By the time the Olympics officially open on Friday night the soccer tournament will be comfortably underway.
The competition, for under-23 players with three over-age players allowed, kicks off today.
Favorites Argentina take on Serbia and Montenegro in Group C and hosts Greece, hoping for a dream double following the Euro 2004 success of their senior team, play South Korea in Group A.
Today's other games see Mali play Mexico (Group A) and Tunisia take on Australia in Group C.
The other eight teams -- Paraguay, Japan, Ghana, Italy (Group B); Costa Rica, Morocco, Iraq and Portugal (Group D) -- are all in action tomorrow in stadiums throughout Greece.
Though the Olympic soccer tournament lacks the cachet of the World Cup and major continental championships, it has been growing in popularity and importance in recent years, partly due to the fresh look of its lineup.
Notable absentees this year are Brazil, Germany, Spain and holders Cameroon while the likes of Mali, Iraq, Paraguay and Serbia and Montenegro can enjoy a rare chance to show what they can do on a global stage.
For fans of those countries there is no danger of soccer over-exposure, despite the tournament coming hard on the heels of Euro 2004, the Copa America and the Asian Cup.
Similarly, followers of Greece and Portugal, who met in the final of Euro 2004 a month ago, will be eager to keep up the momentum set by their senior sides.
Portugal have called up Cristiano Ronaldo, the 19-year-old winger who was so impressive in their run to the Euro final, while striker Dimitris Papadopoulos is the only Greek player to appear in both competitions.
Argentina, losing finalists in 1996, have used the three over-age players rule to the full, bringing in the experience of Barcelona striker Javier Saviola and 31-year-old Valencia defender Roberto Ayala.
There is a strong African presence as the continent seeks its third successive Olympic title following the gold medals for Cameroon in Sydney (2000) and Nigeria in Atlanta (1996).
Tunisia and Ghana look the strongest though Mali and Morocco are also dangerous.
Europe's challenge will be spearheaded by a classy-looking Italian team, which includes midfielder Andrea Pirlo and striker Alberto Gilardino. They start against Ghana tomorrow with Paraguay taking on Japan in the other Group B game.
Crowds for all matches are expected to be good, following the pattern of recent Games, with tickets for the final on Aug. 28 among the most sought-after of the Games.
In the women's event, in the absence of 2000 winners Norway, world champions Germany and the US are hot tips for gold, although the Americans must play Greece, Brazil and Australia in Group G while the other two groups contain only three teams.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that