Olympic Games: Football scores

After two beautifull semifinal games, Argentina will face Paraguay next saturday for the gold medal. Wichever the result both medals will belong to southamerica.
If Argentina wins it will get the only price it’s team have never won.
I don’t know why but I liked the olympic football matchs better than the world cup. For one thing in the Wc there are no surprises, the final match is always European, South American or combined. Secondly wc players are rich bitches that simply don’t try hard enough :slight_smile:
Anyway, what are your predictions? Who’ll win the gold, the silver and the bronze. And in the obligatory controversial question, If Irak wins the bronze will that achievement improve Bush case for war?

:slight_smile: The last one was a joke :slight_smile:

Maybe, but I read that at one stage Bush was planning to fly out for the medal ceremony if Iraq won a medal (quite apart from openly hijacking the games in a TV advert: “Freedom is spreading thorugh the world like a sunrise … At this Olympics there will be two more free nations and two less terrorist regimes…”

However the Iraqi players were not quite “on message”, the coach made some disparaging remarks, viz “We do not have freedom in Iraq; we have an occupying force … This is one of our most miserable times…”, and the idea was quietly dropped.

Anyway, yes, soccer — it’s been good, hasn’t it! Shame Iraq lost out, but I was quietly pleased to see Portugal thumped by Costa Rica :slight_smile:

Yes, Bush has used the Iraqi team in some campaign ads and of course incurred the wrath of those used.
In response to the question, “President Bush has included the Iraqi Olympic team in his latest campaign advertisements. How do you feel about that?”

Mild:

Hot:

Back to footie, I’d like to see Iraq do well or even win against the Italians. For the final I don’t really care, just a decent match. I guess I favor the Paraguayans, just because the Argentines have always cried so much in their games (I have no idea if this holds for the Olympic squad). They are the Italians of South America.

Quotes are originally from Grant Wahl’s column on CNN/SI site www.cnnsi.com

Hooray, I finally got to watch some of the Olympic footie today. A well deserved victory for Argentina - I think they’ll be very hard to beat in the final.

They added football to the Olympics?! :eek:

Footie sounds like something you put on a baby.

I think you’re wrong. The USA will win the gold.

Oh, you were talking about men’s football!

Of course I am talking about men’s football, after all dogs and cats aren’t very good players :slight_smile:

[Hijack]Estilicon, I think I fell in love with the striker for your hockey team the other night. Her name is Soledad Augustina Garcia, or something like that. Can you provide a link to a picture so I can be sure it wasn’t just the late hour or my failing eyesite? Thanks.
[/Hijack]

Shibb, if she is the one I saw, the least I can say is that we have different tastes in women. Anyway This link provides a picture of every member of the argentinian delegation to athens. This has a pretty picture
Anyway, her name is Soledad Agustina Garcia, google her in www.yahoo.com.ar

Olympic football isn’t really at the same level of other international footie contests. As such, most real football fans don’t give a toss about it. :slight_smile:

Well, that’s interesting Lochdale. My definition of a “real footie fan” is someone who enjoys the game regardless of the quality of the football being played.

But then I am a League of Ireland supporter.

Olympic football (soccer) is considered a top competition for the women because it doesn’t have age restrictions on it like the men’s tournament does. So the best women are playing, but for the men, it’s a chance to get younger players a taste of international action.

I don’t think (men’s) football has a place in the Games, in common with other sports such as tennis. These sports have their own tournaments at global and regional levels, which are the benchmark and high water mark for supporters. I think fans will continue voting with their feet, save perhaps for Beijing, where fans may not have too much choice.

Congratulations to Argentina on their first football gold medal! Also good luck in basketball, I hope you take that one, too!

Estilicon, she doesn’t look too good to me in the photos, either. Sometimes people look better from a distance. Not hideous (and she’s cute in one or two), but certainly not gorgeous. I’ll just have to come down to Buenos Aires again and ogle all the beautiful women there. Probably the most beautiful people in the world.