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Olympics Men’s Soccer South Korea vs. Brazil: No More Neymar For Brazil: One of the upstarts of the Olympics Soccer Tournament, South Korea, will be taking to the pitch at Old Trafford on Tuesday night in what should be one of the best matches on the docket in this entire tournament. Don’t miss our live South Korea vs. Brazil picks and predictions for what should be a remarkable outing between two different teams with vastly different styles of playing the beautiful game.

No team has had a more interesting road to the semifinals than this South Korean team, which has had just about everything thrown at it imaginable. The squad has played from behind and played from ahead, and now, it has survived a dreaded penalty shootout against Great Britain, the host nation. Meanwhile, the Brazilians just continue to steamroll anything in their way, notching three goals against all of its opponents thus far in this tournament, though we do have to point out that the level of competition really hasn’t been all that great, and the level of organization that they have faced hasn’t been nearly as strong as it is going to be on Tuesday night.

What an amazing match the South Koreans played to dismiss the hosts of this tournament! They ended up losing Jung Sungryong in the 62nd minute to a shoulder injury and had to suddenly rely on Lee Bumyoung to be able to come in to shut the door against one of the top offensive sides in this tournament. Kim Changsoo also had to leave early with an injury to boot. Four yellow cards and two penalties against, both of which had to be considered relatively suspect in nature, weren’t enough to keep the Koreans down, though. The goal by Ji Dongwon got the job done to take the lead, and though a goal on one of those PKs was later conceded, in the end, organization kept the back of the net relatively clean. In the penalty shootout, there wasn’t much in the way of fancy play, as the young South Korea team stepped up and produced five straight goals on five efforts. Even though South Korea only had 42 percent of the possession, it rarely felt like the team was in danger of allowing all that many goals in the match, something that has become a staple in this tournament.

Brazil has a number of players – six to be exact – that are going to have to be careful to avoid picking up a caution in this match. If any of the six do, they will be forced to sit out either the Gold Medal match or the Bronze Medal match, depending upon the outcome of this one. Though the Brazilians have scored 12 goals in three matches, we definitely have our cause for concern. Belarus was able to jump out to the early lead against them, and Egypt nearly completed a comeback from down 3-0 in the second half. Honduras has one of the up and coming teams in the world, but the truth of the matter is that the talent level was never comparable. The likes of Neymar, Thiago Silva, Hulk, Oscar, Danilo… The list goes on and on of the players that could be stars on the senior team as well as this de facto U-23 squad. Still, Honduras was able to go up 1-0 and took a 2-1 lead, and the latter came with just 10 men on the pitch. Frustration spilled over in the form of eight yellow cards, and that’s probably what kept the Hondurans from ultimately having a chance to win the match, but it definitely should have served as a warning shot to the only South American side left in this tournament.

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South Korea vs. Brazil Match Preview & Analysis: Be careful, Brazil. Be very, very careful. If the Brazilians end up falling behind to the Koreans early, it could be a long road back to get level. This is a team that plays tremendous defense night in and night out, and that could, and should mean that goals will be at a premium. In the end, we are willing to take a shot that South Korea ends up advancing into the finale this weekend, shocking the rest of soccer world.

South Korea vs. Brazil Punting Tip: South Korea Advances (+350) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

South Korea vs. Brazil Score Prediction: South Korea 2 – Brazil 1 (ET)

Soccer Betting Tips for Olympics: Japanese Defense To Frustrate El Tri: Japan and Mexico aren’t countries that meet all that often in soccer, but here in the Olympics, virtually anything can happen. These two proud nations are going to collide at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday afternoon in what should be a remarkable clash on the Olympics soccer odds with the right to go to the Gold Medal Game on the line.

Mexico hasn’t exactly had the most difficult trip in the world to reach this point in the Olympics soccer tournament. The team hasn’t faced a team ranked this high in the World FIFA Rankings, knowing that No. 21 ranked Switzerland was the most recent halfway decent competition. Needless to say, this game against Japan, one of the more organized sides in this tournament, will be a much different challenge than even the 4-2 victory AET over Senegal here in the quarterfinals. Japan started this tournament off with a real noise maker, taking down Spain 1-0, and since that point, it hasn’t looked back. Its 3-0 win against Egypt to get here to the quarterfinals really sent a message to the rest of the teams in this tournament that perhaps the Japanese should not be messed with.

