The Beijing Olympics - Football!

kinaldo

I can't wait for this, can't live without football! Kicks off on August 8th. Essentially an Under 23 World Cup but with each side allowed to bring 3 overage players. Some of the best matches I've ever seen were played at Atlanta 96 between Ronaldo and Bebeto's Brazil, Kanu and Okocha's Nigeria, and Crespo and Ortega's Argentina.

Argentina v Nigeria in 1996 was a classic final.


Unfortunately I can't find the semi between Brazil and Nigeria when Kanu inspired them to a 4-3 win from 3-1 down!

I didn't see much of 2000 and 2004 but now with internet and modern technology I plan on watching many games at Beijing. Brazil will be taking it very seriously. Winning the Olympics has become an obsession for them.

It's interesting to look back at the lineups of these teams from past tournaments. Usually a good indicator of what future World Cup squads will look like.

1996

Nigeria - Argentina
3:2 (1:1)
Match

Date

Venue / Stadium

Time

Attendance
32 03 August 1996 ATHENS, GA / Sanford Stadium 15:45 86117

Goals scored
* Claudio LOPEZ (ARG) 3',
* Celestine BABAYARO (NGA) 28',
* Hernan CRESPO (ARG) 50' Penalty goals,
* Daniel AMOKACHI (NGA) 74',
* Emmanuel AMUNIKE (NGA) 90'

Nigeria

Line-up
*
[2]
Celestine BABAYARO
*
[3]
Taribo WEST
*
[4]
Nwankwo KANU
*
[5]
Uche OKECHUKWU
*
[7]
Tijani BABANGIDA
*
[10]
Jay Jay OKOCHA (-59')
*
[11]
Victor IKPEBA (-72')
*
[14]
Daniel AMOKACHI
*
[15]
Sunday OLISEH
*
[17]
Mobi OPARAKU (-62')
*
[18]
Joseph DOSU

Substitute(s)
*
[1]
Emmanuel BABAYARO
*
[6]
Emmanuel AMUNIKE (+72')
*
[8]
Wilson ORUMA (+62')
*
[9]
Teslim FATUSI
*
[12]
Abiodon OBAFEMI
*
[13]
Garba LAWAL (+59')
*
[16]
Kingsley OBIEKWU

Coach
BONFRERE Jo (NED)
Argentina

Line-up
*
[2]
Roberto AYALA
*
[3]
Jose CHAMOT
*
[4]
Javier ZANETTI
*
[5]
Matias ALMEYDA
*
[6]
Roberto SENSINI
*
[7]
Claudio LOPEZ
*
[9]
Hernan CRESPO
*
[10]
Ariel ORTEGA
*
[11]
Hugo MORALES (-58')
*
[12]
Pablo CAVALLERO
*
[15]
Christian BASSEDAS

Substitute(s)
*
[1]
Carlos BOSSIO
*
[8]
Diego SIMEONE (+58')
*
[13]
Hector PINEDA
*
[14]
Pablo PAZ
*
[16]
Gustavo LOPEZ
*
[17]
Marcelo DELGADO
*
[18]
Marcelo GALLARDO

Coach
PASSARELLA Daniel (ARG)

2000

Cameroon 2, Spain 2
(Cameroon wins penalty kicks 5-3)

Lineups: Spain: Aranzubia, Lacruz, Marchena, Albeda, Angulo (Capdevila 74), Xavi, Jose Mari, Puyol, Amaya, Velamazan [captain] (Gabri 27), Tamudo (Ferron 49). Coach - Inaki Saez Ruiz. Cameroon: Idriss Kameni, Pierre Wome, Serge Mimpo, Patrice Abanda, Nicolas, Alnoudji (Albert Meyond Ze 111), Geremi Njitap [captain], Samuel Eto'o, Patrick Mboma, Lauren Etame Mayer, Aaron Nguimbat (Daniel Ngom Kome 46), Serge Branco (Joel Epalle 91). Coach - Jean-Paul Akono.

Scoring:
Spain - Xavi 2.
Spain - Gabri 47+.
Cameroon - Amaya (own goal) 53.
Cameroon - Eto'o 58.

Shootout scoring:
Cameroon - Mboma (goal), Eto‘o (goal), Njitap (goal), Etame Mayer (goal), Wome (goal).
Spain - Xavi (goal), Capdevila (goal), Amaya (miss), Albelda (goal).

Yellow card cautions: Spain - Albelda 19, Mari 55, Aranzubia 117; Cameroon - Abanda 25. Red card ejections: Spain - Gabri 70, Mari (second yellow) 91+.

2004

Argentina: German Lux, Roberto Ayala, Fabricio Coloccini, Javier Mascherano, Gabriel Heinze, Cesar Delgado, Carlos Tevez, Cristian Gonzalez, Mauro Rosales, Andres D Alessandro, Luis Gonzalez.

Paraguay: Diego Barreto, Emilio Martinez, Julio Manzur, Carlos Gamarra, Celso Esquivel, Pablo Gimenez, Edgar Barreto, Fredy Bareiro, Diego Figueredo, Aureliano Torres, Julio Cesar Enciso.

kinaldo

Groups and fixtures can be found on wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics

Sadly Spain will not be participating. Europe only sent the four semi finalists from the Under 21 European Championship last year. That included England, so Italy ended up qualifying instead, after beating Portugal in a playoff on penalties.

Eirebear

Meh.

Real football is back by then.

Dont be at yourself

I'm looking forward to this myself. Anyone know if RTE/BBC will be showing all the games?

citytillidie

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

I'm looking forward to this myself. Anyone know if RTE/BBC will be showing all the games?

It will be on Via the Red button on the BBC like last time

Drag00n79

Matches from around 10am to 2pm approx.

quarryman

what kind of teams are put out for this, is it mostly second string stuff?

