Olympic Soccer Schedule 2012: Most Intriguing Opening Men's Matches to Watch

The opening ceremonies may not kick off until Friday, but the London Olympics will be in full swing before then as the men's soccer competition is set to launch on Thursday.

The level of play won't be as high as fans are accustomed to seeing in the World Cup or European Championships since the Olympic rosters are made up largely of young players, but it should be exciting nonetheless.

Many of the greatest soccer players in the world have been unable to capture an Olympic medal, so winning one is a rare feat that every competitor will strive for.

You won't see a lot of top nations taking part in the Olympic men's tournament due to its exclusivity, but that should make for some interesting matchups.

Here are the three opening men's matches that you won't want to miss as things kick off on Thursday.

Brazil vs. Egypt

If the gold medal could be handed out prior to the tournament, then Brazil would probably come out on top. Canarinho have an extremely talented squad led by Neymar and over-age players such as Thiago Silva and Marcelo.

Brazil have been pretty disappointing in international competition over the past several years, but falling short in their pursuit of gold this time around would probably be the biggest letdown yet. The Brazilians will want to get things started on the right foot as they open against Egypt.

It would be a major shock if Egypt were able to beat or even tie Brazil, but the Egyptians are probably the best of the four African teams competing in London.

In fact, many consider Egypt to be a potential dark horse for a medal, so I doubt Brazil are going to romp past Egypt as easily as some may think.

With that said, though, all eyes will be on the majestic Brazilian stars in this one, and that is why you should tune in.

Spain vs. Japan

Spain are the unquestioned rulers of the soccer world. They are the defending World Cup and Euro champions, but they would further cement that status by securing gold in London.

None of Spain's top players will be competing due to Olympic rules that only three over-age players are allowed on every roster. Still, La Roja have a continuous pipeline of dynamite prospects, and many of them will on display on Thursday.

The Spaniards won't be able to ease into the tournament. They will do battle with a stingy Japanese team that could cause a lot of trouble in the coming weeks.

Even the most astute soccer fans are unlikely to have heard of most of Japan's players, but they are disciplined and form a team in every sense of the word.

Offensive stars such as Javi Martinez and Juan Mata should be enough to lead Espana to victory, but this clash of styles should be very entertaining.

Great Britain vs. Senegal

All eyes will be on the final match of Thursday's slate as Great Britain will field a men's soccer team in the Olympics for the first time since 1960.

While the football federations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland weren't in favor of it, Great Britain came together due to the fact that the Summer Games are being held in London.

Most of the players on the team are English, but there are some Welsh players as well, including 38-year-old captain Ryan Giggs, who will be competing in his first major international tournament.

The British team will have some stiff competition, but the consensus seems to be that they are favored to win bronze behind Brazil and Spain.

No team can be taken lightly in this setting, but Senegal would seem to be a good opener for Team GB.

Provided Great Britain plays to their full potential, there is no reason why they shouldn't start off with a comfortable win.

It may not be the most competitive match, but seeing Great Britain compete on home soil will be fantastic.

July 26 Men's Soccer Schedule

Honduras vs. Morocco, 7 a.m. ET (NBC Sports Network)

Mexico vs. South Korea, 9:30 a.m. ET (NBC Sports Network)

Spain vs. Japan, 9:45 a.m. ET (MSNBC)

United Arab Emirates vs. Uruguay, 12 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Network)

Gabon vs. Switzerland, 12:15 p.m. ET (MSNBC)

Belarus vs. New Zealand, 2:45 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Network)

Brazil vs. Egypt, 2:45 p.m. ET (MSNBC)

Great Britain vs. Senegal, 3 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Network)

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