Olise's creative spark in midfield is just the right fit for France

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Olise's creative spark in midfield is just the right fit for France

2025-03-24 21:45 Last Updated At：21:52

PARIS (AP) — Michael Olise's emergence for France comes at the right moment in a team needing a creative spark in midfield.

Olise was outstanding in the 2-0 win against Croatia on Sunday, scoring a free kick and setting up the second goal in the return leg of their Nations League quarterfinal. France drew level on aggregate to force extra time and then won a penalty shootout 5-4 at Stade de France.

It was Olise's first international goal on his sixth appearance. He showed authority by taking the kick with superstar forward Kylian Mbappé standing next to him, and curled the ball expertly into the top corner.

He then combined with Mbappé on the edge of the area before cutting the ball back from the touchline to Ousmane Dembélé with a cushioned pass for France's late second goal.

Olise almost set up another goal, splitting Croatia's defense to send Bradley Barcola clean through only for the goalkeeper to save well in the first half.

With his driving runs, ability to ghost into space and astute reading of the game, the left-footed Olise could prove a real asset to a France team which has looked too predictable stretching back to last year's European Championship.

Winning a starting place in the team seems a natural progression for a player whose trajectory keeps on rising.

The London-born 23-year-old began his professional career with Reading six years ago after being released by Chelsea and then Manchester City.

Olise played three seasons for Reading in the second-tier Championship. He was named as the English Football League's young player of the season before joining Crystal Palace in the top division.

His first two seasons with the Eagles were consistent, but he made a major breakthrough last season with 10 goals in 19 games and earned a big move to Bayern Munich in a deal worth 60 million euros ($65 million).

Olise has continued to score freely with Bayern, netting eight goals in the Bundesliga and another five in the Champions League.

He will look to add to that tally when Bayern faces Inter Milan in the quarterfinals next month, and perform his trademark goal celebration with one finger on his right ear and one over his mouth.

Olise was a key player in the France side which reached the Paris Olympics final, losing to Spain 5-3 at Parc des Princes.

He finished the tournament with two goals and five assists.

“The Games were the best football experience of my life," he told L’Equipe magazine in a recent interview. "I don't know if I was very well known in France before that (but) the Games allowed people to get to know me."

Olise was coached during the Paris Games by Arsenal and France great Thierry Henry.

“We have a similar understanding of football,” Olise said. “I learned new things that I incorporated into my game.”

Olise made his senior debut for coach Didier Deschamps' side last September for a Nations League game in Italy.

“It's such an honor to wear this jersey. I remember the first time Didier Deschamps called me, I was so happy,” he said. “It's quite a new team and we want to win everything together.”

Olise's playmaking ability is much-needed for Deschamps given that Antoine Griezmann has retired from international soccer.

It could also take some of the burden off Mbappé’s shoulders.

Mbappé is the designated leader of France's attack but is enduring his leanest run in the national side, going seven games without a goal.

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4 American soldiers who went missing in Lithuania have died, NATO leader says

2025-03-27 03:39 Last Updated At：03:40

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that four U.S. soldiers who went missing while training in Lithuania have died, but that he did not yet know the details.

A U.S. official would say only that the four soldiers were involved in a training accident. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would not comment on the status of the soldiers.

Lithuania's military said later on X that the deaths were not yet confirmed and that a rescue operation was “intensively ongoing.”

“Four United States soldiers and one tracked vehicle have gone missing during an exercise at a training ground in Lithuania. At the moment, there is no evidence or information confirming the death of the troops,” the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in the statement.

Rutte said during a trip to Warsaw that he had received word of the deaths of the four soldiers while he was delivering a lecture, and that his thoughts were with their families and with the United States.

“This is still early news so we do not know the details. This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones," Rutte told reporters in Warsaw.

A statement from U.S. Army Europe and Africa public affairs in Wiesbaden, Germany said the soldiers were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time.

Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported that four U.S. soldiers and vehicle were reported missing Tuesday afternoon during an exercise at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, a town located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Belarus.

The Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are all NATO members and have often had chilly ties with Russia, a key ally of Belarus, since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.

Relations soured further over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has been one of the most outspoken supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces.

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AP writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed from Washington