The argument could be made that Mexico is the weakest of the four teams left standing here in the Olympics. The Mexicans do typically have a good training program for its younger players, and they have taken the utmost advantage of that here in England. Giovani dos Santos has really had the best go of it of all of the players on El Tri thus far in this tourney, coming up with three goals on four shots on goal. His front line mate, Oribe Peralta has played well as well and has a goal to show for his efforts here in Great Britain, too. Defensively, there have been some gaps that need to be worked out, and those gaps really showed against Senegal when a 2-0 lead in the 62nd minute disappeared in just seven minutes. The depth just isn’t there at the back for Mexico to choose from, and that was seen by the fact that all of the substitutes that were used were for front line types of players. In fact, the Mexicans have only been using two players on their bench as midfielders. Do note that one of the team’s top subs, Hector Herrera, who scored in the 102nd minute to put the match away in the quarters, has been suspended for this match because of yellow card accumulation.

The Japanese still haven’t allowed a goal in this tournament to date, and they are hoping that that continues here at Wembley against Mexico. You’re not going to find many teams that are more organized at the back than Japan. This is a disciplined team that stays in its lanes defensively, and it keeps its calm as well. The whole team only has two yellow cards through four matches, which is absolutely remarkable considering the fact that Honduras had 16 cards, and Senegal and Spain both had 11. Honduras had eight against Brazil alone! These aren’t slacking teams that the Japanese have played against either. The win over Spain was as notable of a victory as the country has ever had in soccer, and the Egyptian team that it blasted 3-0 and dominated from start to finish is one of the more experienced sides in U-23 competition.

Mexico vs. Japan Match Preview & Analysis: Is Mexico, which had just three goals in the group stage going to be able to score against Japan? If it does, it will only be once for sure. Remember that a very similar South Korean team held the Mexicans to a scoreless draw to start this tournament. The difference though, is that the Japanese attack really is a bit more organized, and as a result, we are going to count on a goal around the midway point of the game, and that’s it. That’s generally all that Japan needs to be able to win matches like this one, and this should be no exception.

Mexico vs. Japan Punting Tip: Japan Advances (-120) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Mexico vs. Japan Score Prediction: Mexico 0 – Japan 1

Canada vs. United States Match Analysis: Abby Wambach To Score Again, Put US In Finals: There are just four teams that are left in the women’s soccer tournament at the Olympics, and two of those teams are going to battle it out for a spot in the Gold Medal Soccer match, when the US Women’s Soccer Team takes on Canada at Old Trafford. The winner will go on to play for the gold on Thursday, while the loser will play for the bronze medal in the third place game earlier that day. Keep on reading for our Canada vs. United States picks and predictions.

The Canadians really had a poor start to this tournament, losing their first match against Japan, but since that point, they really just continue to improve. Their best match was their most recent one, a 2-0 win over Great Britain, the host nation at the Olympics. The US fell behind 2-0 in its first match against France, but since that point, only good things have happened for it. Hope Solo hasn’t allowed a goal since that point, and she and her American team have outscored their four foes 10-0.

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Team Canada knows that it can beat any team in the world, but it hasn’t had all that much success against the Americans in their history. In fact, it has been beaten a whopping 43 times in 51 matches against them. The Canadians have scored eight goals in this tournament, and seven of those have come from two sources. Melissa Tancredi is a big time defender, and she is tied for the tournament lead with four goals in three matches. Right behind her though, is the woman who is clearly the biggest legend in the history of Canadian soccer, Christine Sinclair. Sinclair played an absolutely remarkable game against the Brits, as she took over in the final third of the field, scoring once in the first half. From that point forward though, the defense did the rest. Remember that no one had scored against Great Britain in the first round of this tournament, so that makes the accomplishment all the more notable.

And then there’s the US National Soccer Team, which just continues to storm through the rest of the world. It certainly looks like this team, that came up just shy in the World Cup Final last year, is en route to something special here in the Olympics, and perhaps that means a third straight set of Gold Medals for the nation. Abby Wambach is inching closer to the record for the most goals in the history of women’s soccer, and the argument could be made that when she retires, she is going to be the most accomplished player that this sport has ever seen. She has four goals in this tournament, one goal for each game that the US has played. Carli Lloyd has a pair of goals, and Alex Morgan does as well. Morgan also has set up her share of goals in this tournament as well, and she and Wambach have a remarkable bond with one another up front in the American attack.

