Great Britain vs. United Arab Emirates Olympic Soccer: Analysis, Reaction & More

It wasn't easy, but Great Britain emerged with a 3-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates Sunday to earn their first win of the 2012 London Olympics.

In front of a raucous crowd at Wembley Stadium, the host nation found the net first thanks to the ancient head of Ryan Giggs. The 38-year-old Giggs became the oldest goal-scorer in Olympic history when he finished off a perfect cross from Craig Bellamy in the 16th minute.

Great Britain continued to control the pace throughout the rest of the half, but after the 45-minute mark, it was the UAE who were the aggressors.

Led by the brilliant creativity of Omar Abdulrahman, the Arabs were able to put constant pressure on the British defense. They eventually broke down the Brits, with Rashed Eisa scoring the equalizer in the 60th minute.

It looked like the host nation was headed for their second tie of the tournament, but the late substitution of Scott Sinclair proved to be a shrewd move for Great Britain. Just seconds after replacing Giggs, Sinclair found the back of the net, giving his team a 2-1 lead.

The desperate UAE then shifted into a more attacking style, but a costly turnover did them in.

After intercepting a pass in the 76th minute, Tom Cleverley fed a streaking Daniel Sturridge in the center of the field. Sturridge dragged the ball in front of him and let loose with a gorgeous chip shot that sailed over the keeper's head and landed gently in the far corner of the net.

It was a magnificent goal, and it provided all the cushion the Brits needed. After playing 15 minutes of relatively safe football, they earned the 3-1 victory and a place atop the Group A standings.

Tweets of the Night

The age of Ryan Giggs is an easy setup for jokesters, and writer John Green couldn't resist the temptation:

"

92-year-old Ryan Giggs is substituted out in favor of Sinclair. A great performance from one of the oldest men alive today in the world.

— John Green (@sportswithjohn) July 29, 2012"

Of course, Giggs isn't really 92—it just seems like he is. Mohamed Moallim of FourFourTwo has the real number:

"

Ryan Giggs now oldest goal scorer in Olympic football history (38y 243d). Previous holder: Egypt's Hussein Hegazi back in 1924 (37y 225d).

— Mohamed Moallim (@jouracule) July 29, 2012"

Like I said above, Omar Abdulrahman was magical at times, and he should be garnering interest from major European teams. Football fan Wonda has the right idea:

"

Someone has to buy Omar Abdulrahman. Baller

— Wonda (@WondaSoCareless) July 29, 2012"

Substitute Scott Sinclair scored the go-ahead goal for Great Britain, but as Henry Winter of The Daily Telegraph points out, Craig Bellamy deserves some credit as well:

"

Scott Sinclair scores just after replacing Giggs, again following good work by Bellamy.

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) July 29, 2012"

Daniel Sturridge provided the prettiest goal of the evening, and The Football Front breaks down what made it so special:

"

Sturridge goal was fantastic for 2reasons. 1.) Great technique and composure for the chip. 2.) pass by Cleverley was beautifully weighted.

— The Football Front (@ReviewFootball) July 29, 2012"

What's Next?

Both teams will play again on Wednesday, with Great Britain taking on Uruguay in a pivotal match, and the UAE looking to earn their first points of the tournament against a quality Senegal side. Both matches start at 2:45 p.m. ET.