2012 Olympics--Soccer/Football/Futbol

A lot of folks in the UK don't agree on what it means to be British, but we do know how much the Welsh, Scots, and Northern Irish dislike being called English.

That leads us to today's agreement that will allow the 2012 London Olympics to include a soccer team representing Great Britain. It's an elegant, yet unsatisfying solution: the FA, FAW, SFA, and IFA have agreed that the IOC can call an England team "British." If FIFA agrees, then the first British soccer team in a half-century is good to go.

Is this reasonable? It seems like a bit of a climb-down by three of the home nations.

I think we had this debate here once before but what I still do not understand is why Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are so afraid they are going to lose their football independence if there is a Great Britain Olympic team? This is a one off event. each of those federations have their own leagues, national teams, etc., they would not lose their independence over a joint Olympic team.

If I recall the earlier discussion, the view in Great Britain is that other federations around the world will use this as a way to end the 4 British federations indepednence. But as noted they each have had their own leagues, national teams since the sport became organzied inetrnationally. Hard to see that ending.

I'm a bit late contributing to this one, but it is good that a compromise has been reached. It'll be interesting to see whether we'll be able to field a similarly constituted team in future Olympic tournaments or whether this is just a one-off because these games are in London.

As far as the other 3 British associations are concerned, I can kind of understand their reasoning. For every person within FIFA who says that a British team would not affect the home nations' independence, there will be another who says that it would. Blatter himself has given conflicting statements on this. In the final analysis, the Olympic football tournament is a fairly worthless sideshow and the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish don't think it warrants taking any kind of risk by placing their fate at the hands of FIFA's goodwill.

Reviving this thread with the draw for the 2012 men's tournament:

Group A

Great Britain, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay

Group B

Mexico, Switzerland, South Korea, Gabon

Group C

Brazil, Belarus, New Zealand, Egypt

Group D

Spain, Japan, Honduras, Morocco



Great Britain and Uruguay should be favorites in Group A, Group B looks the toughest to me with Mexico, Switzerland, Korea and an unknown Gabon. Brazil got a favorable draw in C as did Spain in D, although they should be wary of an improving Japan.

The women's draw:

Group E

Great Britain, Cameroon, New Zealand, Brazil

Group F

Japan, Sweden, South Africa, Canada

Group G

USA, France, Colombia, Korea DPR


World Cup champions Japan seem to have received the toughest draw vs Sweden and Canada. Although the US' opponents France and North Korea are not pushovers either.

OK, so why does the women's draw start with Group E? What relevance does that have to the men's draw? It makes absolutely no difference. I just don't see the logic.

I agree shelsoccer, those are two separate tournaments, it would be like numbering groups from basketball and water polo consecutively too. That does not make sense and neither does this.

Back to the men's draw I of course was interested in Mexico's draw. Until we know the rosters these teams will be bringing it will be hard to prognosticate this competition but from what we do know about the teams, Mexico's group does look difficult, Switzerland have a very good youth team, built around their U17 World Cup winners from 2009, South Korea always are tough in these youth tournaments and while Gabon may be somewhat unknown, any team which qualifies out of Africa's difficult qualifying competition must be respected. But Mexico have their own merits and earned their top seeded status. This should be a fascinating tournament and once we know the rosters, our conversation can become more detailed. Until then this is a competition to keep an eye out for late in the summer.

Team GB was announced today, and Beckham's not on it--he told us last week that he wasn't chosen. Giggs, Bellamy, and Micah Richards are the three overage players in the squad.

Squad: Joe Allen (Swansea City), Craig Bellamy (Liverpool), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Jack Butland (Birmingham City), Steven Caulker (Tottenham Hotspur), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Jack Cork (Southampton), Craig Dawson (West Bromwich Albion), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Scott Sinclair (Swansea City), Marvin Sordell (Bolton Wanderers), Jason Steele (Middlesbrough), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), James Tomkins (West Ham United)

It turns out there are five Welsh players on Team GB, which makes a nonsense out of previous reports that only English players would be chosen. What have I missed here? We do know that FIFA has promised that Team GB will have no influence on the future of the four Home Nations.

