Olympic football thread

[Craig]

Or do you not care? Post tips in here (or not ) on who you might think will win.

Brazil have Ronaldinho in their ranks after AC Milan released him to go to Beijing, while the other Brazilian Diego of German club Werder Breman has given them the two fingered salute. The stupid thing is, why can't they just make it under the FIFA Guidlines and make it easier on everybody and stop these petty arguments which will end up as a full-blown falling out and I wouldn't be surprised if Breman tell Diego to GAFG now. Mind you, he has nobody but himself to blame for that.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Because we don't bother with it* (all due to Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland being nervous about losing their international status if we compete as GB in yer Olympics, appparently) it's always been a bit "meh" to me. Couldn't even tell you who's in it or who the current champions are. Although Argentina (boo, hiss, etc) rings a bell for some reason.

*& we woulda ****ing qualified this time too.

 

[Johnners]

Yeah Argentina are the defending champs.

 

[speirz]

Care a bit about it, especially pissed with Seven's coverage here in Australia.

Argentina as defending champs and with some of their selections should be favourites this time around.

 

[GIMH]

Because we don't bother with it* (all due to Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland being nervous about losing their international status if we compete as GB in yer Olympics, appparently) it's always been a bit "meh" to me. Couldn't even tell you who's in it or who the current champions are. Although Argentina (boo, hiss, etc) rings a bell for some reason.

*& we woulda ****ing qualified this time too.

what makes you say we'd qualify?

Anyway, we were supposed to be playing in 2012 but the provinces don't want to get involved. Should just play the England side as GB IMO. I don't see why they are so arsed about losing international status anyway, it is the only chance most of them will ever get to play in a WC/EC (though it's obviously not a guarantee in recent times!)

 

[BoyBrumby]

what makes you say we'd qualify?

Anyway, we were supposed to be playing in 2012 but the provinces don't want to get involved. Should just play the England side as GB IMO. I don't see why they are so arsed about losing international status anyway, it is the only chance most of them will ever get to play in a WC/EC (though it's obviously not a guarantee in recent times!)

Because we did. The European U21 championship doubles up as qualifying for the Olympics and as we got to the semis we'd have had one of the 4 spots. IIRC Serbia & Italy (who finished third in their respective groups) played off for the final spot. Went to pens, but can't remember who actually won.

 

[GIMH]

Ah right I assumed they'd have separate qualifiers for the Olympics as it's an U23 comp IIRC. Shows the disregard for it here though

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ah right I assumed they'd have separate qualifiers for the Olympics as it's an U23 comp IIRC. Shows the disregard for it here though

The Under-21s is a bit of a misnomer, really. It's effectively under-23s, in practice. The tournaments run in two-year cycles (co-inciding with the qualifcation for world cups/european nations cups) & if a player is 21 or under in the first year of the cycle (we're obv just starting one again now) they're classed as eligible right up until the end of it, which will be 2010 when that player could be 23.

 

[GIMH]

Ah yeah, I did know that actually.Seem to remember friendlies in years gone by where players aged about 24 actually got a game, dunno if rules are different for friendlies or where different back then, or perhaps I am making it up, Jamie Redknapp springs to mind though

 

[Craig]

What is the big deal about as competing as Great Britian in the 1st place? I mean why not just compete as England, Scotland etc.?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

What is the big deal about as competing as Great Britian in the 1st place? I mean why not just compete as England, Scotland etc.?

IOC won't allow it. Basically it'll be four teams representing one Olympic committee.

 

[Goughy]

There really are simple solutions.

Which ever of the Home Nations qualifies then they represent the GB team. If 2 nations qualify then there is a play off.

If no nation qualifies then GB doesnt send a team.

 

[Craig]

IOC won't allow it. Basically it'll be four teams representing one Olympic committee.

Then they each have one Olympic committee. Viable then?

 

[GIMH]

I'd be fine with it tbh but Athletics is one sport where we have always competed as GB and is usually the main focus of the Olympics. It will never happen

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Olympic football has never made much sense to me really. For most sports, the Olympics represents something near the height of achievement - a gold in the 100m is probably worth more than a gold in the 100m in the world championships. Football has the World Cup. An U23 event which promiment players are often reluctant to participate in doesn't make much sense.

I also think it goes against the amateur spirit - these guys are being paid big bucks week in, week out, yet appear alongside those who get the only exposure of their careers at the Olympics. Doesn't work for me.

