Beijing Olympics Football Tournament
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Qualifiers
The Asian qualifying road consisted of two preliminary stages and one final round. In the end, Australia, Korea Republic and Japan finished top of their respective groups to reach the finals in Beijing. The trio joins China PR, who qualify automatically as hosts.
Australia (AUS)
Japan (JPN)
Korea Republic (KOR)
The third and final round of qualifying groups ran from June 2007 to March 2008. Group winners Nigeria (Group A), Cote d'Ivoire (Group B) and Cameroon (Group C) all reached Beijing.
Cameroon (CMR)
Côte d'Ivoire (CIV)
Nigeria (NGA)
.The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007, played between 10 and 23 June 2007, served as the qualifying competition. Netherlands, the tournament hosts and holders, retained the trophy to lead a quartet that also included beaten finalists Serbia and Belgium. With the other semi-finalists, England, ineligible to compete in the Olympics, a play-off between Italy and Portugal on 21 June provided the Azzurrini with the fourth and final qualiying slot.Belgium (BEL)
Italy (ITA)
Netherlands (NED)
Serbia (SRB)
By reaching the final of the eight-team CONCACAF qualifying tournament in the USA in March, the host Americans and Honduras booked passage to Beijing 2008.Honduras (HON)
USA (USA)
The final qualifying tournament will take place in Fiji in March 2008 by way of a six-team round robin including New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The winner will qualify as the lone Oceania representative for Beijing 2008.
New Zealand (NZL)
Brazil and Argentina, winners and runners-up respectively at the South American U-20 Championship in Paraguay in January 2007, became the first two teams to book their places at the Men's Olympic Football Tournament at Beijing 2008.Argentina (ARG)
Brazil (BRA)
China PR, as the host country, qualify automatically.
China PR (CHN)
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Thursday, August 7
Australia 1 Serbia 1
Japan 0 United States 1
Brazil 1 Belgium 0
Honduras 0 Italy 3
Ivory Coast 1 Argentina 2
Netherlands 0 Nigeria 0
China 1 New Zealand 1
South Korea 1 Cameroon 1
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Brazil through, Argentina leave it late
Olympics - Soccer : Ronaldinho scored twice as Brazil strolled to a 5-0 win over New Zealand at the Olympics on Sunday, while a delightful goal from Ezequiel Lavezzi gave Argentina a late win over stubborn Australia.
The wins left the South American pair with 6 points from two games in their respective groups and guaranteed both a quarter-final place with a match to spare.
African pair Cameroon and Nigeria won for the first time, Cameroon beating Honduras 1-0 thanks to a blunder by goalkeeper Kevin Hernandez and Nigeria overcoming Japan 2 1.
Argentina, with Juan Roman Riquelme controlling the midfield and Lionel Messi tormenting the Australia defence, dominated their game but failed to convert a string of chances.
They finally broke through in the 78th minute when a series of quick passes ended with Angel Di Maria floating the ball across to the far post, where Lavezzi sidefooted home a first-time shot.
New Zealand, facing Brazil with a team mainly made up of university students, were quickly in trouble when they fell behind to an Anderson goal after three minutes before Alexandro Pato headed a second just after the half hour.
Ronaldinho added a third with a free kick which found its way through the entire New Zealand defence in the 55th minute, then won and converted a penalty six minutes later. Rafael Sobis completed the scoring in the Group C game.
Midfielder Stephane Mbia gave Cameroon their win over pointless Honduras in Group D when a weak, low shot from outside the area caught Hernandez off his guard and rolled into the net in the 74th minute.
Second-half goals from Victor Obinna and Victor Anichebe put Nigeria in control against Japan, who replied through Yohei Toyoda in the Group B game.