With today's results, Sweden is in the Olympics for 2004 and defending champion Norway is out. The winner of Germany-Russia will be the other European representative in the 8 team field. Does Greece get an automatic entry as host?
How are the other 5 slots allocated? I know CONCACAF plays Feb 2-12, 2004, to determine the CONCACAF qualifers. Does the winner or the top two qualify for the Olympics?
I found the answer to the CONCACAF side of the question at http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?lang=en&id=1423 . The two semifinalists in the tournament in Costa Rica will qualify. The tournament is 25 February – 7 March.
Other 7 slots - there are 10 teams this time around. UEFA: 3 (Sweden & Germany + host Greece) CONCACAF: 2 (tournament in Mexico in Feb) ASIA: 2 (tourney sometime) AFR: 1 (tourney sometime) Oceania: 1 (tourney sometime) CONMEBOL: 1 (tourney sometime) Only UEFA used the WC to determine its slots.
It is worth noticing that USA despite home advantage didn't meet the UEFA requirements to qualify for the Olympics. So if USA had been a UEFA member, there would be no trip to Athens. As the tournament has unfolded, Norway needed to reach the final of the World Cup to even be allowed to participate in the Olympics next year. Silly. Instead Mighty Mighty Greece takes our place.
25.09.2003 – CONCACAF announced today that the 2004 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification Final Round has been relocated from Mexico to Costa Rica, and it will now take place from 25 February – 7 March. The CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Finals will remain in Mexico as it is slated for 2-12 February 2004. http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=1483
will be great to see greece in a major tournament. they will be the worst team ever to play in such an event! they didn´t even come close to be callified for the WC. they won only one single match in their qualifiction group, despite having no major team against them! (the group was won by yugoslavia, that didn´t come close to qualification either) they will lose all their games in double figures, so all the other teams in the olympics should pray to have them in their group!
Greece Taking a UEFA Spot in the Olympics Which inferior opponent did Norway lose to during the past year?? The only teams Norway lost to in the WC were the #1 ranked U.S. team and Brazil, which I believe was ranked 6th prior to the WC, but should probably be ranked higher than Norway now. The U.S., Brazil, and Norway all belong in the 2004 Olympics, but Greece clearly doesn't.
If you hadn't gotten creamed by Brazil you'd have played Sweden in the quarters heads-up for an Olympic berth. Sweden managed to beat Brazil.
Actually their tournament began in June. Unfortunately four of the eight team pulled out of the preliminary round. Thus, the four other teams had walk overs. The first round begins the weekend of October 24th.