Beijing 2008 Olympics

Argentina defended their Gold medal in Football with a solid 1-0 victory of a tremendous Nigerian squad on the strength of a brilliant Angel Di Maria chip over the ‘keeper. It was a great victory for the Albicelestes who on the strength of this victory and many others are well prepared for South Africa 2010!!!

Congratulations Argentina

Argentinian wins Gold (Photo credit Mark Dadswell Getty Images)

Lionel Messi leading Argentina to Gold (Photo credit Alexander Hassenstein Getty Images)

Lionel Messi leading Argentina to Gold (Photo credit Mark Dadswell/ Getty Images)

Angel Di Maria scores in Argentina’s Gold medal winning match (Photo credit Li Gang Xinhu)

Sergio Aguero in Argentina’s Gold Medal triumph (Photo credit Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

In a incredible final, the USA beat Brazil 1-0 to win the Women’s Gold Medal in Football on the strength of Carli Lloyd goal in the 96th minute. The Brazilian squad squandered numerous opportunities as Marta and Cristiane couldn’t find the finishing touch. Hope Solo had the match of her life in goal for the US squad saving numerous chances at point blank range. As is so often the case, missed opportunities weigh heavily and at the ninety-sixth minute Rutgers alumni, Carli Lloyd slotted home the winning goal with a left-footed strike from just outside the box. Brazil pushed forward and narrowly missed bring the match level in the dying moments but the Gold medal belonged the American squad.

Carli Lloyd celebrates (Photo credit AFP Photo GOH CHAI HIN)

USA win Gold Photo Credit AFP (PHOTO HOANG DINH Nam)

USA win Gold (Photo Credit AFP PHOTO HOANG DINH Nam)

USA win Gold (Photo Credit AFP PHOTO GOH CHAI HIN)

(Photo Credit AFP PHOTO GOH CHAI HIN)

(Photo Credit AFP PHOTO GOH CHAI HIN)

Hope Solo of the USA (Photo credit Xinhua)

Natasha Kai of the USA (Photo credit Xinhua)

US Women defeat Brazil to win Gold Photo credit Xinhua

Germany won the Bronze medal in Women’s Football with a 2-0 victory over Japan. Lira Bajramaj, who plays her club ball for FCR 2001 Duisburg in the Fußball-Bundesliga came off the bench to score a brace after the break. A great victory for Germany!

(Photo: Credit DFB und Bongarts/Getty Images)

Photo Credit: FIFA

Photo Credit: FIFA

Photo Credit: FIFA

With Brazil and the United States facing each other in the Women’s Football ("Soccer") final right now, it is disgusting commentary that there isn’t live television coverage of the match within the United States. What a stunning comment for athletes, whether male or female and tells you a great deal of mind-set of programmers and network directors.

In a shocking display of power, Argentina devastated Brazil 3-0, leading up to the Argentina - Nigeria final. The Argentines advanced on the strength of Sergio Agüero two goals, presumably making the potential father-in-law very happy and Juan Román Riquelme goal from the spot. The  trio of Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero, Juan Román Riquelme along with Benfica’s new man Ángel Di Maria stole the match and completely out-performed a Seleção.

Argentinia defeats Brazil 3-0 (Photo credit: Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua)

Argentinia defeats Brazil 3-0 (Photo credit: Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua)

Argentinia defeats Brazil 3-0 (Photo credit: Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua)

Argentinia defeats Brazil 3-0 (Photo credit: Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua)

Argentinia defeats Brazil 3-0 (Photo credit: Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua)

A heavyweight battle if there ever was one that I’ve been waiting for. The soul of joga bonito and one of sports most intense rivals, Argentina versus Brazil in the Football semi-finals.

The cast is stunning with Argentina boasting the genius of Lionel Messi, the man the Diego Maradona himself coined as his “successor”, Sergio Aguero of La Liga’s Atletico Madrid and the classic enganche of the legendary Boca Juniors, Juan Roman Riquelme. On the opposite end of the pitch Brazil, the Seleção that feature the legendary Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Diego and Anderson.

The match kicks off at 9pm local time…so please check your local listings.

The U.S. mens Football ("Soccer") team started their Olympic run with a 1-0 victory over the highly regarded Japanese squad in Group B action. Clemson alumni Stuart Holden, who plays his club ball for the Houston Dynamo in the MLS netted the matches lone goal in the forty-seventy minute.

Possibly the story of the match was the play of Toronto FC’s Maurice Edu in central defense. While the former University of Maryland All-American, normally plays in the mid-field role he took command of the U.S. back-line and shut-down the Japan’s attack, known for its precision and counter-attack.

U.S. Men’s Olympic Team Head Coach Peter Nowak commented after the match that, “Mo is a very intelligent player and he did very well. The cooperation between him, Michael Parkhurst, Marvell Wynne and Michael Orozco is very good. They understand each other very well. Having options in the midfield and having injuries like we do to Jonathan Spector and Nathan Sturgis, it was difficult to find the right answer. I’m very happy with how Maurice played tonight and I’m looking forward to having this kind of quality player not only for the Olympic team but also the senior team.”

The U.S. squad will face the extraordinary Netherlands squad this Sunday that played to a nil draw against one of the pre-tournament favorites, Nigeria. This Sunday will be a crucial match and totaalvoetbal at its finest.

I still haven’t got my head around the maddening world of Olympic Football where matches started before the opening ceremony (please don’t ask me to explain that one). However we had a slew of great matches kick-off the Games (before the Games start) including Norway’s surprising demolition 2-0 of the US squad.

