Eight teams still in chase for soccer gold

21 September 2000

BRISBANE - Huge attendances, thrilling matches and a glimpse of some
precocious young talent highlighted the opening round of the Olympic soccer
tournament, which now pauses for breath before Saturday's quarter-finals.
The original 16 teams have been reduced to eight, the most notable absentee
being Australia who lost all three of their opening-round games to finish
bottom of Group A.

Although their performance was a major disappointment to home fans,
Australia's failure to make the last eight should have no negative impact on
the remainder of a competition which has so far produced 77 goals in 24
matches and not one goalless draw.

While gold medal favourites Brazil and defending Olympic champions Nigeria
successfully negotiated their way through the group stage, none of the other
six quarter-finalists can be ruled out as potential medallists.

Saturday's matches see the United States play Japan in Adelaide,
Brazil-Cameroon in Brisbane, Italy-Spain in Sydney and Chile-Nigeria in
Melbourne. The competition is wide open and there is all to play for.

Of all the eight coaches whose teams are still in contention, the most
relieved must be Brazil's Wanderley Luxemburgo. He is still under huge
pressure to win Olympic gold for Brazil for the first time, but at least he
was saved the indignity of first-round elimination.

That was a real possibility when Brazil lined up to face Japan in their
final Group D match in Brisbane on Wednesday. If the worst had happened and
Brazil had failed to qualify, Luxemburgo would either have quit or been
fired as soon as he returned home.

But Alex's fifth-minute header sealed a 1-0 win in a superb match wih Japan,
whose 19-match winning streak finally ended.

Brazil had failed to impress in their opening two matches against Slovakia,
which they won 3-1, and South Africa, which they lost 3-1, but they looked a
far better team on Wednesday.

"We learned a lot from the defeat to South Africa, and we put a lot of
things right in training," said Luxemburgo after beating Japan.

Brazil are delighted to be staying on the Gold Coast and playing their
quarter-final in Brisbane against Cameroon, whose 1-1 draw with the Czech
Republic on Tuesday guaranteed them second spot in Group C behind the United
States.

The Americans, who have done better in soccer here than at any other Olympic
Games since Melbourne in 1956, now face the impressive Japanese in Adelaide.

Japan's dynamic French coach, Philippe Troussier, believes his team is good
enough at least to reach the semifinals.

"I had a dream a few weeks ago we would play Italy in the semifinal in
Sydney and if we beat the Americans and Italy beat Spain in their game
that's what will happen," he said, adding: "Unfortunately the dream ended
before I knew the result."

Troussier believes most of the Japanese players here will be in the
country's World Cup squad in two years' time, and says they are under
immense pressure to do well.

"The gold medal is very important to Japan, and it will be the same pressure
in the Asian Championships in Lebanon next month too."

Defending champions Nigeria, who failed to impress in the opening round,
face a tough quarter-final against Chile in Melbourne with two key players -
skipper Celestine Babayaro and defender Azubuike Oliseh - suspended.

Their 18-year-old forward Julius Aghahowa scored a breathtaking goal against
Australia, however, and has a chance to build on his growing reputation this
coming week.

Chile impressed in their opening three matches and with star player Ivan
Zamorano expected to be fit for Saturday after missing Wednesday night's 1-0
defeat to South Korea, Chile have their eyes on a semifinals spot.

Although Honduras failed to make the quarter-finals, their 20-year-old
striker David Suazo, who plays for Serie A side Cagliari, top-scored in the
first round with four goals and looks set for a great future.

Mike Collett

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