Wikipedia

Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament

The 1996 Men's Olympic Football Tournament, played as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics, was hosted in Birmingham, Alabama, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Florida, Miami, Florida and Athens, Georgia.[1][2][3][4] From 1992 onwards, male competitors should be under 23 years old and starting from this tournament, a maximum of three over-23 players are allowed per squad. The tournament featured 16 national teams from the six continental confederations. The 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four and each group played a round-robin tournament. At the end of the group stage, the top two teams advanced to the knockout stage, beginning with the quarter-finals and culminating with the gold medal match at Sanford Stadium on August 3, 1996.[5]

1996 Men's Olympic Football Tournament
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
DatesJuly 20 – August 3
Teams16 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s)5 (in 5 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Nigeria (1st title)
Runners-up Argentina
Third place Brazil
Fourth place Portugal
Tournament statistics
Matches played32
Goals scored90 (2.81 per match)
Top scorer(s)Brazil Bebeto
Argentina Hernán Crespo
(6 goals each)
← 1992
2000 →

Competition schedule edit

The match schedule of the tournament.[6]

Legend
G Group stage ¼ Quarterfinals ½ Semifinals B Bronze medal match F Gold medal match
20 Sat 21 Sun 22 Mon 23 Tue 24 Wed 25 Thu 26 Fri 27 Sat 28 Sun 29 Lun 30 Tue 31 Wed 1 Thu 2 Fri 3 Sat
G G G G G G ¼ ¼ ½ ½ B F

Venues edit

Orlando Birmingham Miami
Citrus Bowl Legion Field Orange Bowl
Capacity: 65,000 Capacity: 81,700 Capacity: 74,476
     
Athens Washington, D.C.
Sanford Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
Capacity: 86,100 Capacity: 56,500
   

Qualification edit

The following 16 teams qualified for the 1996 Olympic men's football tournament:

Means of qualification Berths Qualified
Host nation 1   United States
1996 CONCACAF Preliminary Competition 1   Mexico (winner)
1996 AFC Preliminary Competition 3   South Korea (winner)
  Japan (runner-up)
  Saudi Arabia (third-place)
1996 CAF Preliminary Competition 3   Ghana
  Tunisia
  Nigeria
1996 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament 2   Brazil (winner)
  Argentina (runner-up)
CONCACAF–OFC play-off 1   Australia
1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship 5   Italy (winner)
  Spain (runner-up)
  France (third-place)
  Hungary (5th)
  Portugal (6th)
Total 16

Match officials edit

Seeding edit

The draw for the tournament took place on 5 May 1996. United States, Spain, Ghana and Brazil were seeded for the draw and placed into groups A–D, respectively. The remaining teams, excluding Europe, were drawn from four pots away from teams from the same region.

Pot 1: Host, Top-Seeded teams from Africa, Europe and South America Pot 2: Asia, Non-top seeded team from South America Pot 3: Non-top seeded teams from Europe Pot 4: Non-top seeded teams from Africa and North America, Inter-continental playoff winner

1 1996 CONCACAF Pre-Olympic Tournament Champions, team not determined at time of draw.

2 CONCACAF–OFC play-off winner, team not determined at time of draw.

Squads edit

Main article: Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads

Group stage edit

Group A edit

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Argentina 3 1 2 0 5 3 +2 5
  Portugal 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5
  United States 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
  Tunisia 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
Source: FIFA
Portugal  2–0  Tunisia
Martins   13', 68' Report
Attendance: 34,796
Referee: Pereira (BRA)
United States  1–3  Argentina
Reyna   1' Report G. López   26'
Crespo   55'
Simeone   90'
Attendance: 83,183
Referee: Bouchardeau (NIG)
Argentina  1–1  Portugal
Ortega   45' Report Nuno Gomes   70'
Attendance: 25,811
Referee: Al Mehannah (KSA)
United States  2–0  Tunisia
Kirovski   38'
Maisonneuve   90'		 Report
Attendance: 45,687
Referee: Dallas (GBR)
Argentina  1–1  Tunisia
Ortega   5' Report Mkacher   74'
Attendance: 16,826
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)
United States  1–1  Portugal
Maisonneuve   75' Report Paulo Alves   33'
Attendance: 58,012
Referee: Lennie (AUS)