Norway came out fast and within four minutes blitzed the US squad for two goals and immediately jettisoned themselves to the medal race. The US squad, looking lost in the attack without injured star Abby Wambach, was void of creativity and never really showed the promise that they have in the past. They will need to regroup and consider tactical moves prior to the next match. The statistical report is listed below.

USA vs. Norway
Venue: Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium; Qinhuangdao, China
Attendance: 17,673

Scoring Summary:    1    2    F
USA                       0   0   0
NOR                       2   0   2

NOR – Leni Larsen Kaurin (Ane Stangeland Horpestad)    2nd minute.
NOR – Melissa Wiik                                                                     4.

Lineups:
USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts, 15-Kate Markgraf, 3-Christie Rampone – Capt., 17-Lori Chalupny (14-Stephanie Cox, 15, 13-Tobin Heath, 78); 9-Heather O’Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 5-Lindsay Tarpley (8-Amy Rodriguez); 16-Angela Hucles, 6-Natasha Kai
Subs: 4-Rachel Buehler, 10-Aly Wagner, 12-Lauren Cheney, 18-Nicole Barnhart
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage

NOR: 1-Erika Skarbøe; 2-Ane Stangeland Horpestad – Capt., 3-Gunhild Følstad, 7-Trine Rønning, 12-Marit Christensen; 4-Ingvild Stensland, 6-Marie Knutsen (5-Siri Nordby, 88’), 13-Lene Storløkken; 10-Melissa Wiik (17-Lene Mykjåland, 69’), 8-Solveig Gulbrandsen, 11-Leni Larsen Kaurin (14-Guro Knutsen, 67’)
Subs:, 9-Isabell Herlovsen, 15-Marita Skammelsrud Lund, 16-Elise Thorsnes, 18-Christine Nilsen
Head Coach: Bjarne Berntsen

Statistical Summary: USA / NOR
Shots:                     20 / 12
Shots on Goal:          11 / 6
Saves:                     6 / 8
Corner Kick                4 / 1
Fouls:                    12 / 11
Offside:                   2 / 3

So depending where you are, this could either be during your morning commute or well, just a trace past midnight but in Day 2 of the Olympics, sporting fans are in for a special treat as Men’s Football kicks-off.

For fans of "the beautiful game", these Olympics are a welcomed change as the level of play and importance on the world Football stage increases radically. Teams will now be made up with younger talent along with a designated allowance of players over the ripe old age of twenty-three. This could have a profound impact upon the worlds most popular sport and the Olympics as it would sit opposite of the World Cup and features stars of the present with the future.

However what makes this most interesting this year is the national pride swelling in South American giants, Brazil and Argentina as they go into this competition. Each of these squads include players who have in-essence put their foot down and told their clubs, their nation comes first. It is a historic point in billion-dollar sporting world where the pride of country and homeland still comes first.

Brazils,a Seleção feature from Italy’s AC Milan, the legendary Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato, who many tip as the next great player in the nations long-line of Footballing genius. Firmly committed towards winning gold at the games, they look to reaffirm the Football adage that "The English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it."

Of that many great matches on Thursday, is African giants Côte d’Ivoire versus Argentina, my choice to bring home gold. The Argentine squad features Sergio Aguero of La Liga’s Atletico Madrid, a soon-to-be household name in sporting world, young maestro Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, the man the Diego Maradona himself coined as his "successor" and from the legendary Boca Juniors, the genius of Juan Roman Riquelme. The classic enganche, Juan Roman Riquelme, as I noted in my article Jogo Bonito carries the artistry of the sports past to the future and is a joy to watch.

Early Thursday morning - don’t miss out.

Throughout my life I have been a self-admitted sports-junkie. Not the type who simply sits and watches but gets outs and participates. I don’t mind telling you, I enjoy virtually all sports and appreciate learning different ones from around the world. In the end this simple approach teaches us about other cultures, hopefully builds positive relationships and satisfies the great mantra of sport such that it “betters society”.

Equally many sports capture the publics attention in the Olympics and slowly make a foothold in the sporting culture. Now while I don’t expect (European) Handball to take off, albeit an amazing sport, other sports once introduced in the Games, have seen their sports notoriety sky-rocket. One of the first sports that come to my mind, which is fittingly the first events of these Olympics, is Women’s Football (Soccer).

Since the Atlanta Games of 1996 when Women’s Football was first introduced to the Olympic Games, the sport as increased its prominence in the sporting community and rightfully so. While naturally the sport had been making in-roads for many years and I certainly don’t want to discredit those who played well before the Atlanta Games, this marked a very special milestone in the sport. As the American squad defeated China in the final match 2-1, legends were born that will sit as the foundation of the sport. Decades from now, when the sport has woven its way into the fabric of society, the young girls who play in neighborhood programs now will be watching their own grandchildren play within packed stadiums of cheering, appreciative fans. And as people look back the names of Hamm, Akers, Foudy, Overbeck and Chastain, to name only a few, will take their place as hero’s to not only their generation but those that came long after their final moments on the pitch.

As an advocate of women’s sports and a self-admitted Football addict, take the first day of the games to catch these tremendous matches:

Group E match 1 Argentina v Canada
Group F match 1 Germany v Brazil
Group G match 1 Japan v New Zealand
Group G match 2 Norway v USA
Group F match 2 Korea v Nigeria
Group E match 2 China v Sweden