2008 Beijing Olympic Thread

[Gold is the Colour]

Why? Has Belgium's youth system fallen into hard times? Because, until recently they used to produce good players.

Belgium aren't bad at all, but one bad game against China and they will be out. The other groups all have four teams that could make it through, Group C has Brazil as clear favourites, and NZ as easibeats. Belgium would still be favourites against China - China would be bottom of any other group, but by putting NZ in Group C, they have given China a chance.

[new_world_order-redded]

Belgium aren't bad at all, but one bad game against China and they will be out. The other groups all have four teams that could make it through, Group C has Brazil as clear favourites, and NZ as easibeats. Belgium would still be favourites against China - China would be bottom of any other group, but by putting NZ in Group C, they have given China a chance.


I hope Belgium prepare well for the Olympics and beat China. Up to present, Belgium and China are almost in same level.
In Olympics, I wanna see China get eliminated.

[mauro_]

Here's the preliminary pool of players for Argentina (there's 56 players):Porteros: Oscar Ustari (Getafe, ESP), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, HOL), Fabián Assmann (Independiente), Gastón Monzón (Huracán) y Nicolás Navarro (Nápoles, ITA).

Defensas: Martín Demichelis (Bayern Múnich, GER), Ezequiel Garay (Racing Santander, ESP), Federico Fazio (Sevilla, ESP), Gabriel Paletta (Boca Juniors), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona, ESP), Jonathan Maidana (Boca Juniors), Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol, ESP), Cristian Ansaldi (Rubin Kazan, RUS), Gastón Díaz (Vélez Sarsfield), Emiliano Insúa (Liverpool, GBR), Fabián Monzón (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Sigali (Lanús), Matías Cahais (FC Groningen, HOL), Gabriel Mercado (Racing) y Gustavo Cabral (River Plate).

Volantes: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool, GBR), Juan Román Riquelme (Boca Juniors), Matías Sánchez (Racing), Ever Banega (Valencia, ESP), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid, ESP), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter, ITA), Claudio Yacob (Racing), Diego Valeri (Lanús), Augusto Fernández (River Plate), Maxi Moralez (Racing), Neri Cardozo (Boca Juniors), Angel Di Maria (Benfica, POR), Damián Escudero (Vélez Sarsfield), José Sosa (Bayern Múnich, GER), Damián Leto (Liverpool, GBR), Matías Abelairas (River Plate), Federico Insúa (América, MEX), Rodrigo Archubi (River Plate), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht, BEL), Diego Buonanotte (River Plate), Juan Manuel Torres (San Lorenzo), Alejandro Cabral (Vélez Sarsfield) y Alejandro Gómez (Arsenal).

Delanteros: Lautaro Acosta (Lanús), Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid, ESP), Mauro Boselli (Boca Juniors), Julio Cruz (Inter, ITA), Franco Di Santo (Chelsea, GBR), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid, ESP), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Nápoles, ITA), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, ESP), Pablo Mouche (Boca Juniors), Pablo Piatti (Estudiantes de La Plata), Marco Ruben (Recreativo, ESP), Oscar Trejo (Mallorca, ESP) y Mauro Zarate (Birmingham).It's the best the country has.

Hope everybody put their countries' list too.

[Chiara]

Here's the preliminary pool of players for Argentina (there's 56 players):It's the best the country has.

Hope everybody put their countries' list too.

There aint 56 players in New Zealand.

[Hendrixforpope]

What does that list have to do with the Olympics? It was kind of random if you ask me.

[vancity eagle]

Nigerias coach has supposedly dropped Chelsea's Mikel from the 50 man preliminary list that is to be submitted to the olympic committee, because he failed to turn up for any of the qualifiers. Very stupid move. The overage players on the list are Yobo (Everton), Osaze (Lokomotiv Moscow), Shittu (Watford) Ayila (Dynamo Kiev), Enyeama, Uche (Getafe).

[jcvf90]

What does that list have to do with the Olympics? It was kind of random if you ask me.
Olympic thread, so he gave argentina's, a very possible winner, list of players. If anything you were random.