 

[GIMH]

Agree with pretty much all of the above post, except that Football is hardly the only sport in the Olympics that goes against amateur principles.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Agree with pretty much all of the above post, except that Football is hardly the only sport in the Olympics that goes against amateur principles.

Not the only sport, but probably one of the few - basketball perhaps. Athletics is no amateur sport, but in the sense that it is a test of the human body rather than a profession, I think there's a degree of difference.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, it is a fair point and obviously to remove Athletics because it is professional these days would be to destroy the Olympics.

Tennis another truly professional one

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Things start tomorrow, so a schedule is probably useful.

Men's tournament

7 August
17.00 CST
Group A, Shanghai: Australia v Serbia
Group B, Tianjin: Japan v United States
Group C, Shenyang: Brazil v Belgium
Group D, Qinhuangdao: Honduras v Italy

19.45 CST
Group A, Shanghai: Ivory Coast v Argentina
Group B, Tianjin: Netherlands v Nigeria
Group C, Shenyang: China v New Zealand
Group D, Qinhuangdao: South Korea v Cameroon

10 August
17.00 CST
Group A, Shanghai: Argentina v Australia
Group B, Tianjin: Nigeria v Japan
Group C, Shenyang: New Zealand v Brazil
Group D, Qinhuangdao: Cameroon v Honduras

19.45 CST
Group A, Shanghai: Serbia v Ivory Coast
Group B, Tianjin: United States v Netherlands
Group C, Shenyang: Belgium v China
Group D, Qinhuangdao: Italy v South Korea

13 August
17.00 CST
Group B, Shenyang: Netherlands v Japan
Group B, Beijing: Nigeria v United States
Group D, Shanghai: South Korea v Honduras
Group D, Tianjin: Cameroon v Italy

19.45 CST
Group A, Beijing: Argentina v Serbia
Group A, Tianjin: Ivory Coast v Australia
Group C, Qinhuangdao: China v Brazil
Group C, Shanghai: New Zealand v Belgium

Knock-out stage

16 August - quarter-finals
18.00 CST
Shenyang: Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D
Beijing: Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C

21.00 CST
Shanghai: Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B
Qinhuangdao: Winner Group B v Runner-up Group D

19 August - semi-finals
18.00 CST, Shanghai: Winner Beijing v Winner Qinhuangdao
21.00 CST, Beijing: Winner Shenyang v Winner Shanghai

22 August, 19.00 CST, Shanghai: third-place play-off
23 August, 12.00 CST, Beijing: final

Women's tournament

6 August
17.00 CST
Group A, Tianjin: Argentina v Canada
Group B, Shenyang: Germany v Brazil
Group C, Qinhuangdao: Japan v New Zealand

19.45 CST
Group A, Tianjin: Argentina v Canada
Group B, Shenyang: North Korea v Nigeria
Group C, Qinhuangdao: Norway v United States

9 August
17.00 CST
Group A, Tianjin: Sweden v Argentina
Group B, Shenyang: Nigeria v Germany
Group C, Qinhuangdao: United States v Japan

19.45 CST
Group A, Tianjin: Canada v China
Group B, Shenyang: Brazil v North Korea
Group C, Qinhuangdao: New Zealand v Norway

12 August
17.00 CST
Group B, Tianjin: North Korea v Germany
Group B, Beijing: Nigeria v Brazil

19.45 CST
Group A, Qinhuangdao: China v Argentina
Group A, Beijing: Sweden v Canada
Group C, Shanghai: Norway v Japan
Group C, Shenyang: United States v New Zealand

Knock-out stage

15 August - quarter-finals
18.00 CST
Shanghai: Winner Group C v Third place Group A (or Third place Group B if A does not qualify)
Tianjin: Winner Group B v Runner-up Group C

21.00 CST
Shenyang: Runner-up Group A v Runner-up Group B
Qinhuangdao: Winner Group A v Third place Group C (or Third place group B if C does not qualify)

18 August
18.00 CST, Shanghai: Winner Tianjin v Winner Shenyang
21.00 CST, Beijing: Winner Shanghai v Winner Qinhuangdao

21 August, 18.00, Beijing: third place play-off
21 August, 21.00, Beijing: final

China time is seven hours ahead of Greenwich, two hours behind Melbourne and Sydney and four hours behind New Zealand.

 

[Simon]

Big game for us first up, we lose and its pretty much goodbye, a result against Argentina is somewhat unlikely to put it one way. Not really expecting much.