Brazil-Argentina: One gold, one game

The two most glamorous football nations come head to head tomorrow in one of the most awaited and highly rated football matches of this year’s Olympic games in Beijing. They are equally talented and boast some of the best footballers on the planet but every man is for themselves and there is only one route to gold.

Some call it the battle of South America and no matter at what level, victory is always a must by either side. Indisputably Diego Maradona and Pele have graced world football for years, at almost all levels and they are still in world football hall of fame standing and I guess that gives you a hint as to why Brazil and Argentina rules.

Brazilian football has always produced exciting players and with renowned players such as Ronaldinho and Kaka looking for resurrections, Alexandre Pato and Thiago Neves are bursting through and no other country watch this with more envy than Argentina.

On the other side Argentina have also enjoyed more success at the Olympic games claiming two silver medals and a gold medal compared to Brazil who is still yet to win her first gold

And with the team boasting the likes of Leo Messi who by far is considered one of the best footballers around, while their team captain Roman Riquelme boasts the most ball caring feet on the planet, the match looks to have it all.

Carlos Dunga has already lost four games out of 36 games at the helm of Selecao, and it will be worse if Argentina are to increase that tally to five, Brazilians don’t like losing to Argentina.

Last June Dunga came under heavy criticisms after a hard fought goalless draw against the same team in a World Cup qualifying game on home soil, while back in Argentina Alfie Basile and his squad received a heroes welcome. This time is different and the writing is on the wall.

Argentina who are under the watchful eye of World Cup winner Sergio Batista will be out there to defend a trophy they impressively won in Athens 2004 without conceding a goal in all six games and Leo Messi and the ever dangerous Sergio "kun" Aguero may just be more clinical this time.

Whether the golden boys from Brazil will prevail and strike gold for the first time in the history of the Olympic games, Ronaldinho and company have one huge task ahead, to entertain and overcome the defending champions Argentina.