[tomwilhelm]

Olympic thread, so he gave argentina's, a very possible winner, list of players. If anything you were random.

Are there REALLY 56 players currently under consideration for the Argentinian Olympic Team? Come on...

[Andrés_]

I still think Group B will be the hardest for all the four sides. Probably A is the second hardest.

Yes, probably 56 for the pre-selection was a bit too much maybe 30-35 would have been fine.

[argentine soccer fan]

What does that list have to do with the Olympics? It was kind of random if you ask me.

It's not a random list. It's the list given by Argentina's coach Sergio Batista.

[feyenoordsoccerfan]

It's not a random list. It's the list given by Argentina's coach Sergio Batista.

Okay, that tells me you've got a coach that hasnot got a clou of which players to select or hasnot got any idea of what to do:D
No way you've got 5 teams of 21 year olds that are at the same level in quality to play at the Olympics. That means that in every first league team you have 3 under 21 players runnung around and of selection quality. Come on, you've got a quality pool to fish in but to make it into a quality lake:p You're trying to scare the rest of us aren't you?

[Hendrixforpope]

The fact that he listed 56 players threw me off :D.

A country can only have 3 players over the age of 23, am I correct?

[Volrath]

Okay, that tells me you've got a coach that hasnot got a clou of which players to select or hasnot got any idea of what to do:D
No way you've got 5 teams of 21 year olds that are at the same level in quality to play at the Olympics. That means that in every first league team you have 3 under 21 players runnung around and of selection quality. Come on, you've got a quality pool to fish in but to make it into a quality lake:p You're trying to scare the rest of us aren't you?
Actually our talent pool is that big. Most of the pibes on that list can count on regular playing time with their club, be it in Argentina or abroad.
Sure Batista has his work cut out for him because he needs to trim that list to 21 players or so...

[devioustrevor]

China landed in a group easier than they could've gotten, but it isn't easy by any measure. Belgium cannot be overlooked. After all the finished ahead of Italy in Group play at the U21 Championships and have players playing at clubs like Ajax, Fiorentina and Sevilla. I would expect them to beat China pretty easily.

[feyenoordsoccerfan]

China landed in a group easier than they could've gotten, but it isn't easy by any measure. Belgium cannot be overlooked. After all the finished ahead of Italy in Group play at the U21 Championships and have players playing at clubs like Ajax, Fiorentina and Sevilla. I would expect them to beat China pretty easily.

The Belgians arenot likely to play any role of importance, as the young talents midfield of Standard want to refuse a selection for the Olympics as they want to play with Standard for the Champions League Qualifying round.

[feyenoordsoccerfan]

Some one pissed off Mike Bradley as he reacted annoyed on the contention that the USA has an easy pool. He stated that the pool of the USA was far from easy, but he was confident that the USA would be able to fight for a place in the next round. He wants to go there but ststed that that is dependent on what his new team thinks of him going to China.

[Gorando]

The Belgians arenot likely to play any role of importance, as the young talents midfield of Standard want to refuse a selection for the Olympics as they want to play with Standard for the Champions League Qualifying round.

Wrong, Steven Defour has recentley said he wants to play in the Olympics, also other players who suposedley said they will refuse a selection have denied that.

[Paganitzu]

The Belgians arenot likely to play any role of importance, as the young talents midfield of Standard want to refuse a selection for the Olympics as they want to play with Standard for the Champions League Qualifying round.
I thought they would get suspended if they refuge to play for Belgium Olympic team. Or has they changed their mind there in Belgium?

Pre - selection of the Netherlands:

Goal: Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse), Kenneth Vermeer (Willem II).

Defence: Edson Braafheid (FC Twente), Ryan Donk (AZ), Jeroen Drost (NEC), Tom Hiariej (FC Groningen), Calvin Jong-A-Pin (Heerenveen), Milano Koenders (AZ), Christiaan Kum (ADO Den Haag), Dirk Marcellis (PSV), Erik Pieters (FC Utrecht), Rob Wielaert (FC Twente), Gianni Zuiverloon (Heerenveen).

