Kilian Sirdilia’s goal gave France a 1-0 win over Guinea to record their second consecutive victory, while Spain and Japan advanced to the quarterfinals on the second day of Olympic men’s football.
France After a 3-0 win over the United States in their opening Group A match, they struggled to find their footing in Bordeaux but performed solidly. Guinea After having two first-half shots ruled out, Sirdilia’s sublime header in the 75th minute sealed the win for France, as he connected with a superb cross from Michael O’Ries to send the crowd into a frenzy and bring relief to the French fans.
Spain This was their second victory in Group C and they advanced to the quarterfinals. dominican republic 3-1, On the other hand Argentina defeat Iraq They also won by the same score in Group B. Argentina bounced back from a chaotic opening loss to Morocco to top the group on goal difference and improve their chances of reaching the quarterfinals.
Javier Mascherano’s Argentina took the lead in Lyon with a 14th-minute volley from Thiago Almada but Iraq equalized just before half-time with a header from Aymen Hussein. A second-half header from substitute Luciano Gondu and a superb strike from Ezequiel Fernandez six minutes from time secured the three points for the 2004 and 2008 gold medallists.
“It was a difficult game. Iraq are a physically stronger team. All we needed was to win. I’m really relieved,” Mascherano said. “We struggled but in the second half we found more inside plays and more outside finishes.”
In Bordeaux, Spain dominated the Dominican Republic from the get-go, taking the lead in the 24th minute with a Fermín López goal, but Ángel Montes de Oca’s first Olympic goal for Spain drew the game level for both debutants. The Dominican Republic was down to 10 men before half-time after Edison Azcona’s red card, but Alex Baena and Miguel Gutierrez sealed the victory.
of America They scored three goals in the space of 30 minutes in a commanding 4-1 win over their Group A rivals. new zealand In Marseille Paraguay Winning with two goals in added time Israel They won 4-2 in their Group D match at Parc des Princes.
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Also in Group D, Mali They missed a penalty in the second half and were unable to avoid a 1-0 defeat. JapanThey defeated Paraguay 5-0 in their first match and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Group B: 10 Ukraine Igor Krasnopil’s late winner gave France a dramatic 2-1 win over Morocco in Saint-Etienne. Uzbekistan They lost 1-0 and were eliminated from their first Olympic Games. Egypt Nantes won the second match of Group C with a goal from Ahmed Koca.
