Scottsdale, as they try to form bonds in the lead-up to Paris.

They’ve already been to Top Golf too, which midfielder Tanner Tessman won, at least according to fellow midfielder Gianluca Busio (the two are also teammates in Italy for Venezia).

It’s all part of the quest to establish camaraderie.

“Building a group, really,” Busio said of the team’s training camp objectives. “Our goal every camp is to be more prepared for the Olympics. Guys will come in and out. Some guys will hopefully be on the men’s national team for some camps. So it’s building kind of a core group and showing what we want to do as a group, learning the coaches and just getting used to each other. It’s the only first camp; we have a long ways to go. Whatever we can do in these short periods of time to build the group is the first step to our goal.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: U.S. Men's Olympic soccer kicks off Paris 2024 preparations with 2-1 win over Mexico in Phoenix