Midfield: Ismaïl Aissati (PSV), Otman Bakkal (PSV), Wout Brama (FC Twente), Luigi Bruins (Feyenoord), Lorenzo Davids (NEC), Jonathan De Guzman (Feyenoord), Siem De Jong (Ajax), Willem Janssen (Roda JC), Kees Luijckx (AZ), Geert-Arend Roorda (Heerenveen), Robbert Schilder (Heracles Almelo), Ruud Vormer (AZ).

Attack: Nordin Amrabat (VVV-Venlo), Istvan Bakx (KV Kortrijk), Roy Beerens (Heerenveen), Royston Drenthe (Real Madrid), Marvin Emnes (Sparta Rotterdam), Leroy George (FC Utrecht),Roy Makaay (Feyenoord), [/B]Stefan Nijland (FC Groningen), Gerald Sibon (Heerenveen), Evander Sno (Celtic).

Teams:
Heerenveen: 5
AZ Alkmaar: 4
Feyenoord: 3
PSV: 3
FC Twente :3
Utrecht: 2
NEC: 2
Groningen: 2
Vitesse: 1
Willem II: 1
ADO: 1
Ajax: 1
Roda JC: 1
Heracles: 1
VVV: 1
Sparta: 1
Kv Kortrijk: 1
Real Madrid: 1
Celtic: 1

All players still play in the Netherlands, except these 3:
- Sno (Celtic, Scotland)
- Drenthe (Real, Spain)
- Bakx (KV Kortrijk, Belgium)

Best players:
Sno - Celtic
Drenthe - Real Madrid
Aissati - PSV
Bakkal - PSV
Marcellis - PSV
Guzman - Feyenoord
Makaay - Feyenoord
Bruins - Feyenoord
Velthuizen - Vitesse

After 2 European Championships in a row I'm curious to see what Foppe can manage in China, would be difficult against teams as Brasil... After the "real" dutch team selection some changes might be made.

The road the the last European cup in 2007 after they also won the EC in 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZdWbu6RqI4

But we had some luck that year, against England (semi-final) we where 1-0 down, in the 90th minute Righters scored the 1-1 and we won after penalties. But I rate the Olympic team much higher then the team in 2007.

I don't know the team of Belgium yet, but they do have some great players. I rate them much higher then China. Belgium has a bright future, and with some dispensation players as Timmy Simons they can do big things at the Olympics.

[Gorando]

Belgian Pre selection:
(for stage in Malta)

Goalkeepers: Logan Bailly (Genk) ,Yves Ma-Kalambay (Hibernian), Kenny Steppe (G.Beerschot)

Defenders: Laurent Ciman (Charleroi), Sepp De Roover (Groningen), Landry Mulemo (Standard) ,Sébastien Pocognoli (AZ) ,Jeroen Simaeys (Club Brugge), Jason Vandelannoite (Bursaspor), Anthony Vanden Borre (Genoa), Jan Vertonghen (Ajax)

Midfielders: Tom De Mul (Sevilla), Marouane Fellaini (Standard), Faris Haroun (Genk) ,Vincent Kompany (Hamburg SV), Jonathan Legear (Anderlecht), Maarten Martens (AZ), Kilian Overmeire (Lokeren), Vadis Odidja Ofoe (Hamburg SV), Axel Witsel (Standard)

Forwards: Stijn De Smet (Cercle Brugge), Moussa Dembele (AZ), Roland Lamah (Roda/Anderlecht), Sanharib Malki (G.Beerschot), Kevin Mirallas (Lille), Guiseppe Rossini (Utrecht/KV Mechelen)

Remarkable: Steven Defour will very likely stay home this summer. Teams in the CL will have a max of 2 players in the final Olympic selection. Players not in this pre selection can still make the final selection.

[Paganitzu]

GREAT TEAM! Much, much better then the dutch one.