Before the 2008 Olympic men’s soccer tournament kicks off in a fortnight, the Asian teams of host China, South Korea, Japan and Australia seem more determined than ever to perform and win some shining medals in Beijing.
“Beijing is the host city of the Olympic Games. All of us hope we can meet our rivals there. My teammates and I will not give up trying,” said Chinese footballer Zheng Zhi, who has become a star player in the English club Charlton Athletic.
China will be supported by more than one billion people who will be expecting their national Olympic team to go further. Despite their expectations, the road for the hosts’ to advance seemed a little bumpier from the very beginning since the Chinese Football Association (CFA) sacked Serbia’s Ratomir Dujkovic as coach of its Olympic team just three weeks before the Games.
CFA vice chairman Xie Yalong explained that the Chinese players were discontented over Dujkovic’s training methods and tactics.
Last month, China’s national squad, also coached by the Serb, suffered a humiliating defeat by Iraq and was ousted of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Dissatisfaction with Dujkovic has been gradually mounting since then.
Before he was sacked, Dujkovic said that he was aiming for a top four finish, but Zheng said the initial goal was simply to reach the knockout stage.
“In the Sydney Games qualifiers in 1999, I, then 19, tried my best amid cheers from countless fans, but failed to live up to their expectation. The Olympic dream was broken,” Zheng said to his fans in a video clip aired frequently on local TV.
“These years I have grown up a lot. Now I am anticipating the Beijing Games to make up for the supporters. We are going to turn a new page on the history of the Chinese soccer.”
No Asian team so far has won the soccer gold medal since the sport was included in the Olympics 100 years ago. But Japan was the closest to achieve this goal by taking the bronze in 1968 in Mexico City, when they beat the host 2-0 in the play-off match.
Other Asian teams have achieved similar performances. India finished in fourth place in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia in 1992 in Barcelona and Iraq four years ago in Athens.
Nevertheless, the gold medal still remains the ultimate goal for Asia.
China is in a group with Belgium, New Zealand and one of the title favorites Brazil.
It is going to be a tough challenge as Brazil, the five-time World Cup winner, is going for its first Olympic soccer gold in Beijing, summoning its star player Ronaldinho to join in the squad.
“I feel very motivated and happy for having been summoned to the team,” Ronaldinho said at a charity event. The Brazilian just finished his transfer from FC Barcelona to AC Milan with an initial payment of 21 million euros.
“My aim is now to prepare myself for the Olympic Games - an honor few players have received,” the former Player of the World said.
The Brazilians have to get past their South American rival Argentina in order to win the gold. Besides winning the gold in Athens, the Argentines also defeated Brazil in the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands in 2005.
Unlike Brazil who can’t have its top stars such as the FIFA Player of the Year Kaka to play, Argentina’s Olympic team includes all their greatest talents like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Juan Roman Riquelme and Javier Mascherano.
“The Olympic Games is something I will never be able to play in again and I am very excited at the prospect,” Messi said.
The Beijing Olympics only allows footballers under the age of 23, except three over-age players for each side.
“There is no doubt that I will be there. I have really high hopes with the Olympic squad,” Messi said, although Barcelona wanted him to play for the Champions League preliminary.
The Olympic soccer tournament starts on August 6 with the final on August 23, which overlaps the Champions League preliminary that initiates from August 12.
