Olympics Men's Football Round 2: Best Matches, Key Battles, Players to Watch
After an opening round of fixtures that was at times entertaining, at times tense and always surprising, the Olympic Games men's football tournament continues on Sunday with the second matchday.
Group by group, here is all the information as each of the 16 participating teams starts to think about sealing a place in the knockout stages—and there is still all to play for.
Group A
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Denmark vs. South Africa, 11 p.m. BST/7 p.m. local time, Estadio Mane Garrincha, Brasilia.
Brazil vs. Iraq, 2 a.m. BST (Monday)/10 p.m. local time, Estadio Mane Garrincha, Brasilia.
Pick of the round: With two 0-0 draws to begin Group A, every team remains in the equation for a place in the quarter-finals. South Africa shocked many observers with a dogged display, and Denmark will have to be wary of the physical African nation after being held by Iraq.
Player to watch: Few Brazil players came out of the hosts' opening-day draw against South Africa with much credit. Thiago Meia, however, was the exception to the rule, and the defensive midfielder impressed a great deal to give the Selecao a glimpse of sunlight on an otherwise forgettable afternoon.
Key battle: Mohammed Hameed vs. Gabriel Jesus. Manchester City-bound Gabriel Jesus did not enjoy himself against South Africa, missing Brazil's best chance of the game. The Palmeiras striker will be itching to bounce back, but it will not be easy against the solid Hameed, who kept Denmark quiet to claim a clean sheet.
Group B
Sweden vs. Nigeria, 11 p.m. BST/7 p.m. local time, Arena da Amazonia, Manaus.
Japan vs. Colombia, 2 a.m. BST (Monday)/10 p.m. local time, Arena da Amazonia, Manaus.
Pick of the round: As predicted, the most open group on paper yielded by far the most exciting play of the opening round, with no fewer than 13 goals in the first two matches. Buoyed by a stunning 5-4 win over Japan, Nigeria can qualify for the quarters if they overcome Sweden.
Player to watch: With an incredible four goals in Wednesday's clash, all eyes are on Oghenekaro Etebo to see what the 20-year-old hitman can do next.
Key battle: Takuma Asano vs. William Tesillo. The Samurai may have lost out despite a spirited fightback, but new Arsenal man Asano brought a smile to the face of Japanese fans with a wonderful backheel goal in the defeat. The forward will hope for even better against Colombia, while Santa Fe defender Tesillo will be tasked with keeping him quiet.
Group C
Fiji vs. Mexico, 5 p.m. BST/1 p.m. local time, Itaipava Fonte Nova, Salvador.
Germany vs. South Korea, 8 p.m. BST/4 p.m. local time, Itaipava Fonte Nova, Salvador.
Pick of the round: A crushing 8-0 victory over minnows Fiji saw South Korea make a brilliant start to their Olympic campaign. But the Asian side will have a tougher prospect altogether against Germany, who did well to fight back against the defending champions Mexico and grab a 2-2 draw.
Player to watch: Leverkusen starlet Ryu Seung-woo is yet to make much of an impact on the Bundesliga. But the 22-year-old is already one of the candidates for top scorer after smashing a hat-trick in the first game, and Germany will have to pay the forward special attention.
Key battle: Sven Bender vs. Kwon Chang-Hoon. As well as Ryu, South Korea's attacking midfielder stood out against Fiji with two strikes. The Suwon Bluewings man, however, will likely face a tougher prospect on Sunday. Bender will be tasked with marshalling the middle of the pitch for Germany and, alongside brother Lars, will try to suffocate the dangerous Asian side.
Group D
Honduras vs. Portugal, 7 p.m. BST/3 p.m. local time, Estadio Olimpico Joao Havelange, Rio de Janeiro.
Argentina vs. Algeria, 10 p.m. BST/6 p.m. local time, Estadio Olimpico Joao Havelange, Rio de Janeiro.
Pick of the round: A late surge from Portugal saw them clear of Argentina with a 2-0 victory on Wednesday, and the last eight is within reach. But Algeria, who pushed Honduras to the final minutes before finally going down, will be desperate to make amends and take three points of their own.
Player to watch: With both assists to take down Argentina, Bruno Fernandes was the star of the show in Rio. Now the Udinese youngster seeks for a repeat performance to seal six points and rapid entry into the quarter-finals with a game to spare.
Key battle: Victor Cuesta vs. Anthony Lozano. Argentina's defence was far from solid in the opener, and despite Geronimo Rulli's mistake for the second, the scoreline could have been far more humiliating if not for the Real Sociedad shot-stopper. The onus is on Cuesta, captain and centre of the Albiceleste back line, to pull his young team-mates together and stop the likes of Lozano from breaking through.
