"Nein, Frau, weine nicht": All-inclusive Olympic 2012 thread!

Draw Day seems like as good a time as any to get the Olympic (freak) show on the road!

In spite of my crossed fingers, legs and eyes, the draw for the preliminary round saw Sweden sent to Coventry, which I suppose befits such a perpetually underperforming team. For about 5 minutes, I considered both the logistics and the relative attractiveness of Coventry as a city, then concluded that I'd be able to watch the matches on TV in Glasgow... Then I remembered that my home town is almost certain to be swarming with US supporters who'll rile the natives by ordering "Scotch" and calling the place "England". They'll recite the entire script of "Brigadoon" and talk about how much they liked that sculpture of Mel Gibson as "Braveheart" that they zoomed past on their four-hour guided coach tour of Scotland...

As for the Germans... Oh, that's right .

The full schedule, including venues, can be found here.

Teams are already working hard visiting hotels to choose the right one and football grounds today before going home tomorrow.

Thank you Smulan, I knew I could rely on the Rivalry for the language lesson of the week! I always understood "No woman no cry" as "Be glad if you don't have a woman in your life, because then you'll have no reason to cry". Now I know better. Having no (German football) women in your (Olympic) life is a good reason for tears indeed. So thanks for the doubtful honour of a hint in the title, which will remind me constantly throughout the summer!

Since I can't have Germany, I've decided to divide my support between Sweden and Japan. (To start with. I may change later, depending on whether/how they get out of the group stage. )

Nah, we'll know it's Scotland. But we will go about asking people to repeat what they just said, but in English, so we can understand it

Seems incredible that the USA will have been in the UK for a week - training, preparing for games - before Team GB even get together as a squad?!

I see you didn't deny in-depth knowledge of "Brigadoon", though.

You left some important stuff out. Ussoccer.com has to have something to write about. I'd expect the end of the world as we know it if they found themselves with nothing to focus on but the SPORT.

Well, they might struggle a little bit' on good shopping front, given where they are spending that week. But I'm sure there'll be other 'nice' stuff to do.

Cameroon are apparently heading to Scotland for a spell before the games. Their coach & pal were genuinely horrified when I told them it will be 'chilly' up there, even in summer. I think they thought that because the men wear skirts all year round, that's it's a pleasant climate. And Mel Gibbo did have a nipple out for most of that historical documentary they made there.

Did you tell them about the Invisible Menace, the Scottish midgie? When you think about it, the combination of a kilt, no underwear, and rampant midgies suggests strange tendencies among Scottish men.

Surely it just explains why 'very drunk' is the standard state of choice.

You call that "support" ?

I am sure US Soccer will keen to tell us that Glasgow is a quaint provincial toun with a bustling port, quaint pubs and glorious sandstone tenement buildings.
A rich football history with the waggish rivalry between Rangers and Celtic is the subject of many a lively Saturday night discussion with a pint Belhaven and a nip of Glenlivet.
Friendly locals will be only to pleased to show you the open green spaces and wonderful examples of contemporary 60's architecture. With it's bright long summer days and fun nights, Glasgow is the perfect spot to enjoy your 2012 Olympic experience.

Heh. That was cruel, wasn't it? Heh heh! Yep, it's downright shocking to look at those brackets and not see Germany there. Well, of course I hope you will join me in cheering for Team Sweden. Because you know that they have Great Potential, you will get a similar pre-tournament Hopefulness that you would by cheering for Team Germany, but with very few of the Crushing Expectations.

Now be fair, Smulan, those weren't just any American tourists you ran into before, those were Texans.

I'm reminded of a scene in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', where one of the main characters (English, I suppose) sees the Scottish wedding, says in awe "It's bloody Brigadoon!" and spends the rest of his life 'torturing' the American guests by telling them things like "No, I don't know Oscar Wilde pair-sonally but I can get you his fax number."

I suppose Tourist-baiting has been an unofficial Olympic sport for a hundred years now. Still, we can try to adapt it to fit the specific American-women's-soccer-fans-in-Glasgow experience. Flea2009 has made a great start with that dead-on wallet-sized visitor's-brochure description.

translated into American sports marketing lingo for you

They'll have to hurry though because one of them might not be around for much longer...

That reminds me to ask my brother about the validity of his season tickets. (Detailed response in an entirely different forum, I'm sure.)

We feel your pain.

Tickets went back on sale this morming for EU residents.

... some of whom already had tickets .

Yep, I already had final and semi-final at Wembley and added France v USA and France v Colombia. Can't buy quarter-final and other semi-final as don't know if we will qualify for the quarters.

Olympics list trimmed to 80 some regulars at Arsenal left out like Gilly Flaherty who has been Arsenal's best center back for 3 seasons.

What a great idea! They could have several heats, so they don't have to play a full game every night. Just like they do in Melodifestivalen. (Said she with an expert nod, since she's one of the initiated few who have actually watched that unbeaten epitome of Swedish culture. )

Squad down to 49 now. I asked the FA if they would publish those names, they said no.

We just know when players tweet they are in the list or when they are not like Gilly Flaherty who is the number one center back for Arsenal for like 3 seasons but deemed not good enough...