Canada vs. United States Match Preview & Analysis: With 43 losses already to the Americans in their history, we just don’t see how the Canadians are going to be able to at least force this match to extra time. The United States is simply the best team in the world at this point, and though the win against New Zealand wasn’t the most impressive match ever, it was still a match that was won by two goals. That’s about the same result that we think we are going to be seeing this time around as well.

Canada vs. United States Punting Tip: United States -1 (-115) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Canada vs. United States Score Prediction: Canada 0 – United States 2

Great Britain vs. South Korea Match Analysis: Craig Bellamy, England To Fall To South Korea: The entire country of England is going to be rallying behind the 2012 Great Britain men’s football team, as it tries to move on to the semifinals of the Olympics soccer tournament on Saturday night. The Brits are going to take on South Korea, a very disciplined team that is hoping to find the most success on the soccer pitches that it has found since it hosted the World Cup 10 years ago.

There was never really a doubt this year that the Great Britain side was going to be in the knockout rounds of this tournament. The men flying under the Union Jack really never had all that much to worry about, though it did have to be concerning to get just a point from the team’s opening game against Senegal. Aside from that though, there really weren’t any problems to win Group A. For South Korea though, the task was much harder. It took two scoreless draws and a narrow escape from Switzerland to be the runners up in Group B, though at least right now, the path looks at least possible to get into the Olympics Final next week.

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Coming into the Olympics, the Brits knew that their de facto England team was going to need to show some spunk in matches like this one. The Three Lions have a history of choking in major matches, and this might be no exception at the younger level as well. Leaders like Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy, players that have been in these types of fixtures before know what it is like to be here, but there is a big difference between playing and winning. So far, life really is good for the Brits though, especially Bellamy and Giggs, both of which have found the back of the net. Daniel Sturridge is one of the many players on this team that looks to have an impact on the senior squad in the coming years, and he has been a real offensive force, coming up with nine shots, seven of which have come on target and two of which have scored. Finding some consistency on both ends of the pitch is the key though, as this is a squad that has looked oh so good at times, and oh so bad at others.

Don’t let that No. 28 mark on the Men’s FIFA Soccer Rankings fool you. This South Korea team can play. Even at the youngest levels of soccer, a lot of these Asian countries really preach the fundamentals of the game, and at this level, that generally means fantastic defense. Needless to say, we haven’t been disappointed. Only Switzerland figured out how to get one past keeper Sungryong Jung, and even that came in a fixture that was won for the Koreans. Sure, there are just two goals to speak of, on by Bokyung Kim and one by Chuyoung Park, but the fact of the matter is that the team is committing very few fouls and is taking advantage of its limited opportunities. We saw a very similar style on the women’s side lead to a win for Japan Over Brazil on Friday, and if the bunker style of playing defense and going on counterattacks proves to be worthwhile, this could be the second straight day that we see a team from Great Britain bounced out of the soccer portion of this competition.

Great Britain vs. South Korea Match Preview & Analysis: A team from England has all of the pressure in the world on it in an international match against a team that just figures out how to play disciplined ball? This just doesn’t look good from the way that we’re looking at it for the Brits. We don’t know when and how the Koreans are going to get the job done, but the job done they will do, and that will truly disappoint all of the British fans that are going to be in attendance at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Great Britain vs. South Korea Punting Tip: South Korea To Advance (+160) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Great Britain vs. South Korea Score Prediction: Great Britain 0 – South Korea 1

Soccer Betting Tips for Olympics: Neymar, Brazil Should Blow Away Hondurans: The odds to win the Olympics soccer tournament are clearly slanted in favor of the Brazilians, who are the odds on favorites right now to claim gold medals. They’ll at least ensure themselves of a chance to claim some sort of a medal on Saturday night at St. James Park when they battle it out on the Olympics betting lines with Honduras.

It really isn’t all that much of a surprise that an insanely talented Brazilian team stormed through Group C to make it to the second phase of this tournament with maximum points. There was very little pressure coming against any of the other teams, though we do have to note that three straight goals were scored by the competition between the end of the match against Egypt and the start of the one against Belarus. Honduras knew that it needed some help to get into the quarterfinals, and it got just that in the form of a miserable effort by Spain in the second match day in Group D. At least the Hondurans have to have the confidence that they were able to eliminate the Spaniards, but they only mustered draws against Japan and Morocco in the group stage.

