2008 Men’s Olympic Football Quarter-Final Line Up

August 13th, 2008 | by: Daryl |

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And just like that, the group stage of the 2008 Men’s Olympic Football tournament is over.

The quarter-finals look like this:

Nigeria vs Cote d’Ivoire
Italy vs Belgium
(winners play each other)

Argentina vs Netherlands
Brazil vs Cameroon
(winners play each other)

All matches on August 16th.

Highlights from the final round of group games below (USA fans look away now.)

Argentina 2-0 Serbia – Group A

The albiceleste bear Siberia 2-0 to top Group A with three wins out of three. Angel Di Maria will be embarrassed with his missed pen, but Diego Buonanotte has a nice free kick to add to his highlight reel.

Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 Australia – Group A

Salamon Kalou banged one into the top right corner to give the Ivorians a 1-0 win, and a place in the quarterfinals.

Nigeria 2-1 USA – Group B

The USA paid for their disciplinary problems in this one. Already shorn of the suspended Michael Bradley and Freddy Adu and in need of a result against Nigeria, they lost left back Michael Orozco in the third minute to a foolish elbow. Goals from Isaac Promise and Obinna Nsofor put Nigeria top of Group B, while an 88th minute Sacha Kljestan penalty was all the US had to show for the days work.

Netherlands 1-0 Japan – Group B

Following his dramatic last minute free kick equalizer on Sunday, Gerald Sibon had more bad news for the USA this morning. His penalty giving the Netherlands a 1-0 win over Japan, so one more point than the USA and a place in the last eight.

Belgium 1-0 New Zealand – Group C

This Faris Haroun header was enough to secure second place in Group C for Belgium. Maybe Hamburg will let Vincent Kompany stick around a little longer now?

Brazil 3-0 China – Group C

Ronaldinho put Diego through for the first, and Thiago Neves added two more (a free kick and a blink and you’ll miss it low shot) to make it three-nil and three out of three for Brazil. It still made Bruno sleepy though.

Italy 0-0 Cameroon – Group D

These two shared a goalless draw that put them both through. Italy finished top, Cameroon second.

South Korea 1-0 Honduras – Group D
Kim Dong-Jin scored a great goal with his right foot – apparently – to give Korea a 1-0 win. But Italy and Cameroon’s goalless draw meant Korea never had a shot at making the quarters. Honduras go home three defeats and CONCACAF is left thinking that Mexico would have represented the region a lot better.

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mele419

Argentina – Netherlands?
Oh baby, that should be a good one!
My picks…
SF: ~ Cote d’Ivoire – Italy
~ Argentina – Brazil

FINALS: ~ Brazil – Italy

WINNER:…Italy, of course =P
http://littlemissdiana.blogspot.com diana

‘Maybe Hamburg will let Vincent Kompany stick around a little longer now?’
Daryl, the last I know, he has already returned back to his club. Yeah, the passport has already been found. And if whatever Goal.com has reported about his return, he was actually not really happy about it.
http://www.soccershop.com kovolikessoccer

I’m going for Cote d’Ivoire. It’s been a long time, if ever, an African team has won.
frank

guy this is it ooooooooooooo
manfely

fianl id brazil and nigeria but nigeria will win
lgarzone

kovolikessoccer, cameroon won in 2000
Bobo

I’m not sure Argentina – Holland will be as great as people expect. Holland have been playing really poorly at the Olympics, and coupled with their notorious reluctance to defend, I doubt Argentina (or a number of other teams, really) will have much trouble with them.

