Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Olympic Games in London 2012 two competitions were held in football from 25 July to 11 August. Am tournament at the women participated in twelve teams in the men there were 16 teams. On the Enter the games were not only in London but in different stages of Britain. The tournament was held in parallel for women and men.

Winner of the men was charged with Mexico, which won a medal for the first time, the first time a member of CONCACAF. Moreover, since the United States defended her title in the women who were first in both men and women, two members of a confederation Olympic champion.

As for the tournament in Atlanta in 1996 only U-23 teams were admitted to the men who were to be reinforced with a maximum of three older athletes. This restriction did not exist for women. FIFA directed this time for the duration of the Olympic tournament a secondment period one, so it does not come back to dispute between clubs and FIFA to release obligation of the players. Positive for the clubs was that the Olympic tournament ended this time before the start of most European leagues.

It 616 male and female players were reported for the two tournaments; twelve teams for women and 16 for men, each with 18 players or players. In addition, each team could name four players or players that could be used in case of injuries. Of these, Brazil, Gabon, the United Arab Emirates and Belarus made ​​for men as well as Canada and North Korea in the women use.

The more than 1.5 million viewers in the 32 games of the men mean record in an Olympic football tournament.

• 4.1 Qualification
• 4.2 Group Stage 4.2.1 Group E
• 4.2.2 Group F
• 4.2.3 Group G

Venues

The Games were held in six different stadiums in the UK. The two major finals took place in London at Wembley Stadium, the small final of the women in Coventry, Men in Cardiff. Wembley Stadium was with a capacity for 90,000 spectators, the biggest stadium in the tournament.

Even in these tournaments as in 1984, 1992 and 1996, no game in the true Olympic Stadium was held in London.

Mode of finals

In the groups the ranking was determined by the following criteria:

In the women's tournament is also qualified the two best third. Its sequence was determined by the criteria 1, 2, 3 and 7, wherein the third and seventh criterion were not applied.

From the quarter- finals was initially followed in the score is level an extension of two periods of 15 minutes was then still a tie, decided a penalty shootout.

Men Tournament

Qualification

The three starting positions of the Asian Association of AFC were played in various qualifying rounds from 2011 to 2012. Between February 23 and March 9, 2011 qualified in a pre-qualification eleven teams that the twelve participants in the final round of qualifying determined together with 13 seeded teams between 19 and 23 June 2011 in elimination matches. These twelve teams played between September 2011 and March 2012 in three groups of four teams, the three starting places for the Olympic tournament. The group winners were directly qualified. As the first Asian team to South Korea could qualify on February 22, 2012. On 14 March, Japan and were also able to qualify for the first time the United Arab Emirates. The second-placed Oman, Syria and Uzbekistan played from 25th to 29th March 2012 at a tournament " FFA ". The winner of Oman then denied on April 23 at the stadium of Coventry, playoff game against Senegal, but could not prevail.

For the African Association CAF played 16 teams in 2012, the three different groups of participants in the Olympic tournament. The runners-up played from the person who was allowed to contest the play-off match against the Asian representatives. Egypt, Gabon and Morocco failed to qualify directly, Senegal played on April 23 against Oman to the last spot and was able to qualify for the first time. For Gabon, it was the first participation at the Olympic football tournament.

From the North and Central American federation CONCACAF, two teams qualified. The qualifying tournament with eight teams took place from 22 March to 2 April 2012 in the USA. In addition to the pre-qualified teams from the U.S., Canada and Mexico participated in this tournament Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean and El Salvador, Honduras and Panama in Central America. Mexico and Honduras have qualified.

The qualifying tournament was the UEFA U-21 European Football Championships from 11 to 25 June, 2011 Denmark. The top three teams qualified for the Olympic tournament. Since England did not reach the semi-finals, were only Spain and Switzerland directly qualified as finalists. The losing semi-finalists the Czech Republic and Belarus played - in a scheduled specifically for the Olympic qualification match for third place - the last European Olympic starting place against each other. First, a game was not intended for third place. In this game the first time, the Belarusian team qualified for the Olympic tournament.

UK qualified automatically as hosts and took the first time since 1960, again at the Olympic football tournament of the men or the first time ever at the Tournament of women participate. It was unclear initially whether there would be total British teams. England hoping for a joint participation with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but the other organizations have been reluctant because they fear for their autonomy. The four British football associations finally agreed that the English Football Association (FA) should be responsible for putting together the teams, and these as " Team GB " since automatically qualifies the host country (in the name of the Olympic Committee of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) represented.

