Football
Tokyo Olympics: Men's Football: Day 2 Summary- Andre Pierre Gignac Magic's, Germany beat Saudi Arabia and more
Legends like Pierre Gignac reminded people why they are legends. Youngsters like Olmo and Oyarzabal justified with their game why they are called star-kids. Read the entire day report below.
French team celebrating their last-minute goal (Source: French Football Federation Twitter)
Intense. Enticing. Tournament Defining. A complete package day for football. A day you should not have missed if you love the beautiful game. Legends like Pierre Gignac reminded people why they are legends. Youngsters like Olmo and Oyarzabal justified with their game why they are called star-kids. Overall, day two has set up the final day of the group games to be worth watching on 27th July.
Group A
Argentina just knicked over Egypt in an evenly matched contest. A solitary goal from Medina was enough to give La Albiceleste all the three points and give them the push need to fight for the knockout's spot after a surprise defeat to Australia in the last match. This was also Egypt's second successive draw, and it makes their last match a must-win game for them.
In the other match of the group, Spain beat Australia through a late Oyarzabal goal. The win takes them on the top spot in the group, and a draw against Argentina in the next match will be enough for them to qualify for the knockouts.
Group B
It is the evenest group after two rounds of matches. All teams are on three points and are on the same goal difference. A thrilling 3-2 victory for Honduras against New Zealand sends them on top of the group for the most scored goals.
In the other match of the group, Korea Republic routed Romania by four goals and got their first victory in the tournament. Romania were reduced to ten men after Gheorghe received his marching orders and was sent off for a serious tackle in the first half. The Koreans' three second-half goals took the scoreline to 4-0 and made it a super comfortable victory for them.
Group C
Two successive victories for host nation Japan has almost confirmed their place in the next round. The Japanese beat the Mexicans 2-1 in a very closely knitted game. Real Madrid starlet Takefusa Kubo gave Japan an early lead in the 6th minute, and Doan converted a controversial penalty to give them a two-nil lead in the 12th minute. Still, the Mexicans almost made a came back in the last minutes. Alvarado scored in the 85th minute, but it could only be a consolation as the Japanese held on.
The match of the day was between France and South Africa. The match was an absolute blinder. It was a match that made you cheer for South Africa, the underdogs but a last-second goal from the French-made you cheer for them. It was a seamless example of what sport can be, a roller coaster ride, end-to-end stuff, but only one team came victorious. Andre Pierre Gignac scored a hattrick and assisted an injury-time winner in giving France all three points.
Group D
A 0-0 draw between Ivory Coast and Brazil has now opened up the group for all the teams. The Germans, who were a man short after Pieper was sent off in the 67th minute, managed a late victory against Asian giants Saudi Arabia to get their first victory at the Olympics. The results have now thrown the group-wide open, and the last round will decide which teams make it through the quarter-finals.
Brazil and Ivory Coast are on four points each, while Germany is on three, and the defeat to Germany marks the end of the road for Saudi Arabia at the Olympics.
When is the final group match of Football at the Olympics? Wednesday, 28th July
Saudi Arabia vs Brazil (Group D) - 1:30 PM IST, Saitama Stadium
Germany vs Ivory Coast (Group D) - 1:30 PM IST, Miyagi Stadium
Romania vs New Zealand (Group B) - 2 PM IST, Sapporo Dome
South Korea vs Honduras (Group B) - 2 PM IST, International Stadium
Australia vs Egypt (Group C) - 4:30 PM IST, Miyagi Stadium
Spain vs Argentina (Group C) - 4:30 PM IST, Saitama Stadium
South Africa vs Mexico (Group A) - 5 PM IST, International Stadium
France vs South Africa (Group A) - 5 PM IST, Sapporo Dome
Where to watch the Men's Football Event at Tokyo Olympics 2020 in India?
You can catch all the action LIVE on Sony Sports Network channels in India. Here are the details of broadcasters in some more countries:
Japan: The Japan Consortium
USA: NBC Universal
UK: BBC, Eurosport
China: CCTV
Australia: Seven Network
Germany: ARD-ZDF
Brazil: Grupo Globo, Bandsports
Spain: RTVE
Italy: RAI
France: Eurosport
South Africa: SABC
