Juan Mata is as shocked at Spain’s early exit as you and I. Photo via soccerwithoutlimits.com
While the women’s football tournament at the Olympics has gone pretty much as scripted, with the only mild surprise being Great Britain’s shutout of Brazil yesterday, the men’s tournament has been all topsy turvy! Sure, we know not all teams are featuring their top-tier talent, but really, Spain? Not a single goal? And you won’t want to miss what Luis Suarez said after he was booed out of Cardiff. Check out all the headlines from today’s group finales below.
Spain Goes Goalless
Who would have thought that reigning World and European Champions, Spain, would lay such a goose egg in the Olympics? Sure, it’s their youth squad, but this is Spain. If this is the future of the team, they have some serious work to do, as they bowed out of the tournament after a 0-0 draw against Morocco Wednesday, failing to score a single goal in three matches. And I thought the U.S. failing to qualify was bad.
It exemplified the sloppiness of Spain’s play at times and a lack of concentration — not only during the match, but over the course of the tournament.
“We lost the three matches at the Olympic Games and that’s a disgrace,” forward Juan Mata said, considering Wednesday’s result a loss.
Brazil Remain Favorites to Win Gold
Brazil had no problem with New Zealand, heading into the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win. Not only did New Zealand have no chance, but head coach Neil Emblen admitted that his squad was left to simply admire Brazil’s tactics.
“We were on the bench admiring how they play, their moving and passing,” Emblen said. “You just see how their players work, we just got to learn from this experience. Not only they are technically good but they work hard as well.”
New Zealand conceded two goals in the first half and then another in the second. Its only significant opportunity was an 86th-minute shot by Michael McGlinchey.
Luis Suarez Booed in Uruguay Loss to Great Britain
Team GB advanced to the quarterfinals behind a Daniel Sturridge goal, and in the process knocked Luis Suarez and Uruguay out. Suarez didn’t let the abuse bother him, however, interpreting the backlash as fear in facing him.
Suarez, tipped to be one of the standout players of the tournament, didn’t score in Uruguay’s three games.
The striker was subjected to loud boos at all three games because of an altercation he had with Patrice Evra in a Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United last season.
“I can take the abuse. I don’t mind. They must be scared of facing a player like me,” he said. “I’m hurt because we lost and we are going home.”
More Group Results
Senegal 1-1 United Arab Emirates
Egypt 3-1 Belarus
Japan 0-0 Honduras
Mexico 1-0 Switzerland
South Korea 0- 0 Gabon
Men’s Quarterfinals
The men’s quarterfinals begin Saturday. Here are the matchups and times you can watch.
7:00am EST: Japan vs Egypt
9:30am EST: Mexico vs Senegal
12:30pm EST: Brazil vs Honduras
2:30pm EST: Great Britain vs South Korea
U.S. Women’s National Team
Finally, because we love the USWNT and can’t help but sneak something in about them, check out this fantastic infographic U.S. Soccer put together to highlight the women’s journey, including their history in the Olympics.
