Germany’s Olympic team will begin the tournament against defending champions Mexico on Thursday (22:00 CEST). It will be the DFB team’s first appearance at the competition since their bronze medal win at Seoul 1988. Here are all the facts you need to know ahead of the game.
PATCHY RECORD: Germany are officially taking part in the Olympic Games for the ninth time and for the first time since Seoul 1988. They have missed out on qualification for the past six tournaments. The DFB team have a record of 14 wins, two draws and twelve losses at the Olympics from 28 matches.
WAITING FOR GOLD: The German’s biggest success at the Olympics is their bronze medal win 28 years ago in South Korea. The Federal Republic of Germany beat Italy 3-0 in the third place play-off thanks to goals from Jürgen Klinsmann, Gerhard Kleppinger and Christian Schreier. Four players from that Germany squad also became World Champions four years later, Jürgen Klinsmann, Thomas Häßler, Frank Mill and Karlheinz Riedle.
ONE WORLD CHAMPION, ONE PLAYER FROM ABROAD: Germany will be the only team at the tournament to include a World Champion in Matthias Ginter. The Dortmund man was in Germany’s squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Six of the 18 players in the DFB Olympic squad have played for the senior squad. As well as Matthias Ginter, Lars Bender, Sven Bender, Julian Brandt, Max Meyer and captain Leon Goretzka all have full international caps. Only Serge Gnarby of Arsenal FC in England comes from outside of Germany. In comparison: At EURO 2016 in France there were nine players in the 23-man squad who played in foreign leagues.
VENUE A GOOD OMEN: Germany beat Portugal 4-0 at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador during the World Cup in Brazil, meaning that it has been a happy hunting ground for DFB teams so far. The second of their Olympic fixtures against South Korea will also be played there on 7th August.
OLYMPIC STALWARTS: Mexico are at the Olympic football tournament for the eleventh time. Only Brazil (13) have made more appearance in the competition than the Mexicans. The Central American team are also defending Champions, winning Gold and also their only Olympic medal at London 2012. They won 2-1 in the final, overcoming a Brazil side including stars such as Neymar, Thiago Silva, Marcelo and Hulk.
Germany’s Olympic team will begin the tournament against defending champions Mexico on Thursday (22:00 CEST). It will be the DFB team’s first appearance at the competition since their bronze medal win at Seoul 1988. Here are all the facts you need to know ahead of the game.
PATCHY RECORD: Germany are officially taking part in the Olympic Games for the ninth time and for the first time since Seoul 1988. They have missed out on qualification for the past six tournaments. The DFB team have a record of 14 wins, two draws and twelve losses at the Olympics from 28 matches.
WAITING FOR GOLD: The German’s biggest success at the Olympics is their bronze medal win 28 years ago in South Korea. The Federal Republic of Germany beat Italy 3-0 in the third place play-off thanks to goals from Jürgen Klinsmann, Gerhard Kleppinger and Christian Schreier. Four players from that Germany squad also became World Champions four years later, Jürgen Klinsmann, Thomas Häßler, Frank Mill and Karlheinz Riedle.
ONE WORLD CHAMPION, ONE PLAYER FROM ABROAD: Germany will be the only team at the tournament to include a World Champion in Matthias Ginter. The Dortmund man was in Germany’s squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Six of the 18 players in the DFB Olympic squad have played for the senior squad. As well as Matthias Ginter, Lars Bender, Sven Bender, Julian Brandt, Max Meyer and captain Leon Goretzka all have full international caps. Only Serge Gnarby of Arsenal FC in England comes from outside of Germany. In comparison: At EURO 2016 in France there were nine players in the 23-man squad who played in foreign leagues.
VENUE A GOOD OMEN: Germany beat Portugal 4-0 at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador during the World Cup in Brazil, meaning that it has been a happy hunting ground for DFB teams so far. The second of their Olympic fixtures against South Korea will also be played there on 7th August.
OLYMPIC STALWARTS: Mexico are at the Olympic football tournament for the eleventh time. Only Brazil (13) have made more appearance in the competition than the Mexicans. The Central American team are also defending Champions, winning Gold and also their only Olympic medal at London 2012. They won 2-1 in the final, overcoming a Brazil side including stars such as Neymar, Thiago Silva, Marcelo and Hulk.
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FOCUS ON DEFENDING THE TITLE: Mexico will be looking to become the fifth team to defend the Olympic title. The teams to do this were Great Britain (1912), Uruguay (1928), Hungary (1968) and Argentina (2008). The only player to survive from the Mexican’s 2012 squad is Oribe Peralta. He went last time as one of the three older players allowed and now he is 32. He scored both goals in his team’s 2-1 win over Brazil in London. Mexico didn’t qualify automatically for Rio as defending Champions. Instead, they progressed by winning all five of their matches at the qualification competition in the USA.
OLYMPIC ENCOUNTERS: Germany and Mexico have gone head-to-head twice in the Olympic Games. They drew their first match of the second group stage against each other at Munich 1972. Ottmar Hitzfelds opener was cancelled out by Leonardo Cuellar as the match finished 1-1. The Germany U21s won the game between the sides in 1980 1-0. Mexico’s only win against Germany so far was against the senior team when they beat the DFB team 2-1 in Mexico City in 1985. There have been four German wins and five draws in the last nine fixtures between the countries.
RUN OF OLYMPIC FORM: Mexico have won their last five matches at the Olympic Games and are unbeaten in their last seven (Six wins, one draw) – their last loss was against South Korea during the group phase in 2004. Germany have recorded four victories in their last six games at the Olympics (one draw, one loss).