One starting point of the oceanic Association OFC was determined from 16 to 25 March 2012 at a tournament in Taupo ( New Zealand). At the tournament, the U-23 teams from American Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (group A), as well as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga (group B ) participated. New Zealand was able to prevail against Fiji 1-0 in the final and took part for the second time at the football tournament of the Olympic Games.

In the U-20 South American Championship soccer from 16 January to 12 February, 2011 Peru, the two starting places of the South American federation CONMEBOL were played. In the final round, the Uruguayan and Brazilian U-20 national team prevailed and qualified as the first men's teams for the Olympic tournament. For Uruguay, it was the first participation since 1928 as the senior national Olympic champion.

For the Olympic football tournament is finally able to qualify the following teams:

Group stage

The draw for the group was held on 24 April 2012. The qualified teams were divided into four Lostöpfe. In addition, some teams were set as group head of groups A to D.

Lostöpfe of the men's tournament:

The games of the men's tournament began one day before the actual opening of the Olympic Games. With the exception of the first two Group C matches the first two match days each group were assayed in duplicate events. The third Round took place in parallel at different stages, which also partially double events by playing various groups took place.

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Quarterfinals

Semifinal

Play for bronze

Final

Medals

Italic: Not used.

Top scorers

Note: Sorting with the same number of goals according to number Assists, or mock time.

Trivia

• As for the British team the British anthem God Save the Queen was played, played well in the games of the England team, the Welshman Ryan Giggs asked before the last group match against Uruguay in Cardiff ( Wales), the fans, a chorus of whistles during the anthem to be omitted.
• The 0-2 against Senegal was the first defeat for Uruguay at an Olympic football tournament. For Senegal, who participated for the first time, it was the first victory.
• Ryan Giggs was with his goal to make it 1-0 in the match against the United Arab Emirates with 38 years and 243 days, the oldest scorer in the tournament 's history. Previously held the record for the 37 -year-old Egyptian Hussein Hegazi who had achieved on 29 May 1924 goal in the 3-0 win against Hungary.
• Giovani dos Santos is the first substitute, which reach two goals after the Substitutes.
• The Swiss Michel Morganella was expelled after beating South Korea by the Swiss delegation, as he had players from South Korea offended by Twitter.
• The first time was no European team in the semifinals, but for two asian teams.
• Japan is the third country to Brazil (1996 and 2008) and the USA ( 2000), both the women's and the men's team brought in the same year the semi-finals.
• Mexico was the first Central American team to reach the final and won the gold medal.
• For the first time there were two Asian teams in the small final for 3rd place
• With Mexico and South Korea presented the group B two medalists.
• The fastest goal scored Oribe Peralta in the 29th second of the finale to 1:0 for Mexico. It is also the fastest goal in a competition organized by FIFA Final game.

Women's tournament

Qualification

The AFC Asian Association are entitled to two places were played in a round robin tournament between the six teams in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Thailand from 1 to 11 September 2011 in China. Here, Japan and North Korea were able to prevail. This main round were preceded by two Vorqualifikationsrunden, which were held in March and June 2011. For the second Vorqualifikationsrunde, which was held in Jordan, had qualified for the first round of Iran, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Thailand. During the qualifying tournament to Thailand continued with three wins - including one on the drawing board after the disqualification of the Iranian team - and a draw through.

The two launch sites of the African Association of CAF were played in a total of four qualifying rounds. In the decisive play-off games to Nigeria and Cameroon and South Africa and Ethiopia stood against. The first legs took place August 27, 2011, the return legs on 11 September ( between Ethiopia and South Africa) and 22 October 2011 ( between Cameroon and Nigeria) instead. South Africa and Cameroon failed to qualify for the Olympic football tournament.

The two teams in the North and Central American federation CONCACAF 2012 were played in Canada between eight teams. The three pre-qualified teams from Canada, Mexico and the United States came three teams from the Caribbean and two from Central America. In tournaments in the Dominican Republic and Aruba on 29 June to 9 July 2011, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba qualified for the final tournament. The Central American participants in the final tournament were determined in a tournament from September 30 to October 8, 2011 in Guatemala City. Costa Rica and Guatemala sat down by it. The final tournament was held from January 19 to 29, 2012 in Vancouver instead. In the tournament, record Olympic champion United States and hosts Canada qualified for London.

