Olympic Soccer Players to Watch

SI Staff | Jul 20, 2012

Olympic Soccer Players to Watch /

Olympic Soccer Players to Watch

Jordi Alba

Alba, 23, is one of three players from Spain's Euro 2012-winning team who also made the Olympic team. The defender scored in Spain's 4-0 win over Italy in the Euro final.

Sonia Bompastor

Bompastor was the only defender short listed for the women's 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, also making the World Cup All-Star Team as France took fourth, its best finish in tournament history.

Craig Bellamy

Bellamy, a Liverpool winger, never gets to represent his country -- Wales -- on a big-time stage, so this will be the most prestigious international event of the 33-year-old's career.

Marta

The five-time FIFA World Player of the Year (2006-'10) is still seeking her first major international championship with Brazil. She was part of the silver-medal-winning teams at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and runner-up at the 2007 World Cup.

Edinson Cavani

Cavani, 25, is one of Uruguay's three over-age players (Olympic rosters are otherwise U23) and one of four Olympians who also featured on Uruguay's 2010 World Cup team that finished fourth.

Aya Miyama

Miyama, a midfielder, scored Japan's tying goal in regulation of the 2011 World Cup final with the U.S. in the 81st minute. Miyama beat Hope Solo again in the penalty shootout as Japan won it 3-1 for its first championship.

Giovani dos Santos

The playmaker was one of the breakout stars of the 2010 World Cup and backed that up as one of Mexico's best players in the 2011 Gold Cup. Born in 1989, Dos Santos is still young enough that he didn't cost Mexico one of its three over-age selections.

Alex Morgan

Morgan, also born in 1989, has been pegged by some as the likely breakthrough performer of this Olympic tournament, though she did score as a substitute in the semifinals and finals of the 2011 World Cup.

Ryan Giggs

It looked like Giggs and David Beckham would reunite to play for Great Britain in its first Olympic soccer appearance since 1960. Sadly, Beckham was not named to the squad. That leaves Giggs as the captain and far-and-away elder statesman at 38 years old.

Louisa Necib

The creative midfielder has been called the female Zinedine Zidane (at least partially due to her Algerian heritage). At 25, she still has plenty of time to live up to that comparison after being one of 10 nominees for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or.

Juan Mata

Mata and Javi Martinez are both going for an unprecedented World Cup-Euro-Olympic treble. Mata, a 24-year-old attacking midfielder, scored as a substitute in the Euro 2012 final against Italy.

Homare Sawa

Sawa, 33, is the Japanese captain and the reigning FIFA Ballon d'Or winner after leading her nation to its first World Cup title and winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.

Neymar

At 20, Neymar shoulders the pressure of being the biggest star on the most scrutinized team at the Olympics. The Selecao have won five World Cups but no Olympic golds -- though they've come close, two silvers and two bronzes since 1984.

Lotta Schelin

Schelin will be key if Sweden is to break up a potential U.S.-Japan rematch. The Swedes' best striker scored twice in the 2011 World Cup, where Sweden was the only team to beat the U.S. in regulation.

Shane Smeltz

The All Whites may be a long shot for a medal -- they went 0-1-2 in their first Olympics in 2008 -- but Smeltz at least brings big-game experience, having scored against Italy in the 2010 World Cup.

Christine Sinclair

Sinclair is Canada's all-time leader in caps (184) and goals (137) and will be charged with the mighty task of leading her nation out of a group that includes Japan and Sweden.

Thiago Silva

The recent Paris Saint-Germain signee is the oldest member of the Brazilian Olympic team at 27. He was also an over-age player on the 2008 Olympic team (with Ronaldinho), where Brazil won bronze.

Hope Solo

Solo was the best goalkeeper at the 2011 World Cup and returns as the clear U.S. No. 1 in net. She made headlines earlier this month for a positive drug test, though due to the nature of the substance she remained eligible to play in the Olympics.

Luis Suarez

Suarez is one of the most polarizing players in the world, best known internationally for his intentional handball in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals against Ghana. He was also the MVP of 2011 Copa America, won by Uruguay.

Abby Wambach

Will this be the final Olympics for Wambach? The 32-year-old striker scored the game-winning goal in the final of the 2004 Olympics and then missed the 2008 Olympics with a broken leg. She'll look to lead America to its fourth gold medal (and third straight) in five women's Olympic tournaments.

Published Jul 20, 2012

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