Australia Just Won Against Argentina First Round! Can They Beat Spain As Well?

Its the second match of the Olympics 2021 Group C Stage fight and Australia is facing Spain this Round! Can Australia make history again like how they beat Argentina? Lets take a look on their recent performance! 

From 1988 to 2008, Australia appeared at every Olympic men’s soccer tournament. This summer will mark the Olyroos’ return to the Games after failing to qualify for the London and Rio Games. A 1-0 win in the third place match of the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship against Uzbekistan secured the Olympic spot for an Australian squad that pulls heavily from the domestic A-League but also includes a handful of internationally-stationed talent. They will hope to recover some momentum early in the tournament after dropping a trio of June friendlies, including an embarrassing 2-1 loss to Ireland’s U-21 team.

YOUNG PLAYER TO WATCH – Harry Souttar

Towering center back Harry Souttar is on a fast rise through the ranks at English club Stoke City, becoming a first-choice player for the club last season. Souttar, 22, was born in Scotland and originally represented his birth nation at the youth level. He has since switched allegiances to his mother’s home country, which has paid dividends. Since debuting with Australia’s senior team in 2019, he has scored a staggering six goals in five games from a defensive position. His 6-foot-6-inch frame offers a dangerous target in the box off set pieces and could be key to the Olyroos snatching an upset victory in a tough Group C.

AUSTRALIA OLYMPIC SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Tom Glover (Melbourne City), Ashley Maynard-Brewer (Charlton Athletic), Jordan Holmes (Ebbsfleet United)

Defenders: Nathaniel Atkinson (Melbourne City), Thomas Deng (Urawa Red Diamonds), Joel King (Sydney FC), Kye Rowles (Central Coast Mariners), Harry Souttar (Stoke City), Jay Rich-Baghuelou (Crystal Palace), Dylan Pierias (Western United)

Midfielders: Keanu Baccus (Western Sydney Wanderers), Denis Genreau (Macarthur FC), Riley McGree (Birmingham City), Connor Metcalfe (Melbourne City), Caleb Watts (Southampton), Cameron Devlin (Wellington Pheonix), Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)

Forwards: Daniel Arzani (AGF), Nicholas D’Agostino (Perth Glory), Mitchell Duke (Western Sydney Wanderers), Reno Piscopo (Wellington Phoenix), Lachlan Wales (Western United)

As For Spain, they just drawed with Egypt The Last Round and to be honest, its pretty disappointing, The possession football team doesnt seem to work out recently even in the Euro 2021. Will the breakthrough and win against the dark Horse Australia this time?

YOUNG PLAYER TO WATCH – Pedri

Barcelona’s sensational 18-year-old creative midfielder has earned comparisons to Spanish legend Andres Iniesta due to his play over the past 12 months. Against Italy in the EURO 2020 semifinal, Pedri completed an unheard-of 61 out of 62 passes across 120 minutes in a match Spain eventually lost on penalty kicks, leaving senior team manager Luis Enrique at a loss for words. “His performances, the way he reads the game, the way he finds space, his quality, his personality, I’ve never seen anything like that, not even Andres Iniesta,” Enrique said. “It’s absolutely impossible to explain.”

Though they were powerless to stop it, Barcelona expressed extreme concern that Pedri’s inclusion on both the Euros roster and the Olympic squad after a long club season would leave the teenager overworked. Though Pedri assured his club he wouldarrive for the season well rested, telling Spanish radio show ‘El Transistor’, “I just love to play football and I'll be happy to keep playing.”

SPAIN OLYMPIC SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Álvaro Fernández (Huesca), Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), Álex Domínguez (Las Palmas)

Defenders: Óscar Mingueza (Barcelona), Jesús Vallejo (Granada), Eric García (Barcelona), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Óscar Gil (Espanyol), Juan Miranda (Real Betis)

Midfielders: Marc Cucurella (Getafe), Jon Moncayola (Osasuna), Martín Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Carlos Soler (Valencia), Pedri González (Barcelona)

Forwards: Bryan Gil (Sevilla), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Dani Olmo (Leipzig), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Rafa Mir (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Javier Puado (Espanyol)

After looking at both teams, although Spain has a really strong possession, but it always ended up with nothing. Therefore, we forecast that the game will end with a 1 - 1 draw in the end of the day.

Prediction: Australia 1 - 1 Spain