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2008 Olympics Draw
Tough Draws For Ferns And OlyWhites At Olympics
by Jeremy Ruane
The draws for the Men's and Women's Olympic Football Tournaments took place in Beijing on Sunday evening, and at their conclusion, the two New Zealand which will compete at the Games of the 29th Olympiad were left with challenging tasks to contemplate.
The Football Ferns take on Norway, Japan and reigning Olympic champions the USA in their group, with two of their matches taking place in Qinhuangdao.
Meanwhile, the OlyWhites tackle Belgium, Brazil and host nation China in their group, two of the matches of which take place in Shenyang.
It will be a demanding examination of John Herdman's young charges, who could advance to the quarter-finals by recording a single victory in China, even though it will be a massive upset if they do - all their opponents are ranked in the world's top ten.
The women's tournament comprises twelve teams, so the top two place-getters in each group advance to the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams.
The other groups are every bit as tough as that in which the Football Ferns find themselves. China, Sweden, Argentina and Canada will be based in Tianjin for their first two fixtures, with the host nation desperate to advance beyond the group stages.
The “Group of Death” is a beauty, as it will feature a repeat of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Final between Germany and Brazil. North Korea and Nigeria won't exactly be making up the numbers, either!
Stu Jacobs' squad has a very real chance of progressing to the last eight, given Belgium (ranked 48th) and China (82nd) are in the same group as the world's 77th-ranked soccer-playing nation. As for Brazil …
The OlyWhites will need to secure at least four points to advance to the last eight in the sixteen-team Men's Olympic Football Tournament, with the top two place-getters in each of the four groups advancing to the quarter-finals.
Unlike the women's competition, the men's teams are primarily U-23 squads, supplemented by up to three over-age players. So the likes of our own Ryan Nelsen, Liverpool's Javier Mascherano (Argentina - the reigning Olympic champions), and Chelsea's Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) could be in action in China this August, while the 2008-9 FA Premier League is getting under way.
The other groups in the men's competition provide some interesting clashes. In Group A, Australia find themselves up against Serbia, Ivory Coast and
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OLYMPIC WOMEN'S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
OLYMPIC MEN'S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
Argentina. Shanghai will be the main base for that group.
Group B, based in Tianjin, features Holland, Nigeria, Japan and the USA, while Group D, based in Qinhuangdao, sees Cameroon, Honduras, Italy and the Korea Republic in action.
The Olympic Women's Football Tournament takes place between August 6 and 21, while the Olympic Men's Football Tournament is under way between August 7 and 23.
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