Spain treble bid ends after Honduras defeat
Reuters - Sunday 29 July 2012, 23:16
Spain's bid to add the Olympic
title to their World and European crowns ended in acrimony on
Sunday after a shock 1-0 defeat by Honduras left them unable to
reach the knockout stage.
Title favourites Brazil, inspired by dazzling forward
Neymar, swept into the quarter-finals after coming from behind
to beat Belarus 3-1 at Old Trafford with Neymar scoring and
creating the other two.
They were joined in the last eight by Japan, who followed up
their win over Spain on Thursday with another 1-0 win over
Morocco.
Spain hit the woodwork three times against Honduras after
conceding an early goal in Newcastle.
A strong Spanish appeal for a penalty was waved away in the
final minutes and at the final whistle they surrounded the
referee in an animated protest.
Spain's Under-23 team in London featured three players from
the senior squad that retained their European title on July 1.
Spain coach Luis Milla, asked if the success of the senior
team had put more pressure on his side, said: "Yes it is
possible that the pressure did impact on us, but this is a team
full of players who compete at the highest level.
"As coaches we have to an analyse why we have been knocked
out. We are out of the Olympic Games - but we prepared very well
for it. "
"As you can imagine everyone is very sad, everyone is
disappointed. We worked well, we played well and put on a good
show and we still believe in the way we play and our ideology."
Honduras lost all three group matches in Beijing four years
ago but held on after Roger Espinoza's cross from the left was
met by Jerry Bengtson who rose superbly above Jordi Alba to
power his header past David de Gea.
"It was a tense second half. They had lots of chances and we
did well to keep calm when they were threatening," said
Bengtson. "It was very hard work but we did well to beat them."
Hosts Britain won their first Olympic match since they last
competed in Rome in 1960, playing well to outlast a spirited
United Arab Emirates side 3-1 at Wembley.
Their opening goal came from skipper Ryan Giggs, who at 38
years and 243 days became the oldest man to appear in the
Olympic football finals and also the oldest scorer after heading
home in the 16th minute.
Britain sealed victory with late goals from substitutes
Scott Sinclair and Daniel Sturridge and top Group A on goals
scored from Senegal who stunned Uruguay 2-0 in the first match
at Wembley.
The win was even more remarkable as Senegal were reduced to
10 men when Abdoulaye Ba was red carded for hauling down Uruguay
skipper Luis Suarez after 30 minutes.
Two goals from Moussa Konate before half-time were enough to
send Uruguay, back in the Olympics for the first time since
their second successive gold medal in 1928, to a first ever
Olympic defeat.
INSPIRED PERFORMANCE
Brazil became the first side to qualify for the next stage
and thoroughly deserved their win over Belarus, courtesy of a
header from Alexandre Pato from a Neymar cross, a 30 metre
free-kick from Neymar and a brilliantly-taken third by Oscar
after being set up by a backheel from Neymar.
Brazilian-born Renan Bardini headed Belarus in front after
eight minutes but although they lost they will go through if
they beat Egypt on Wednesday.
Egypt wasted plenty of chances in a 1-1 draw with New
Zealand at Old Trafford which did neither team's hopes of
advancing much good.
Chris Wood put the Kiwis ahead after 17 minutes before
Mohamed Salah equalised after 40 minutes for his second goal of
the tournament.
In other action, Mexico beat Gabon 2-0 in Coventry with two
goals from substitute Giovani dos Santos.
Mexico have four points in Group B and look set to advance
to the last eight, probably with South Korea who beat
Switzerland 2-1 and also have four points.