Group B edit

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  France 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7
  Spain 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7
  Australia 3 1 0 2 4 6 −2 3
  Saudi Arabia 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0
Source: FIFA
Spain  1–0  Saudi Arabia
Óscar   80' Report
Attendance: 28,774
Referee: Collina (ITA)
France  2–0  Australia
Pires   11'
Maurice   74'		 Report
Attendance: 14,322
Referee: Ruscio (ARG)
France  1–1  Spain
Legwinski   38' Report Óscar   85'
Attendance: 16,773
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)
Australia  2–1  Saudi Arabia
Tsekenis   11'
Viduka   63'		 Report Al-Khilaiwi   37'
Attendance: 5,997
Referee: Baharmast (USA)
Spain  3–2  Australia
Raúl   40', 90'
Santi   86'		 Report Vidmar   3', 12'
Attendance: 12,050
Referee: Dallas (GBR)
France  2–1  Saudi Arabia
Maurice   20' (pen.)
Sibierski   49'		 Report Anwar   26'
Attendance: 4,615
Referee: Archundia (MEX)

Group C edit

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Mexico 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
  Ghana 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
  South Korea 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
  Italy 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
Source: FIFA
South Korea  1–0  Ghana
Yoon Jong-hwan   41' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 45,946
Referee: Lennie (AUS)
Mexico  1–0  Italy
Palencia   83' Report
Attendance: 44,211
Referee: Dallas (GBR)
Mexico  0–0  South Korea
Report
Attendance: 26,111
Referee: Bouchardeau (NIG)
Ghana  3–2  Italy
Saba   15', 74'
Ahinful   63' (pen.)		 Report Branca   8', 44' (pen.)
Attendance: 27,849
Referee: Garcia Aranda (ESP)
Mexico  1–1  Ghana
Abundis   65' Report Ebenzer   44'
Attendance: 30,237
Referee: Pereira (BRA)
Italy  2–1  South Korea
Branca   24', 82' Report Lee Ki-hyung   62'
Attendance: 28,319
Referee: Ruscio (ARG)

Group D edit

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Brazil 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6
  Nigeria 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2 6
  Japan 3 2 0 1 4 4 0 6
  Hungary 3 0 0 3 3 7 −4 0
Source: FIFA
Japan  1–0  Brazil
Ito   72' Report
Attendance: 46,713
Referee: Archundia (MEX)
Nigeria  1–0  Hungary
Kanu   77' Report
Attendance: 25,303
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)
Brazil  3–1  Hungary
Ronaldo   35'
Juninho   61'
Bebeto   84'		 Report Madar   58'
Attendance: 34,871
Referee: Al-Ghandour (EGY)
Nigeria  2–0  Japan
Akiba   83' (o.g.)
Okocha   90' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 22,734
Referee: Collina (ITA)
Brazil  1–0  Nigeria
Ronaldo   30' Report
Attendance: 55,650
Referee: Baharmast (USA)
Japan  3–2  Hungary
Maezono   39' (pen.), 90+1'
Uemura   90'		 Report Sandor   2'
Madar   48'
Attendance: 20,834
Referee: Bouchardeau (NIG)

Knockout stage edit

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsGold medal match
 
          
 
