The Olympic Men's Group B soccer tournament is entering its finale, and it's turning into a dramatic situation with four teams tied at three points. Argentina is at the top of the table with an excellent goal difference, as the colorful South American team has always been attack-oriented. If they beat their rivals in their next match, they will lock up the top spot. They will certainly go all out and challenge Ukraine even if they face the possibility of dropping points. The predicted result of the match is 2.5 goals. (Live broadcast on HOY TV Channel 76 and Viu TV Channel 96 on Tuesday at 11pm)
In the Olympic soccer format, scoring and conceding goals is crucial. Argentina's 3-1 win over Iraq gave them a goal difference of 1, compared to 0 for Ukraine and Morocco, and 1 for Iraq, so Argentina will qualify as long as they don't concede any points in this match. However, if they only finish second in the group, they could face Group A hosts France, so Argentina will have to go all out to top the group.
Manchester City shot-stopper Zulian Ivaris will play a key role in the Argentinean team and will officially join City in January next year. The 18-year-old "new Mestizo" Ajvari seems to have no difficulty in facing the Ukrainian team's goal. However, Argentina's defense is still unstable, having conceded three goals in two group matches, and it is doubtful whether it will be able to keep a clean sheet in the face of Ukraine's challenge.
The Ukrainian team's loss in this battle, even with a draw and a Moroccan win in the Morocco v Iraq game, the Ukrainian team still won't advance. They are well aware of the power of Argentina, but must take the initiative to win. Ukraine's 2-1 comeback against Morocco in extra time in their last match showed the resilience of their players, and I believe they won't back down against Argentina. The Argentine men's soccer team has scored more than three goals in six of their last seven matches, so expect this matchup to be full of goals as well, with both sides having a chance to create a good result.