From the European body UEFA, the two best European teams in the World Cup 2011 on 26 June qualified to 17th July 2011 in Germany. Here, only two reached the semi-finals European teams, Sweden and France, and qualified as a result. The German team that had clearly beaten in the first round France was unhappy excreted in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Japan. In addition, Britain was automatically qualified as hosts. A consisting of English and Scottish players and coached by the former English national coach Hope Powell team participated as Team GB.

One starting point of the oceanic Association OFC was played in spring 2012. First appeared in Tonga in March, the team from Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu in a tournament " Free-for -All " against each other. The top two teams then played from the participants, who played in late March / early April against New Zealand in return game for the starting place in London. Papua New Guinea won against Tonga and hosts reached the play-off against New Zealand. This New Zealand won with 8:0 and 7:0 and qualified as a last team for the women's Olympic tournament.

When Sudamericano Femenino 2010 from 4 to 21 November 2010 in Ecuador, the two starting places of the South American federation CONMEBOL were played. In the final round, Brazil and Colombia prevailed and qualified as the first teams for the Olympic tournament.

For the Olympic football tournament of the women were thus able to qualify the following teams:

Group stage

The draw for the group was held on 24 April 2012. The qualified teams were divided into four Lostöpfe. In addition, host Great Britain, Japan world champion and defending champion United States were set as group head of Groups E to G.

Lostöpfe the woman tournament:

The games of the women's tournament began two days before the actual opening of the Olympic Games. The first two match days each group were assayed in duplicate events. The third Round took place at different stages in parallel. For the quarter-finals, the three group winners and runners as well as the two best third- qualified.

Group E

Group F

Group G

Quarterfinals

Semifinal

Play for bronze

Final

* The audience of 80 203 in the final meant Olympian and European record for a women's international game. The previous European record of 73 680 spectators was reached during the opening match of the World Cup 2011 in Berlin. Only the World Cup final in 1999 between the U.S. and China saw with 90 185 more viewers.

Medals

Italic: Not used.

Top scorers

Note: Sorting with the same number of goals according to number Assists, or mock time.

Trivia

• The Brazilian player Formiga is the only participant who has attended all been discharged Olympic football tournaments of women since 1996. She has also played the most games ( 24).
• The Brazilian player Cristiane scored the 4-0 to the 5-0 win in the first game against Cameroon her 11th goal in the Olympics and became the sole record holder ( previously together with Birgit Prinz ). In the match against New Zealand they improved the record to twelve gates.
• In the game against Colombia North Korea was accidentally shown the South Korean flag at the team presentation on the video wall, after which the North Korean players left the square. Only after an apology from the Olympic organizers the game with a one-hour delay could begin.
• The 0:5 against France is the heaviest defeat in the international game history of North Korea.
• The U.S. has extended their three wins in the first round and the three victories in the knockout round of the previous record of Norway with six wins in a row between 2000 and 2008 in eleven wins in a row since 2008. The final defeat of the United States took place against Norway on 6 August 2008.
• With 70 584 spectators the highest number of audience was achieved in a game of a British women's team in the game against Brazil Britain. The old record was set on 26 December 1920, when 53,000 supporters were in the Liverpool Goodison Park to watch a match between Dick Kerr Ladies and St. Helen's.
• The victory of the U.S. in the quarterfinals Pia Sundhage is with nine wins - the team managed by her - the coach with the most wins. The record previously held April Heinrichs with eight wins ( also USA between 2000 and 2004 ). The record was increased to eleven games by the victory in the final.
• For the first time faced off in the finals, the finalists of the last World Cup over, but again failed to win the gold medal at the world championship.
• Christie Rampone is the first player who stood in four Olympic finals and along with Shannon Boxx and Heather O'Reilly (2012 without final use ), the first player who three times won the gold medal. In addition, Rampone won the silver medal in Sydney.
• Bibiana Steinhaus is the first referee, who led both a World Cup final and the final of the Olympic Games. For men, succeeded the earlier William Ling (1948 and 1954) and Pierluigi Collina (1996 and 2002) in reverse order and with a larger time interval.
• With Christine Sinclair was the first time a player with more than five goals scorer.
• The United States provided a new record for the women's tournament with 16 goals. The previous record of 15 goals had been set up in 2004 in Brazil.

Referee

Medal table football