Predictions for the 2008 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament
In less than a week, the 2008 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament gets underway (complete with rubbish logo, left). August 6th to August 23rd. It’s 16 teams, four groups of four. Top two from each group go to the quarters and it’s knockout football from there on out.
Olympic football is damn hard to predict. For one thing the European teams don’t seem to take it too seriously. All the over-23 talent Italy could have taken, and only 30 year old striker Tommaso Rocchi of Lazio is making the trip.
The American (North and South) nations have sent more or less their best possible squads, and while African nations Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon are all without their superstars (no Didier Drogba, no Nwankwo Kanu, no Samuel Eto’o) they do have a sprinkling of experience and big names.
Because she’s awesome, Laurie has posted the complete squads/rosters of all 16 teams here.
Here’s what the groups and the knockout stages look like, followed by my pathetically predictable predictions:
Group A: Cote d’Ivoire, Argentina, Australia, Serbia
Group (of death?) B: Netherlands, Nigeria, Japan, USA
Group C: China, New Zealand, Brazil, Belgium
Group D: Republic of Korea, Cameroon, Honduras, Italy
Winner A v. Runner-up B = Winner 1
Winner B v. Runner-up A = Winner 2
Winner C v. Runner-up D = Winner 3
Winner D v. Runner-up C = Winner 4
Winner 1 v. Winner 3
Winner 2 v. Winner 4
1. The winners of the semi-finals qualify for the final.
2. The losers of the semi-finals contest the play-off for the third place.
The Netherlands have put together an impressive roster. Especially for a European team. You’ve got Ryan Babel, Roy Makaay, Royston Drenthe. Plus there’s Canadian turncoat Jonathan de Guzman, who’ll no doubt be keen to show what he can do in Oranje.
USA too, seem to be taking this pretty seriously. Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Freddy Adu. Some skills right there. Not to mention the metal plated head of Brian McBride (who has to be the oldest player in Beijing, doesn’t he?)
And though Nigeria are without Yakubu or Nwankwo Kanu or Obafemi Martins, they are bringing attacking threats like Peter Odemwingie, Ikechukwu Uche, Solomon Okoronkwo. Maybe not superstars, but enough to give Olympic defences something to worry about. And Taye Taiwo’s rocket launcher of a left will scare everyone.
But my predictable prediction (as promised above) is that it’s going to be either Argentina or Brazil wearing gold medals on August 23rd. Argentina are defending champions, and have all kinds of big name talent on the roster: Juan Roman Riquelme, Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano and - following FIFA’s recent ruling that U-23 players MUST be released by their clubs - Leo Messi. Unless the Court of Arbritation for Sport sides with Barcelona, then he’s on the first plane back to Spain.
Brazil have never won Olympic gold, but that just means they want it more. Not only do Brazil possess the twin talents of Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato, but Diego and Rafinha were both so determined to make the trip that they went AWOL from their clubs. Something Messi wouldn’t have dared to do. For this reason alone, I’ve got a feeling Brazil will take gold. But what do I know?
Who do you see winning this thing? And who will go far?
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Comments
By diana | August 1st, 2008 at 7:42 am 
Same sentiments for me regarding Brazil. Usually given I always seem to jinx the teams I root for to win something, I rather don’t make any predictions for now.
Posted from 
Singapore
By gaston | August 1st, 2008 at 8:25 am the talk is always brazil and argentina
how about african team that have taken the gold 2 times before argentina took it
Posted from 
United States
By Rob | August 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am Brazil would be my guess. But I think that Holland do have a very good squad. Argentina do look immense as well actually. Could be great.
Yeah that Logo is a bit rubbish. Although not compared with the 2012 one. We really can’t do anything right.
By Thomas | August 1st, 2008 at 3:03 pm If you’re going to write country names in English at least do it uniformly. Cote d’Ivoire should be Ivory Coast, or Nigeria and Cameroon should be Naìjírìà and Cameroun.
Posted from United States
By Daryl | August 1st, 2008 at 3:35 pm Thomas, hate to get all pedantic on you, but Cote d’Ivoire is a special exception. Apparently the Ivorian government encourages that the French “Cote d’Ivoire” be used no matter what language you speak, so I’m just going along with their wishes.
Posted from United States
By Mark | August 1st, 2008 at 7:40 pm yea Thomas, it is actually stated in the Cote d’Ivoire constitution that their name is to be pronounced in french no matter what country you are from or what language you speak. That’s why you see it so commonly
By foureyedkoko | August 2nd, 2008 at 2:08 am HONDURAS!!!
By Steve | August 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm USA will make it out of their group
By Bobo | August 3rd, 2008 at 2:14 am I predict an Italy - Argentina final, with Argentina to win the gold. Brazil has been in a funk for a long time now and Ronaldinho is barely match-fit.
Posted from United States
By Wendy Ragiste | August 3rd, 2008 at 2:37 am That logo is a joke, surely. It makes the London 2012 logo look like a work of genius
By Dijay | August 4th, 2008 at 7:10 am anytime a soccer tournament is not held in Europe, its got to be the south american boys!!
Both brazil n argentina put together a lethal attacking side, I would really hope both meet in the final to fight it out for the gold.
My heart is definitely still with the samba boys, Ronnie is back yo
Posted from Singapore
By dohyun | August 4th, 2008 at 2:23 pm thissuck
Posted from 
New Zealand
By Pedro Cansino | August 6th, 2008 at 7:31 pm Brasil, a country of 200 million people,is almost paranoid regarding soccer ( and is not about Argentina only…):Brazil knows that many countries have not only catch up at playing the beuatiful gamet ( hello, Croacia! Such a terrific team gave a show at the Euro 2008 and Croatia is a country of a mere five million people…), but also that everyone has learned those Brazilians’ jazzy dangling tricks ( and diving included, unfortunately), so Brazil enrolls 29-years old Ronaldinho in the olympic soccer, that way the whole world is watching Ronaldinho coming back from oblition, showing off hunger for exposure, playing against ( taken for granted but quite dangerous and vitally motivated) teenies of other nations - that is why Brazil is not going to win the golden medal: muddy motivations…
Posted from 
Canada
By dan | August 10th, 2008 at 10:03 am I predict a strong run from the red, white, and blue
By Dan | August 10th, 2008 at 11:04 pm USA will win the gold in football. If you want a good drinking game , every time Ronado cries during a game you have to drink. Just see if you will be able to stand after the first 20 minutes.
Posted from 
Thailand
By abbey | August 16th, 2008 at 11:01 am To me African football has not received the kind of respect it deserves. Nigeria and cote d’ iviore are going to impress soccer fans all over the world with their skillfulness and ability to play the game. Watch out for nigeria in final…..
By Dudu | August 20th, 2008 at 3:08 pm No apology shame on all of you for disrespecting African football.
Big up Africa,Nigeria,Cote d’Iviore and Cameroon.
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By charles ogheneruemu | August 22nd, 2008 at 12:55 am naijiria 2 argentina 1
By Rwegerera, Gideon | August 22nd, 2008 at 3:01 am The reality will remain the reality! Nigeria is a good team! They are on the winning side. They will take gold medals.GOOoooo Nigeria 3 - Argentina 0
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