There’s No Luck of Draw for U.S. Soccer Teams

The gold medal became more difficult to win Sunday for the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team and no easier for the women’s team.

The draw for both tournaments was held in Atlanta, and it was not kind to the host nation. The Americans will have to fight every inch of the way simply to get into medal contention.

For the men, the biggest challenge comes first. They open on July 20 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., against Argentina, one of the tournament favorites.

The U.S. squad’s other opponents in the first round are Tunisia, which the Americans play at the same stadium July 22, and Portugal, a perennial power on the youth level, which they play July 24 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

For the women, the task is only slightly less difficult. They open against Denmark on July 21 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, then play Sweden there July 23 before meeting China July 25 at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Bruce Arena, coach of the men’s team, was blunt in his analysis of the draw, saying, only partly tongue in cheek, that it was clear the draw had not been fixed to favor the United States.

“Any thoughts of them fixing draws, it just doesn’t happen,” he said. “We get two games in Birmingham and then our third game is in D.C. against Portugal, where they play all three games.

“Only in America would you do stuff like this. We’re too stupid to fix the draw. I wouldn’t say we got screwed. We were just good Americans. We didn’t cheat at all. Soccer is like the biggest cheating sport in the world and we still haven’t learned how to cheat.”

The United States-Argentina match has an added edge caused by the American national team’s 3-0 victory over the Argentines in last summer’s Copa America.

“I’m not surprised we got Argentina,” Arena said. “I expected all along that was going to happen. . . . Argentina’s possibly the best team in the Olympic field.

“We figured we’d have a European team and an African team and hoping we wouldn’t have a South American team. My thinking was maybe we’d get an Asian team.”

Arena said knowing the opposition will cause him to slightly rethink which over-age players he selects. Olympic rules allow for three players over 23, and goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who shut out Argentina in the Copa America, now becomes a more likely choice, as does defender Alexi Lalas. Striker Eric Wynalda becomes a less likely selection.

“I don’t know if Wynalda has an interest in playing in the Olympics,” Arena said.