Here are my predictions for the Knockout Rounds:

Argentina vs Holland –> Argentina
Brazil vs Cameroon –> Brazil

Italy vs Belgium –> Italy
Cote d’Ivoire vs Nigeria –> Cote d’Ivoire
——————————————————————–

Argentina vs Brazil –> Brazil (tough choice, but I believe Brazil holds the mental edge… Argentina has also not been playing terribly well in terms of finishing)

Italy vs Cote d’Ivoire –> Italy

FINAL: Brazil vs Italy –> Brazil (tough decision for me, but I suspect that Brazil will prove too tough for the young Italian team)
http://www.obecksservices.bloombiz.com Iykechina

Seems everybody writes Nigeria off the finals, Well, just watch out guys, 96 might repeat it self,
Am not sure if you guys know who ”Siasia” is,
9ja for Finals,
mele419

@Bobo : You’ve got a good point with Brazil winning over Italy. Brazil has a really talented team, with plenty of amazing U-23 players, as well as their 23+ call ups. We on the other hand, have a U-23 side that really just lacks experience. It would be a great game though, either way.
http://www.yahoo.com Rwegerera, Gideon

Nigeria is a best team!Many players use their talents. They deserve the Olympic Gold madels. Argentina is a good team too but but it fight a poor team of Netherlands( the poor Netherlands will win the match)
My predictions for the Knockout Rounds:

Argentina vs Netherlands – Netherlands
Brazil vs Cameroon – Cameroon

Italy vs Belgium – Italy
Cote d’Ivoire vs Nigeria – Nigeria
——————————————————————–

Netherlands vs Cameroon – Cameroon (difficult match, but I believe Cameroon will win the match)

Italy vs Nigeria – Nigeria(Nigeria has been a best team since the opening)

FINAL: Cameroon vs Nigeria – Nigeria
Ken

don’t discredit a dutch team that won the U-21 euro…. My biased oopinion says the Oranje will take it, but my sports sense says Nigeria…boo
Ash

Finals, will be Brazil vs Ned

then the winners will be Brazil..
lol

@ mele419:

Italy got owned, no need to say more :D
lol

Belgium – Nigeria

Brazil – Netherlands

Finals: Belgium – Netherlands

Belgium wins Gold – NL win silver – Brazil win bronze

My bet ^^
Alana

i’m half nigerian and half jamaican [Usain just won 100 metres for track! woot woot!] but wen it comes to the soccer…Nigeria’s getting GOLD!!!!! [again...cuz we got it in '96 in atlanta]
its been a while since i’ve been excited about nigeria playing soccer!
i’m so happyyyyy
nigeria

please can i know the next match date of nigeria?
nigeria

please can i know the next match date of nigeria?
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

Yes, the next Nigeria vs Belgium game is August 19th.
nicolas

It’s been a long time since belgium went so high, they deserve to win gold
they beat italy, what more do you need for that growing team. their gonna win it
http://france.worldcupblog.org Laurie

I have so much love for Belgium right now, I’m considering a full-body embrace of Mannekin Pis.

(Oh, c’mon, you art heathens. Google it.)
Ola

My boys (Naija) will get the Gold, they did it in ‘96, have confidence in them.
segun

for sure nija go get am nd also make dem cry like we did brazil in usa 94
segun

WE GAT TO BEAT ARGENTINA….. WITH SIASIA BOYS ……… WE WILL NEVER WALK ALONE
http://yahoomail.com ebenezer

Nigeria vs argentina final is extremely going 2 be a revenge of what brazil did 2 nigeria in 2005 worldcup final not minding the likes of lionel messi
Ebah

Africas pride in international football comes only from Cameroon and Nigeria. All Cameroonians are behind Nigeria to continue making history. hurray. World cup finals in South Africa will be Cameroon Vs Nigeria. the results shall be everybodys’ bet.
nescapeede junta

i know we will take the golden trouphy home.is ours this time.we have to rub it back from what was meant to be ours in 2005.i am a great football fan as well as a football player.i pray the best come to us at the end of the final match.AMEN
raka

argentina will definetely win it.brazil is the only one who provides competion for it,and brazil too has been terrible recently.
SAGAM

I am Nigerian, but surely impressed with the nigerian players, they work hard to win and play with talent. I always pray for them to get the GOLD medal…………….
Ola

I am Nigerian, I am very proud of My boyz. We are definately going to take the gold medal vs argentina, my only fears is that the officials does not take argentina side just bcos of messi but other than that Nigeria is a better team.