There is a heck of a reason that Brazil is the favorite on the odds to win the Olympics right now. They have had seven different men score for them over the course of the first three matches of this tournament. No other team has scored more than six goals in total. The well balanced effort from top to bottom is something that you just don’t see on any other team in the world at the U-23 stage at this point, and it is going to take a heck of an effort for anyone to dispose of this team. This has been yet another great stage for Neymar to strut his stuff. The youngster is sure to be playing massive club soccer in Europe soon, but for now, he is tearing apart the Olympics and has a pair of goals to show for his work on a very impressive 16 total efforts at net. Keep in mind that one of the scorers hasn’t been Hulk, who is expected to be able to contribute in a big time way to this very inexperienced team.

There hasn’t been a heck of a lot for Honduras to be proud of here in at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Olympics medal count shows that they have yet to log a single piece of hardware that is coming back home, and the soccer team would love to be able to change that. This is one of the most important matches in the history of Honduras soccer at any level, and it definitely isn’t something to overlook. The problem is that the talent just isn’t there quite yet to compete with a team like this. Yes, Honduras got the job done against Spain, but as we saw, La Roja just never really came to play here in England, while Brazil clearly has. If there is a man that can pull off the upset, Jerry Bengtson is the man. He has three goals from the first round of the tournament, making him one of the three that has at least a trio of strikes thus far at the Olympics.

Brazil vs. Honduras Match Preview & Analysis: Still, we just don’t trust the development of Honduran soccer at this level. Brazil is clearly a refined team, and though this is a squad that features mostly a U-23 bunch, this team could clearly compete with the mass majority of senior squads in the world. Even with a great effort and some magic by Bengston, the truth of the matter is that Honduras only uses that one man at the top of the offense, and that isn’t going to cut it. Eventually, the 10 men back behind the ball for Honduras will prove to crack, and as we have seen thus far in England, the Brazilians have a tendency of scoring goals in big time bunches.

Brazil vs. Honduras Punting Tip: Brazil -2 (-112) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Brazil vs. Honduras Score Prediction: Brazil 4 – Honduras 1

Mexico vs. Senegal Picks: Moussa Konate To Lead Way For Senegal: There are still two teams from CONCACAF and two from Africa that are still competing in the Olympics football fixtures, and one from each will be meeting in the quarterfinals of this great event on Saturday morning at historic Wembley Stadium. Join us for our Mexico vs. Senegal predictions and all of our great analysis for this match.

The Mexicans have seemingly gotten better and better as the Olympics have gone on. They started with a rather drab scoreless draw against South Korea and improved with two very impressive wins against Gabon and Switzerland in back to back matches to claim the Group B crown. Meanwhile over in the wacky Group A, Senegal was the team that ended up sneaking out as the second qualifier. A draw against the United Arab Emirates sealed the deal just three days ago, and that really leaves this team carrying the hope for Olympics gold medals for Africa on its back.

The Mexican national soccer team has really shown some signs of slowing down over the course of the last several years. The United States is clearly starting to catch up, and the level of domination in CONCACAF is clearly disappeared. That being said, this U-23 team is definitely one of the better sides in this tournament, and it could be the team to beat in this half of the draw. The defense has been stunning in front of Jose Corona, one of the three men on the team that are over-aged for this competition. The Mexicans haven’t allowed a goal yet in the Olympics, but this is their biggest challenge yet in all likelihood after getting through a relatively weak Group A. Keep a very close eye on Giovani dos Santos, who is the team’s leader offensively right now with a pair of goals.

Matters are going to be tough for Senegal for sure. This is a team that has offense on the mind, knowing that it has come up with 52 shots and 17 shots on target in the tourney. The end result has only been four goals, but there is definitely something to be said about the fact that it hasn’t been shutout in a match either at this competitive stage. Moussa Konate has been the star of the show and the clear MVP of the first round. Konate is the leader going into Saturday in total goals in the tournament with four, and he also has 10 shots, six of which have been on target. Both stats lead the Senegalese squad thus far in the Olympics. One thing that Senegal definitely has to be careful of in this match is fouling too much. The team is averaging 15.3 fouls per game against just 10.7 fouls per game suffered, and all of those extra free kicks could definitely come back to bite it, especially knowing just how dangerous the Mexicans can be on set pieces.

