Olympics GB Football

[PTP]

aye betrand missed him...;


well yeah, we'd all go 4-3-3 - but this is "england" in a "major" tournament, with stuart pearce as manager.....4-4-2

[PTP]

have the groups/matches etc been scheduled yet?

[dom9]

Spanish squad according to AS

Talented bunch

No Pacheco.

[Chazza]

[Tee]

3 games within a week - Bellamy may struggle. Come to think of it, Giggs as well. Pearce you doughnut.

[Bender]

this gb team has the makings of a comedy classic

[Chazza]

Sturridge Olympics doubt
Blues ace suffering from meningitis
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated: July 3, 2012 9:45pm

Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge is being treated for viral meningitis and may be a doubt for the Olympics.

Sturridge, who was named in Stuart Pearce's 18-man squad on Monday, is undergoing further tests to determine the full extent of his illness.

It is believed the 22-year-old began to show symptoms of the illness last week and Chelsea's medical team as well as the Football Assoications doctors have assessed Sturridge's condition.

The squad are expected are meet up this weekend, but Pearce could delay that to find out if Sturridge will be able to feature at the games.

If Sturridge it ruled out of the Olympics tournament it will be a major blow for the forward after he missed out on Roy Hodgson's squad for Euro 2012.

Pearce has been expected to use Sturridge in his starting XI and he is forced to withdraw from the squad it could pave the way for the likes of Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha, who is Pearce's standby list, to be drafted in

Team GB kick-off their bid for Olympic gold against Senegal at Old Trafford on July 26

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/7863215/Sturridge-Olympics-doubt

[dom9]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18705708

London 2012: No Wales sanction for Olympic four

Aaron Ramsey and his Wales team-mates will face no repercussions over their involvement in the GB Olympic team, the Football Association of Wales has said.

Ramsey, Craig Bellamy, Joe Allen and Neil Taylor have defied the FAW's wish by agreeing to play at London 2012.

The FAW oppose Team GB, fearing it could threaten Wales' independence.

But chief executive Jonathan Ford said: "We've always made it very clear, we're not going to put any sanctions on any players."

Former Wales captain Ryan Giggs takes the Welsh contingent in the 18-man GB squad to five, selected alongside Bellamy as one of three players allowed over the age of 23.

Gareth Bale was also set to be involved but a back injury has prevented the Tottenham Hotspur winger from taking part.

The four involved face the possibility of another kind of sanction, though, as suspensions from red cards not served during the Olympics will be carried over to the next competitive Wales game.

With no players selected, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be unaffected for their World Cup qualifiers in September, while no English player in the Olympic squad featured in Roy Hodgson plans for Euro 2012.

That leaves Ramsey, Bellamy, Allen and Taylor treading a disciplinary tightrope as they aim for an Olympic medal.

Ford added: "It was always their decision. They knew where we stood.

"Ultimately they were able to make the decision themselves and let's just hope they come back to us fighting fit for our World Cup qualifiers in September."

Wales begin preparations for those World Cup qualifiers in August with a friendly against Bosnia-Hercegovina in Llanelli on 15 August, four days after the men's Olympic final at Wembley Stadium

Chris Coleman's men will welcome Belgium to Cardiff on 7 September in the opening qualifier for Brazil 2014, before facing Serbia away four days later.

Ford said he wished the Welsh players well at the Olympics but said the tournament, which includes a Great Britain team for the first time since 1960, would never come near to the prestige of international football's two major events.

"I'm pretty damn sure there's no player that would give up the Fifa World Cup winners' medal or a Uefa European Championship winners' medal for an [Olympic] gold medal," he said.

"I'm pretty damn sure that's the pinnacle of our sport and that's unfortunately something that will always stay."

If Wales were any good, Mr Ford might have had a point, but I think he's just being bitter.

I'm pretty damn sure these Welsh players have jumped at the chance to play in an international football tournament for the only time in their lives.

[Chazza]

From: @SkyGraemeBailey
Sent: 5 Jul 2012 19:48

Brazil have just named their squad for Olympics including Thiago Silva, Luiz, Hulk, Neymar, Ganso, Lucas Moura, Marcelo, Leandro Damiao #WOW

[Lee]

Very strong squad.

Looking forward to watching Neymar on TV rather than a poxy stream online.

[Exiled_red]

Just seen the bookies have Team GB down as 3rd favourites to win gold after Spain and Brazil.

[Alex]

Id put Uruguay above, but other than that its not far off. Id even go as far as to say that Uruguay were among the favorites.

[Gray]

Uruguay 9/1

[Reece]

9/1? Definitely worth a punt at that price!

[Exiled_red]

Id put Uruguay above, but other than that its not far off. Id even go as far as to say that Uruguay were among the favorites.

I know there aren't many 'big' sides in it but the GB team is awful, if they really are the 3rd or 4th best team in it then the standard is going to be awful.