When is the Olympic draw?

[Chuy]

Once the qualification process is finished, when do we find out when and where each team will be playing?

I'm going to China during the Olympics for reasons not related to the Olympics or soccer, but I'd like to catch a USA game if I can.

Anybody have this information?

[SJB]

Getting a bit ahead of ourselves aren't we?

[Chuy]

Getting a bit ahead of ourselves aren't we?

Not really. I'm fully aware that we may not qualify.

However, as I said, I'm going to China anyway. My itinerary is somewhat flexible, but I need to make flight and hotel arrangements as soon as possible, because hotel demand is insanely high during the Olympics and most hotels are already full.

If the draw is more than a few weeks from now, I'll just make arrangements without waiting to see if we qualify and, if so, where we'll be.

[Golazo]

Draw is April 20.

Bottom of the page:

http://www.fifa.com/menolympic/organisation/media/newsid=623650.html#organising+committee+very+happy+with+progress+preparations

[Chuy]

Thanks, Golazo!

[glennaldo_sf]

Once the qualification process is finished, when do we find out when and where each team will be playing?

I'm going to China during the Olympics for reasons not related to the Olympics or soccer, but I'd like to catch a USA or Canada game if I can.

Anybody have this information?

FYP :p

Hopefully unecessarily however

[Alan]

U.S. Under-23 Team Headed to 2008 Olympics
USA advances to final of 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament as Freddy Adu scores two free-kick strikes in 3-0 victory over Canada.

Readying for play in Beijing, pollution masked Freddy Adu (Benefica) celebrates one of his goals with Sacha Kljestan during the U.S. Under-23's 3-0 victory over Canada in the semifinals of the 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/4804/masksoe5.jpg


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 20, 2008) – The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team clinched a berth to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing this evening after defeating Canada, 3-0, at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn., in the semifinals of CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying.

[Marko72]

FYI, 15 of 16 berths have been decided, with one more African berth to be decided this month (have not yet heard any results on that). The qualifiers thus far by region:

AFC: China (hosts), Australia, Japan, South Korea
CAF: Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, (one more berth to TBD)
UEFA: Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia
CONCACAF: USA, Honduras
OFC: New Zealand
CONMEBOL: Brazil, Argentina

Should be a pretty interesting tournament, as most regions are represented by much or most of their strongest nations (UEFA is somewhat of an exception, as are we without Mexico, the AFC and CONMEBOL are straight-up by-the-rankings, with the hosts thrown in). Assuming that the third African nation will be strong, there shouldn't be more than one cupcake team per group, and no matter how the draw goes, I see places 1-3 in each group being quite competitive.

[shinzui]

Nigeria is the final team if they beat South Africa on Wednesday. If they draw or lose then Ghana is the final team.

[Marko72]

Nigeria is the final team if they beat South Africa on Wednesday. If they draw or lose then Ghana is the final team.

Then that makes 3 quality African sides either way.

[shinzui]

Well, you add David Suazo, Julio Cesar and Amado Guevara to the Honduras U-23s and they could be a sleeper in this tournament.

[uclacarlos]

Well, you add David Suazo, Julio Cesar and Amado Guevara to the Honduras U-23s and they could be a sleeper in this tournament.
W/ Honduras desperate to qualify for the hex and WC 2010, I doubt they'll be going to Beijing. I could be wrong, though.

[tbgh]

What are the schedules like for the regions besides CONCACAF? Are the USA and Honduras going to be the only teams that can't call in their best overage players or are there others?

[Marko72]

Well, you add David Suazo, Julio Cesar and Amado Guevara to the Honduras U-23s and they could be a sleeper in this tournament.

True, but echo the statement of the poster underneath. We likewise won't be sending Donovan, Dempsey, and Howard to this tournament, either.

[Marko72]

What are the schedules like for the regions besides CONCACAF? Are the USA and Honduras going to be the only teams that can't call in their best overage players or are there others?

Everybody's got WC qualifiers around that time. Brazil won't be sending Ronaldinho and Kaka, Argentina won't be sending Messi and Tevez, Holland won't be sending Van Persie and Robben. Some teams might send ONE guy like that if they can spare them, but the majority of them will probably send mid-tier overage guys in areas of surplus that will help their team out. In most cases, probably GK, defender, or holding mid guys who can be team captains.

[uclacarlos]

Well, you add David Suazo, Julio Cesar and Amado Guevara to the Honduras U-23s and they could be a sleeper in this tournament.
On the ESPNDeportes broadcast today they said that so far 2 over-age players had contacted the head coach to say that they'd be willing to go. The coach isn't saying who, mainly b/c he wants to avoid any miscommunication.

But again, if it were up to me, I wouldn't give up key guys during WCQs if I were Honduras. But who knows what'll happen...

One thing for sure, though: going to the Olympics is huge for their nation.

[PhillyQuakesFan]

FYI, 15 of 16 berths have been decided, with one more African berth to be decided this month (have not yet heard any results on that). The qualifiers thus far by region:

AFC: China (hosts), Australia, Japan, South Korea
CAF: Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, (one more berth to TBD)
UEFA: Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia
CONCACAF: USA, Honduras
OFC: New Zealand
CONMEBOL: Brazil, Argentina

Should be a pretty interesting tournament, as most regions are represented by much or most of their strongest nations (UEFA is somewhat of an exception, as are we without Mexico, the AFC and CONMEBOL are straight-up by-the-rankings, with the hosts thrown in). Assuming that the third African nation will be strong, there shouldn't be more than one cupcake team per group, and no matter how the draw goes, I see places 1-3 in each group being quite competitive.


UEFA always sends to seem a weird mix of teams to the Olympics, for whatever reason. Germany and France never seem to qualify, same with Holland (this time around obviously being an exception), and England doesn't participate. Italy and Spain are usually the only traditional European powers you see consistently at the Olympics.

My take on this is that the extremely small number of teams at the tournament leads to condensed qualification systems which means that one upset can send a favored team packing. Additionally, I think the mid-tier nations take the Olympic tournament more seriously than the big boys do. Germany hasn't qualified since '88, US and Mexico haven't both qualified since '92 (US didn't have to qualify in '96), no France since '96, this will be Holland's first appearance since '52(!!)....weird.

[Jay510]

4 Asian teams= big waste

[uclacarlos]

4 Asian teams= big waste
:D

It makes it all the more likelier to qualify for the QFs and the medal games.

[Marko72]

Nevertheless, figure at least 12 of these nations are going to the WC. The only two that stand out as not having much of a chance to make it to South Africa are NZ and China. Even if only half of the nations that have a chance to win it are participating in Beijing.