Mexico vs. Senegal Match Preview & Analysis: Still, it feels like Senegal is the team to back here. We just don’t have all that much confidence that El Tri is all that special in these Olympics, and all of those points out of the first round might be a product of an easy group and not tremendous form. In the end, we’ll back the African side to make it to the semifinals to give some more hope for the future of soccer, not just in this country, but for this entire continent as well.

Mexico vs. Senegal Punting Tip: Senegal Advances (+115) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Mexico vs. Senegal Score Prediction: Mexico 0 – Senegal 2

Olympics Men’s Soccer Japan vs. Egypt: Back Africans To Knock Out Japan: Japan and Egypt are both hoping to get to the semifinals of the men’s Olympics tournament, and one will be able to do just that. It could be quite the competitive match to start off a four-pack of games on the pitches of Great Britain, so you don’t want to miss our Japan vs. Egypt live picks and predictions.

Japan was the team that really started all of the upsets here in the Olympics. The team shocked Spain 1-0 in the opening match in Group D, and that started a chain of events that ended up knocking out the Spanish before the final group matches took place. Of course, we know that that victory ended up looking a bit shockingly iffy in the end in Group D, but getting through that group was quite the accomplishment. Meanwhile, Egypt most certainly had its struggles. No team really had all that much of a shot against Brazil, but a decisive victory against Belarus was the one that put the team in the quarterfinals.

The Japanese haven’t done a whole heck of a lot offensively, scoring just two goals in the first three matches of the tournament. That being said, they have done a great job defensively, making for one of the two teams that haven’t allowed a single ball to get in the back of their own net. Japan also has just one yellow card against it over the course of the tourney to date, and that discipline is really proving to be a great thing for this team. The organization has been remarkable on both sides of the pitch, and that has frustrated the heck out of the other teams in this tournament. Yuki Otsu and Kensuke Nagai have the two goals for the Japanese in the Olympics to date, and it is likely going to take at least one more strike to be able to get into the semifinals.

It’s definitely going to be tough to see how the Egyptians are going to get into the semifinals if they play like they did in their first two matches. They were down 3-0 against Brazil before coming back and scoring two goals in the second half of what was still a relatively lopsided match. A game later, a draw against New Zealand really just wasn’t good enough. But again, when the marbles were really on the line, after getting just one point in its first two matches, Egypt did the job, coming out and scoring three times in the second half against Belarus to clinch a spot in the second round. Mohamed Salah already has three goals in the Olympics to date, and he is just one goal off the lead for the Golden Boot. Mohamed Aboutrika has a pair of goals as well, and that makes this nation the only one in the tournament that has one goal scorer with at least three goals and one with at least two. The six goals scored rank second in the Olympics thus far, but the problem is that there are five goals that have been allowed, which is tied for the third worst mark.

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Japan vs. Egypt Match Preview & Analysis: This is going to be a wide open match that could go either way, and if that’s the case, we want the half ball on our side. Japan might be the more organized of the two teams, and it might very well get into the semifinals after extra time, but we’ll still take our chances that the Egyptians end up at least forcing this one into the final half hour, if not taking this clash outright in 90 minutes.

Japan vs. Egypt Punting Tip: Egypt +0.5 (-140) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Japan vs. Egypt Score Prediction: Japan 1 – Egypt 1 (Japan Advances In PKs)

Soccer Betting Tips for Olympics: Host Great Britain To Continue Run, Bust Canada: There will be just one ticket left to punch on Friday night at the City of Coventry Stadium by the time that the Great Britain vs. Canada match gets underway, and only one of these two teams can claim that last spot. Canada and Great Britain haven’t been all that successful in women’s soccer of late, but one will get a chance for glory here in this fantastic quarterfinals fixture. Don’t miss our Olympics soccer picks and predictions right now!

With nine points and a +5 goal differential, it is hard to argue with the fact that Great Britain hasn’t been one of the more dangerous looking sides in the Olympics women’s soccer tournament. The 1-0 upset victory of Brazil was the most notable of those games at Wembley Stadium, but it must be noted as well that that win came in a match that really didn’t mean anything more than deciding which team won Group E and which would go into the knockout rounds as the runner up. Canada though, had to take a heck of a road to get here. A loss to the defending World Cup champs from Japan in the opening match probably shouldn’t have been taken as all that much of a surprise, but it was a loss that really ensured that the best this team would do is third best in a very tough group.