Sant Iker would have been proud of this one.

Just a ridiculous save from Solo; my knees went out watching the clip.

Wow, an incredible save. She really is a fine goalie. The best I have seen in the women's game.

A question for those more in the know than I on Great Britain's Olympic team, apart from the overaged players and a few known U23 players, there seems a lot of unknowns in that GB team. I saw this weekend where Spurs' Gareth Bale, an U23, withdrew because of injury, but I am assuming English clubs, as they often do during the Olympics, are putting up a stink about releasing their players. Manchester United I know already convinced Chicharito Hernandez to tell Mexico that he would not be available for the Olympic tournament.

Do you ever get the feeling the soccer gods just don't like you?

That was a pretty good match overall though. Both teams played well, but the U.S. were deserving winners in the end.

I know the Scottish FA had some strong opinions and I've heard many of the players really didn't want to have anything to do with a Great British team. That being said some of them were open to it as well. Of course half of the Scottish national team right now are English anyway, so that seems a bit hypocritical, but I'm a little surprised there are so many Welsh players.

There were two Scots named in the women's team. I assume they will defy the FA's wishes and suit up, but it's an interesting situation.

cheers,
hobbes

The resistance of the Northern Irish, Welsh and Scottish FAs to Team GB has more to do with the fear that they would lose their seats on the International Board (the four Home Nations currently have half the seats on this rule making body, giving them an effective collective veto) than that they would lose their national teams. That's especially true given the expansion of the Euros to 24, as UEFA would hope to have more than one British representative.

But it is easier to muster popular support by claiming that their national teams, rather than their blazers and expense accounts, are in great peril.

I think there is a lot of truth in what ursus arctos has written as International Board membership is the last place where the Home Countries other than England still have an effect on world football, as we will see in a few days when the International Board votes on approving the use of video technology.

Truth of the matter is few, if any, Northern Irish or Scottish players would merit a selection on a Great Britain U 23 team anyhow so not much is being missed by not naming any to the squad.

As for not including Beckham, only the celebrity filled tabloids would be upset by his exclusion. I must admit I was a little surprised by Micah Richards inclusion but apparently Stuart Pearce feels right back is a place where GB needs help. It aso might be somewhat of a reward for his exclusion from the Euro 2012 team.

By the way eight players on the Euro 2012 England squad were age eligible for the Olympics: Walcott, Carroll, Kelly, Henderson, Jones, Oxlade Chamberlain, Welbeck and Butland. Of those eight, Kelly,Jones and Butland did not play a minute at Euro 2012 but but being with the team in Ukraine they are ruled out of any Olympic play. Obviously any of those 8 would have helepd the Great Britain squad, but especially Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck, Carroll and Jones.

Saw most of that game on espn Sunday but missed that wonderful save as bad luck would have it. Thanks for posting the link, ua.

From wat I saw, the ladies look to have a very solid team, Hobbes. How high are the expectations, do you know?

Spain's coach Luis Milla today named a 22 player provisional squad which will be cut down to 18 in a few days time. It includes 3 Euro 2012 winners-Jordi Alba, Juan Mata and Javi Martinez!

The squad:

Goalkeepers: De Gea (Manchester United), Robles (Atletico Madrid), Marino (Villarreal)

Defenders: Azpilicueta (Marseille), Alba (Valencia), Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Dominguez (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Montoya (Barcelona), Botia (Sporting Gijon), San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Martinez (Real Sociedad)

Midfielders: Thiago (Barcelona), Herrera (Athletic Bilbao), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Romeu (Chelsea), Isco (Malaga), Mata (Chelsea), Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)

Forwards: Adrian (Atletico Madrid), Vasquez (Espanyol), Tello (Barcelona), Rodrigo (Benfica)


Martinez, Mata and Adrian, each just months older than the U23 age cut off of 1/1/89 will be the 3 overage players.

The three Euro winners get a week off then report to training!

It is a good squad and one which should contend for the gold medal.