An Olympian Returns

This year’s Olympic football tournament yielded few breakout stars. The usual nations rose to the top, with the final being between France and Spain.

However, one of France’s star players will likely play a large part in Crystal Palace’s European ambitions.

Football at the Olympics fails to live up to the fanfare of other events. Being almost strictly reserved for younger players, it feels like a youth tournament rather than an elite event. 

That said, there exists a particular group of players who break out at the summer games. Mexico’s 2012 squad promised to finally lift the country to new heights, but this edition brought forth an older player. Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta dominated the competition and kept France alive throughout. 

Just entering his prime, Mateta’s career seems to be heading in the right direction. After initial struggles in the Prem, he finally broke out in the later half of the season. With 16 goals to end the season, Mateta will lead Oliver Glasner’s ambitious side next season.

As Olise departs for Bayern, all eyes now turn to his French teammate.

Palace clearly feels that it can continue climbing the ladder, and Mateta may likely decide its fortunes.

Mateta and Olise headlined an interesting yet relatively unknown French side looking to win gold at home. Mbappe hoped to have been included in Thierry Henry’s squad, but it fell on the Palace teammates to deliver for their nation.

Olise’s rise to being fawned over by Europe’s elite-dominated Palace last season, leaving little room for his compatriot. Mateta spent much of his early career being inconsistent across the Bundesliga and Prem. Entering the 2023/24 season with only 7 goals in 51 appearances, the season quickly became a make-or-break year for the Frenchman.

PHOTO: Jack Gruber/Imagn Images

Once Roy Hodgson stepped down, something awoke in the Frenchman. Glasner’s choice to reintroduce the player as his starting striker opened things up for Mateta. Leading the line, he poached on chance after chance to finish among the Prem’s top scorers.

Like Gignac’s inclusion on the 2021 Olympics roster, Henry opted to hand Mateta the spot to have a veteran presence. With only him and Olise being top-flight stars, Mateta held French hopes on his back.

Five goals in six games fail to show how much Mateta meant to this French side. The goals came in crucial moments for the French, especially in the match against Egypt, where he won the game. By knowing where and when to pop up for headers or pressure the keeper, he became France’s only real threat throughout the tournament. 

In the final, as Olise struggled to break from the Spanish defense, his teammate always remained an option for him. Even as France fell to Spain, both players left Paris with their reputations fully boosted. Now Mateta returns to a Palace side that needs him to push them to European competition, and it would feel foolish to bet against the Frenchman.

It’s fair to say that without the Palace teammates, France lacked the pieces to make a deep run. Both players used their great form coming from the end of the season to carry Henry’s side.

Somehow, the waters of the Premier League became the fountain of youth for more traditional strikers.

With the likes of Solanke and Watkins bringing the target man back to life, Mateta deserves to be seen with his peers. 

Using the entirety of his 6’ 4” frame, Mateta demands to be respected anytime a ball finds its way into the air. Like Giroud, the Palace star becomes a threat through a mixture of size and grace. He times just about every header perfectly, and his frame overpowers his defender.

Also, this frame makes him quite the competent defender for a striker, and he finished quite high compared to his fellow strikers. Under Glasner’s defensive setup, the Frenchman continued to thrive, especially as a pressing forward. 

What popped during the Olympics was Mateta’s incredible game reading. In the Egypt game, Mateta was especially a constant threat to the keeper. This pestering unsettled the keeper, so he created space with just his presence.

Due to his activity in the box, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that his shot map reads like that of a 90s striker. Mateta absolutely lives for chances that fall upon him. His ability to ready himself in that tight area gives his teammates the needed confidence that someone will finish the chances. 

Additionally, like Ollie Watkins, Mateta provides an outlet to his teammates, who use him as a creative hub. While five assists are not exactly setting the league on fire, he still plays like a competent passer. Perhaps the most interesting stat from his play last year was that he was elite with his long passing.

Like most of his positional compatriots, Mateta combines the traditional aspects of a striker with the modern demands of the game. This profile suits the player to a T and the demands of this current Palace side.

Few stars leave the Olympic football events with their image skyrocketing. While no big move seems to be coming, Mateta returns to Palace on the verge of his prime and his profile on the rise.

With Glasner looking to push this Palace side to European competitions, a lot of pressure falls on the Frenchman, but he looks ready to take center stage.

PHOTO: Jack Gruber/Imagn Images