Men's Football Day 3 Preview: US and Nigeria watch out for the Dutch

Updated: 2008-08-12 16:28:27

(BEIJING, August 12) -- The Olympic Men's Football tournament will continue to crescendo when it resumes on August 13. Some teams have already booked their quarterfinal berths, others have to fight for survival, while some are ready to pack up and go home.

The group with the most intense competition is group B. Nigeria and the United States lead the group with four points. However, neither can afford a draw in their next match against each other because the Netherlands is snapping at their heels.

With two points in hand, the Netherlands must defeat Japan to keep its Olympic dream afloat. What's more, it needs to ensure that its goal difference will exceed Nigeria and the United States if those two sides play out a draw.

In addition to the above must-win matches, it will also be exciting to watch Italy and Brazil continue their goal rush. These two teams have scored a total of twelve goals in just four matches. Brazil gave minnow New Zealand a 5-0 hiding in its second game, while Italy has recorded two 3-0 victories.

Italy is usually recognized as being a master of defense, but head coach Pierluigi Casiraghi has included three forwards, Tommaso Rocchi, Sebastian Giovinco and Giuseppe Rossi, in the starting line-up and has been hugely rewarded.

"This is our mode of playing. We try to get the best from our three excellent forwards," Casiraghi said after Italy's win against the Republic of Korea.

Brazil also plays with three forwards upfront: Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato and Anderson. Ronaldinho, the 2004 and 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year, found his rhythm in Brazil's last match and scored his first competitive goal since December 12, 2007. Along with Giuseppe Rossi of Italy and Sekou Cisse of Côte d'Ivoire, Ronaldinho is now the leading goal kicker of the tournament with two goals.

When the quarterfinals start on August 16, the first-placed team from group C will play the second-placed team from group D. So a rematch of the 1994 Los Angeles World Cup final between Brazil and Italy could be on the cards.

"We will try to finish first in our group. We still have another game and I think Brazil is in the same situation as we are," said the Italian coach Casiraghi.