If there has been a real shock here in the first stage of the Olympics women’s soccer fixtures, it is just how well the host nation has played. England has been a bit of a power on the international scene in women’s soccer for quite some time, but squad was knocked out of the World Cup last year in the quarterfinals by a very young French side. Getting into the second round wasn’t all that much of a shock. Getting in as the Group E winners with the maximum nine points was the real shock of shocks. This is the only team in the tournament that has not conceded a goal yet, and the argument could be made that the MVP of the Olympics right now is Karen Bardsley, the team’s net minder. It is a shocker that Stephanie Houghton has three of Britain’s five goals in this tournament, though she has been a master of getting loose by creeping out of the back thus far representing her own country. The team has had the share of the possession for the most part, and that has been incredibly important for keeping Bardsley’s net clean.

The Canadians have gotten a whole heck of a lot out of Melissa Tancredi thus far in this tournament. She would be the Golden Boot winner if the tourney ended right now, as her four strikes puts her atop the leaderboard by a goal over the rest of the field. Her fellow front liner, Christine Sinclair also had a brace against South Africa in a match that determined the Canadians’ status in the quarterfinals. Sinclair is the squad’s captain, and she is the all-time leading scorer in her country’s soccer history. At the back though, there are some real concerns. This is where the Canadians got killed in the World Cup last year, and problems in defense are really coming back to rear their ugly heads once again. Canada allowed a pair of goals to both Sweden and Japan, and that just isn’t going to cut against some a team like Great Britain, especially one that is playing on its home turf.

Great Britain vs. Canada Match Preview & Analysis: Playing the ‘over’ might be smart, as we really do think that the Canadians are going to find the back of the net in this one. In the end though, home field advantage is going to be more than enough to get Great Britain back on the map once again, as it shakes off the blues from England’s early exit in the World Cup last year to get back on track and into the semifinals.

Great Britain vs. Canada Punting Tip: Great Britain -0.5 (-115) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Great Britain vs. Canada Score Prediction: Great Britain 0 – Canada 1

Brazil vs. Japan Match Analysis: Marta Goal, Rebound To Lead Brazilians Past World Cup Champs: One of the biggest favorites to win the Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer will go heads up with the defending World Cup champs on Friday in what has to be the most highly anticipated of the quarterfinals matches of the day. Brazil will get a chance to do some real damage against a Japan team that has the ability to be quite stingy and a true pain to the rest of the teams in this women’s soccer Olympics tournament. Don’t miss our Brazil vs. Japan picks for what should be an outstanding match.

Brazil nearly finished what it was supposed to do in Group E. The team was a heavy favorite to get through to the knockout rounds and do so with at least seven points and likely nine, but in the end, there were just six and a second place finish in the group to show for its work. As a punishment, instead of getting to take on one of the third place teams in a group, the Brazilians have to take on Japan. Unfortunately for the Japanese, a plan to go for a draw against South Africa might have backfired. Yes, the team doesn’t have to head all the way to Glasgow for this match, but instead of taking on Great Britain as was expected, now the daunting task of facing Brazil awaits.

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The name Marta always seems to be the one that comes up for the Brazilians when they run into troubles and when they are succeeding. All of the success is usually attributed to something special that she does on the pitch, and any time that the team loses, it must be her fault, as she is the most recognizable player on the team. That being said, we just don’t know if that really should be the case any longer. Marta has her two goals, but so does Cristiane, her front line mate in the Olympics. What we have to remember about the side in green and yellow is that it is a team that really hasn’t shown all that many cracks. A match against the United States in the World Cup should have been won if not for a miracle at the death to send the match to PKs by Abby Wambach, and aside from that, Brazil outscored its other three foes 7-0 in the World Cup. Now in the first round of this tournament, the host nation was able to squeak out a 1-0 victory against Brazil. However, that doesn’t mean that this is the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination. Remember that it was a match that really didn’t do all that much positively or negatively for the Brazilians, and they had to know that going in.

