Group C at the 2024 Olympic Men’s Tournament will have one team whose nation is on top of the soccer world in many respects, while there are a couple of debutants hoping to make a grand introduction to the world stage. Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, and the Dominican Republic will fight for the chance to get to the knockout stage and go for a medal.
This group will have some matchups where very few people will know what to expect. With two teams in the group who have never been at the Olympics and with a team who hopes to continue the magic their senior national team has generated, it makes for a group that could be full of vibes.
Schedule
Wednesday, July 24th
Uzbekistan vs. Spain
Egypt vs. Dominican Republic
Saturday, July 27th
Dominican Republic vs. Spain
Uzbekistan vs. Egypt
Tuesday, July 30th
Dominican Republic vs. Uzbekistan
Spain vs. Egypt
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is in their very first Olympics, qualifying by playing second at the U-23 Asian Cup. Because of the Asian Cup, they have played a ton of games in 2024, only losing two. That will help them have a lot of confidence that they can steal a couple of victories in this group and get to the knockout stage. Their losses this year have come to fellow Olympic participants Japan and Mali, so they know what they need to do in order to take their game to the level required to compete.
Odds of Winning Group: Dark Horse
One to Watch: Khusayin Norchaev has 15 goals for the U-23s, and he will be counted on to provide even more to move this team forward.
Spain
Spain arrives in this tournament with their nation on a high, as their senior national team just won the Euros. Spain was the silver medalists in Tokyo 2020, losing after extra time to Brazil in a match where their lone goal was scored by Mikel Oyarzabal, who just scored the game winner for Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Spain is not coming here to sightsee…they feel they can win it all, and they are one of the main favorites to win gold in France. They will always be a tough out, and they have a ton of players waiting in the wings to break out during this tournament, including two players who just helped the senior national team win the Euros. Spain is one of the main teams to beat in this tournament.
Odds of Winning Group: Clear Favorites
One to Watch: Fermín López just got a Euro 2024 winner’s medal, and he will be counted on to provide goals to help Spain get gold.
Egypt
Egypt arrives hoping to build upon their Tokyo 2020 performance that saw them reach the quarterfinals. They qualified by finished second at the U-23 African Cup of Nations. They have built a tough team, with all but one player on the Olympic roster playing in Egypt’s top flight. The continuity that many of the players have by being on the same club teams is how they hope to get the results needed to get back to the knockout stage with a chance to do some damage.
Odds of Winning Group: Dark Horse
One to Watch: Ibrahim Adel was on the Best XI for the U-23 African Cup of Nations, and he will be counted on to score up front for the Egyptians.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic are the shock debutants at the Olympics, finishing second at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship to qualify. Because they were able to go up against much better teams and get the result, they won’t be afraid of anyone in this tournament. They will hope to score goals and defend well enough to get some results. Despite their lack of fear, they will still need some excellent play and some luck on their side to try and steal enough points to get out of the group in their first showing under the 5 rings of the Olympic Games.
Odds of Winning Group: Needs Help
One to Watch: Junior Firpo has played for Barcelona and could have represented Spain. Instead, he hopes to lead the Dominican Republic to the medal rounds.
Who will advance from Group C? What matches are most interesting to you? Let us know in the comments.
