Brazil comes up empty in soccer opener
Brazil started its quest for an Olympic gold medal in men’s soccer with a disappointing 0-0 draw against South Africa, a result that prompted loud jeers by some of the home fans.
Despite an attack led by Barcelona striker Neymar and talented youngsters Gabriel Jesus and Gabigol, Brazil was not able to find the net at the packed Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia.
Gabriel Jesus, newly signed by Manchester City, had the game’s best chance in the 69th minute but missed an open net with a close-range shot that struck the post.
“I have the obligation to score that goal,” he said. “I’m not used to missing those chances. I’m disappointed. I won’t be able to sleep tonight because of that one.”
Neymar and Gabigol threatened a few times but also couldn’t score.
Brazil plays Iraq on Sunday, also in Brasilia, while South Africa faces Denmark.
In Rio de Janeiro, Portugal defeated two-time Olympic champion Argentina 2-0 with goals by Paciencia in the 66th and Pite in the 84th in front of 45,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium, the vast majority cheering for Portugal. Earlier, Honduras defeated Algeria 3-2 in the other Group D game in Rio.
In the jungle city of Manaus, Colombia and Sweden drew 2-2 in Group B. The Colombians got on the board with Teo Gutierrez in the 17th but allowed the Swedes to move ahead with goals by Mikael Ishak in the 43rd and Astrit Ajdarevic in the 62nd. Colombia’s equalizer came from a 75th-minute penalty kick converted by Dorlan Pabon.
In Group C, defending champion Mexico drew 2-2 with Germany despite twice having the lead in the northeastern city of Salvador. Oribe Peralta scored Mexico’s first goal, and Germany’s 78th-minute equalizer came from 2014 World Cup champion Matthias Ginter. In the other group game, South Korea routed Fiji 8-0. In its eighth straight Olympics, South Korea scored seven of its goals after the 60th minute. Three goals came in a two-minute span.
A flight delay stranded the Nigeria men’s soccer team in the United States on the same day the club was set to play its first game in the Olympic Games.
The team boarded a jet out of Atlanta on Thursday morning for the jungle city of Manaus, Brazil, where it beat Japan 5-4 later in the day. The team’s spokesman posted a picture on Twitter of the team boarding the plane with the message “here we go.” He said they were scheduled to arrive in Manaus in time to play the match, but the team faced the uncomfortable situation of making its debut almost immediately after a lengthy flight.
The flight was aboard a chartered Delta jet. A spokesperson for Atlantabased Delta Air Lines said it stepped in to help the team get to its destination after learning of the flight issue. The Nigeria team trains in Atlanta, the city that was the site of the African nation’s greatest soccer triumph. Nigeria won the gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
The IOC approved the n entry of 271 Russian athletes for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Thursday, meaning 70 percent of the country’s original team will compete after a doping scandal that has dominated the buildup to the games.
Also Thursday, the IOC rule barring Russian athletes with prior doping sanctions from competing in the games was rejected as “unenforceable” by a sports arbitration panel, a decision which could open the door to further appeals and more Russians being entered.
The International Olympic Committee announced the go-ahead for 271 Russian athletes about 24 hours before the opening ceremony of the games. Overall, more than 100 Russians have been excluded, including 67 in track and field.
The police in Rio de n Janeiro say a Russian diplomat trying to repel an attempted robbery near the Olympic Park was involved in a shooting that left the assailant dead. The Russian embassy denied any of their employees were involved in the incident.
The police say the diplomat wrestled with a gunman who was trying to rob him, causing the weapon to go off and killing the crimi- nal. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Russians refuted the police report.
The Russians also said none of their representatives are armed.
Authorities did not identify any of the people involved in the incident but said one man was a Russia vice consul.
Pokemon Go — which n has been available in some parts of the world, including the United States, for about a month — has just now arrived in the Olympic host city of Rio de Janeiro. Available this week in Brazil for the first time, not coincidentally on the eve of the Rio Olympics, the game involves players using their smartphones to track down the virtual creatures.
Andy Murray is quite n adept at wielding a tennis racket. Holding a giant flag? He needs some work in that area.
Murray joked Thursday about having had a tad bit of trouble during a photo op for the British team at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, posing with the flag while standing next to a member of the royal family.
“I ended up putting the flag in front of Princess Anne’s face, and I didn’t know what to do, to be honest,” Murray said. “The flag’s huge. So as soon as I took the flag, I was covering someone’s face.”
Asked what the princess told him, Murray replied: “I think she said: ‘Just make sure you don’t poke my eye out,’ or something along those lines.”