Meanwhile, Japan knows that it is holding the World Cup at this point. There are only two goals to show for the World Cup holders’ efforts, one by Aya Miyama and one by Nahomi Kawasumi. This is a team that has a ton of experience, led by Homare Sawa. Still, we look at the match results over the course of the last few years and shake our heads. Japan didn’t play all that remarkably in the group stages of the World Cup, and it didn’t do all that well in the group stages here. Five points was nice, but it really should have done a heck of a lot more after beating Canada in the opening fixture. The run in the knockout rounds in the World Cup was impressive, but a lot of that came with a goal here and a goal there, and it really just seemed like a magical happening that probably won’t be duplicated. This is a great team for sure, but the fact that it ranks No. 3 on the FIFA World Rankings is overrated in our eyes.

Brazil vs. Japan Match Preview & Analysis: This really could be a good one when push comes to shove. What we saw out of the Japanese for the most part over the course of the last tournament and change is that they just don’t want to push forward. If that turns out to be the case in this one, it really could be a challenge. Yes, the Brazilians have the ability to get frustrated and end up in a world of hurt because of it, but in the end, they’ll get the goal that makes the difference in what should be a great fixture.

Brazil vs. Japan Punting Tip: Brazil pk (-145) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

Brazil vs. Japan Score Prediction: Brazil 1 – Japan 0

US Women’s Soccer Team vs. New Zealand Picks: Stars & Stripes To Fly To Semis: One of the most popular American Olympic teams this year, the US Women’s Soccer Team, is set to get back to action on Friday morning at St. James Park, where it will take on New Zealand in the first knockout round of the tournament. The quarterfinals are never an easy place to be playing in a major tournament like this one, and it is clear that the message has been sent to the Americans that this is a match against a hungry New Zealand side that cannot be overlooked. Our USA vs. New Zealand picks still think that this is going to be a one-sided match though, and we can’t ignore just how good the United States really is.

With a spot in the semifinals on the line, you know that both the US and New Zealand will try to go all out to take this match. Of course, the Americans are the decided favorites, as they have won the gold medals in the Olympics in back to back campaigns and have a World Cup in the interim on their mantle as well. They fell just short in penalties in the finale in the 2011 World Cup, and this is more or less seemingly about vengeance more than anything else. The US got through its first three matches with nine points, sitting atop Group A, while it took a win over Cameroon to put New Zealand in the second stage of this tournament after losing to both Great Britain and Brazil to start matters off.

Ever since falling behind 2-0 in the first quarter of an hour against France, the Americans have really flexed their muscles. They have outscored their foes since that point 8-0, and they really could have had a heck of a lot more in the way of scoring had they really pushed the pedal to the metal against the North Koreans in the final, relatively meaningless fixture. There are only 12 players that have at least two goals here in the Olympics thus far, and the US Women’s National Team has three of them. Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd both have a pair of goals, while Abby Wambach has a trio of strikes and should not be forgotten. Wambach has had some truly special moments in her career, most notably the goal in the dying minutes of extra time in the quarterfinals of the World Cup against Brazil last year that forced PKs, and this might be another moment of brilliance. Keep in mind that Hope Solo has been dynamic in net as well over the years, though she really hasn’t been tested all that much in recent matches after allowing those first two goals.

The Kiwis are most certainly outmatched in this one, and it is clear to tell. They were beaten by both Brazil and Great Britain in matches that were never really all that competitive (in spite of their 1-0 score lines in each), and it truly took a game effort to get off the mat and take three points from Cameroon in a match that was a must have. Rebecca Smith is one of the two goal scorers for New Zealand in this tournament, as she let a blistering strike loose in the 43rd minute that opened the scoring in the decisive match to get the team into the quarters. Still, the rest of the team has been shaky to say the least, and it is just quite hard to see how this defense is going to be able to keep the Americans off of their own backs.

USA vs. New Zealand Match Preview & Analysis: This one just isn’t going to be all that close. We have seen the United States play in matches like this one before and screw around for a bit, almost as if it is toying with its foe. In the end though, we just don’t see how at least two goals don’t hit the board for the Stars and Stripes, and we just don’t see there being an answer for New Zealand when push comes to shove.

USA vs. New Zealand Punting Tip: USA -2 (-140) @ BetOnline Sportsbook

USA vs. New Zealand Score Prediction: USA 4 – New Zealand 0