Dont be at yourself

Going to be pretty good by the looks of things. From a Liverpool perspective, Lucas, Babel and Macherano may all be on their way to Beijing.

Xavi6

http://stgeorge.yourguide.com.au/blogs/don-balon/no-kewell-in-olyroos-squad/804442.aspx

No Kewell in Olyroos squad

The men’s football section of the Australian Olympic team ffor the Beijing Games was announced today at North Sydney.

The 18-man squad does not feature Harry Kewell who has signed with Turkish club Galatasaray for three years.

Kewell was rumoured to have been one of three overage players being considered for the squad.

Those places have gone to David Carney (Sheffield United), Jade North (Newcastle Jets) and Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory).

Another notable omission from coach Graham Arnold's squad is boom goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis.

Bouzanis, 17, who is set to train with Liverpool's first team for next season's English Premier League has been described by former Socceroo goalkeeper Jim Fraser as a rare talent and we should be doing all we can to tie him to the green and gold.

"I believe the kid will be the Socceroos best ever keeper in years to come,'' Fraser said. ''He is outstanding."

After a grueling Asia-group qualification campaign in 2007, picking 18 players was never going to be easy for head coach Graham Arnold.

''It was a difficult job selecting the team,'' Arnold said.

''I had a look not only at current form of the players but their form right through the qualification campaign.''

Nineteen-year-old midfielder James Troisi is the youngest member of the team heading to Beijing.

Fifteen under 23 players were selected to compete in Beijing along with three overage players according to the rules set out by the IOC.

Jade North, one of the overage players, said it was a real honour to be picked to go to Beijing.

''I can’t wait to start training with them and get over there. I really hope to go in and lead by example for the younger players.''

After finishing seventh in Athens, North wants to see the team move up the ranks this time round.

Olympic squad: Tando Velaphi, Adam Federici, Nikita Rukavysta, Stuart Musialik, Mark Milligan, Mark Bridge, Billy Celeski, Kristian Sarkies, Adrian Leijer, Neil Kilkenny, Trent McClenahan, Matthew Spiranovic, James Troisi, Ruben Zadkovich, David Carney, Jade North, Archie Thompson, Nikolai Topor-Stanley.

Didn't realise Kewell had signed for Fener.

Decent Aussie squad with some really good prospects. Players to look out for are Mark Milligan and Nikolai Topor-Stanley at the back, Sheffield United's David Carney in midfield and Archie Thompson and Nikita Rukavysta up front.

Reading's Adam Federici will play in goal in place of the suspended Danny Vukovic. United fans may remember him from an FA Cup game last year where he played pretty well.

CHD

He signed for Fener or galatasary?

Xavi6

Ooops my bad. It's Galatasary.

OhNoYouDidn't

quarryman wrote: »

what kind of teams are put out for this, is it mostly second string stuff?

U23 with 3 overage players as above.

I think its a disgrace we don't put out a stronger team for this. Just because the Brits refuse to field a team we pander to that culture of not taking this competetion seriously.

zAbbo

kinaldo wrote: »

Groups and fixtures can be found on wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics

Squads are here as well - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics_-_Men%27s_team_squads

Argies have Messi, Mash, a Riquleme

gustavo

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I think its a disgrace we don't put out a stronger team for this. Just because the Brits refuse to field a team we pander to that culture of not taking this competetion seriously.

If we had reached the last 4 of the U-21 Euros we would have gotten there , unfortunately we have a plank for a manager

estebancambias

Gustavo +1.

I think an under-21 team with Stokes, McGeady, Garvan, Quinn could have gone to the semis in that u-21 competition, maby even McCarthy at Hamilton too.

Galvasean

So who are the stars to look out for?
Many Premier league players at it?

Xavi6

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/football/7494600.stm

Star duo in Brazil Olympics squad

Barcelona's Ronaldinho and Real Madrid forward Robinho will lead Brazil's assault on a first Olympic football gold in Beijing in August.

Manchester United midfielder Anderson is one of three Premier League players selected in the 18-man squad.

Manchester City's new record signing Jo, Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva and Anderson will all miss the start of the new season.

The Olympics is the only significant title Brazil have never won.

The Brazilians won the silver medal twice, in 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul and they won the bronze in 1996 in Atlanta.

Brazil are in Group C with Belgium, China and New Zealand and begin their campaign on 8 August against Belgium.

Coach Dunga picked Fluminense defender Thiago Silva as the third player older than 23 in the squad, in addition to Ronaldinho and Robinho.

"The experience factor can be decisive in the Olympics," Dunga said.

"That's why several players born in 1985 were chosen, and even the youngsters already have international experience."

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves (Almeria), Renan (Internacional). Defenders: Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rafinha (Shalke), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Breno (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Fluminense).
Midfielders: Anderson (Manchester United), Diego (Werder Bremen); Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Lucas (Liverpool), Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona), Thiago Neves (Fluminense).
Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Jo (Manchester City), Rafael Sobis (Real Betis), Robinho (Real Madrid).

Well that's a load of me hoop anyway. Jo gone for the first 4 games or so of the year. No doubt he'll do a cruciate during the competition.

Anderson and Lucas both called up as well.

Good bet for them to win it with Ronny, Robinho and Pato in there as well.

MementoMori

Wow - Ronaldinho and Robinho - didnt expect them to be in there - interesting, considering that both have been rumoured to be on the move this summer. Sure seems like Brazil are going all out.

On the bright side Xavi imagine if you had signed Ronaldinho - how pissed off would you be if both Ronaldinho and Jo were going?

Liverpool have probably got the worst of it in the PL with both Mascherano and Lucas going given they are both CMs. Suppose it would be worse if Babel was going as well.