Both U.S. teams well-drawn for Beijing
SOCCER DAILY
Men's squad stands decent chance of advancing from a group that includes the Netherlands, Nigeria and Japan. Women's team looks like favorite in its group.
The draw for the men's and women's soccer tournaments at the Beijing Olympics was held in China today, and for the two U.S. teams things couldn't have gone better.
Coach Peter Nowak's U.S. men's team was drawn into the same group as the Netherlands, Nigeria and Japan and stands an even chance of advancing to the second round.
Coach PiaSundhage's U.S. women's team was drawn into the same group as Norway, New Zealand and Japan and should face no difficulty whatsoever in reaching the last eight.
Before getting to the reaction from the U.S. coaches and players, here is how the draw went:
Men
Group A: Ivory Coast, Serbia, Argentina, Australia.
Group B: Netherlands, United States, Nigeria, Japan.
Group C: China, Belgium, New Zealand, Brazil.
Group D: South Korea, Italy, Cameroon, Honduras.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the second round.
The U.S. will open against Japan in Tianjin on Aug. 7 and will play the Netherlands in the same city on Aug. 10. It finishes first-round play against Nigeria at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing on Aug. 13.
Women
Group A: China, Canada, Argentina, Sweden.
Group B: North Korea, Brazil, Nigeria, Germany.
Group C: Norway, Japan, U.S., New Zealand.
The top two teams in each group and the two best third-place finishers will advance to the second round.
The U.S., the defending gold medal winner from Athens 2004, will open against Norway on Aug. 6 in Qinhuangdao and will play Japan on Aug. 9 in the same city. It closes first-round play against New Zealand at Shenyang on Aug. 12.
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Nowak, ultra-cautious as always and offering very little in the way of constructive comment, said the U.S. men had been placed in "a difficult group," even though the Americans dodged 2004 goal medal winner and 2008 favorite Argentina, as well as Brazil, which should challenge for the title.
"It's not an easy group, but that's what it is," Nowak said on the U.S. Soccer website.
Nowak said that Michael Bradley, who plays for Heerenveen in Holland, should be able to help with identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the Dutch players.
Odds are that the U.S. chance of advancing will come down to the Aug. 13 game against Nigeria in Beijing. Nigeria won the gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
