By David Owen
April 14 – Neymar and his team-mates have been drawn against South Africa, Iraq and Denmark in this year’s Olympic men’s football tournament, while the Brazilian women have been bracketed with South Africa (again), Sweden and China, the global game’s new hot-bed at least in terms of business interest.
Pressure on the host-nation’s players looks set to be ratcheted up nearly as high as at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as they strive to end 64 years of hurt since the Brazilian team’s first appearance at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.
They will be hoping to capture Brazil’s first Olympic gold medal in its national sport, perhaps even its first two gold medals. So far the extent of their achievement has been five silver medals – three for the men’s team, two for the women – and two bronzes.
That initial effort in the Finnish capital saw the Brazilians hammer the Netherlands 5-1 and edge out Luxembourg 2-1, before surrendering a two-goal lead against Germany in the quarter-finals.
At Thursday’s draw in the Maracanã, attended by Ronaldinho, reigning Olympic men’s champions Mexico were bracketed with Germany, South Korea and Fiji, while the United States women, who won their London 2012 tournament, will face New Zealand, France and Colombia in the Rio 2016 competition’s opening phase.
Women’s matches get under way on August 3, two days before the official Opening Ceremony, with the men’s competition beginning on August 4.
The one remaining women’s group brackets Canada, Australia, Zimbabwe and Germany.
The two remaining groups in the men’s competition – which is mainly for under-23 players – bring together on the one hand Sweden, Nigeria, Japan and Colombia and, on the other, Argentina, Portugal, Algeria and Honduras.
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