July 27 – Miami
 
 
  Portugal (asdet)2
 
July 30 – Athens
 
  France1
 
  Portugal0
 
July 27 – Birmingham
 
  Argentina2
 
  Argentina4
 
August 3 – Athens
 
  Spain0
 
  Argentina2
 
July 28 – Birmingham
 
  Nigeria3
 
  Mexico0
 
July 31 – Athens
 
  Nigeria2
 
  Nigeria (asdet)4
 
July 28 – Miami
 
  Brazil3 Bronze medal match
 
  Brazil4
 
August 2 – Athens
 
  Ghana2
 
  Portugal0
 
 
  Brazil5
 

Quarter-finals edit

Portugal  2–1 (asdet)  France
Capucho   7'
Calado   105'  (pen.)		 Report Maurice   49' (pen.)
Attendance: 22,339
Referee: Collina (ITA)
Argentina  4–0  Spain
Crespo   47', 88' (pen.)
Aranzábal   52' (o.g.)
C. López   66'		 Report
Attendance: 43,507
Referee: Al-Ghandour (EGY)
Mexico  0–2  Nigeria
Report Okocha   20'
C. Babayaro   84'
Attendance: 44,788
Referee: Al Mehannah (KSA)
Brazil  4–2  Ghana
Dodoo   18' (o.g.)
Ronaldo   56', 62'
Bebeto   72'		 Report Akonnor   23'
Aboagye   53'
Attendance: 45,257
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)

Semi-finals edit

Portugal  0–2  Argentina
Report Crespo   55', 61'
Attendance: 78,212
Referee: Baharmast (USA)
Nigeria  4–3 (asdet)  Brazil
Roberto Carlos   20' (o.g.)
Ikpeba   78'
Kanu   90',   94' 		Report Flávio   1', 38'
Bebeto   28'
Attendance: 78,587
Referee: Garcia Aranda (ESP)

Bronze medal match edit

Brazil  5–0  Portugal
Ronaldo   5'
Flávio   11'
Bebeto   47', 54', 75'		 Report
Attendance: 68,173
Referee: Al-Ghandour (EGY)

Gold medal match edit

1996 Summer Olympics Football Final
Nigeria  3–2  Argentina
Babayaro   28'
Amokachi   74'
Amunike   90'		 Report C. López   3'
Crespo   50' (pen.)
Attendance: 86,117
Referee: Collina (ITA)
Team details

Final ranking edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Nigeria (NGR) 6 5 0 1 12 6 +6 15
2   Argentina (ARG) 6 3 2 1 13 6 +7 11
3   Brazil (BRA) 6 4 0 2 16 8 +8 12
4   Portugal (POR) 6 2 2 2 6 10 −4 8
5   France (FRA) 4 2 1 1 6 4 +2 7
6   Spain (ESP) 4 2 1 1 5 7 −2 7
7   Mexico (MEX) 4 1 2 1 2 3 −1 5
8   Ghana (GHA) 4 1 1 2 6 8 −2 4
9   Japan (JPN) 3 2 0 1 4 4 0 6
10   United States (USA) 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
11   South Korea (KOR) 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
12   Italy (ITA) 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
13   Australia (AUS) 3 1 0 2 4 6 −2 3
14   Tunisia (TUN) 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
15   Saudi Arabia (KSA) 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0
16   Hungary (HUN) 3 0 0 3 3 7 −4 0
Source: FIFA

Goalscorers edit

With six goals, Hernán Crespo of Argentina and Bebeto of Brazil are the top scorers of the tournament. In total, 90 goals were scored by 55 different players, with four of them credited as own goals.

 
 
Hernán Crespo (left) and Bebeto, top scorers with 6 goals each
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Own goals

References edit

  1. ^ "The inside story of Nigeria's Atlanta '96 gold medal – SuperSport – Football". SuperSport. July 25, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  2. ^ Penner, Mike (August 1, 1996). "Defense Rests for a Stunned Brazil – Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. ^ Penner, Mike (August 4, 1996). "Nigeria's Eagles Catch Argentina in Its Own Trap – Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  4. ^ "Soccer : Results : Men's Competition Notebook". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  5. ^ "Football at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  6. ^ "Soccer : Results : Men's Competition Notebook". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.

External links edit

 
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