Olympic Soccer Paris 2024: Will Favorites Dominate Matchday 2?

While you can’t be eliminated after losing one game in the group stage, the pressure does go up in a big way.

The teams that lost their opener really need to win in Matchday 2, while those who won can essentially punch their ticket into the knockout round with a win in their second game.

My Analysis

The second batch of games will be coming our way on Saturday, and once again, we have a full slate of games to watch and wager on.

Let’s break them all down and make some predictions along the way.

Argentina vs Iraq

Saturday, 9 AM EST | There was huge controversy in the opening game for Argentina, with crowd and VAR issues delaying the game for hours.

In the end, Argentina lost 2-1 to Morocco and now need to find a way to beat an Iraq team that won their opening game against Ukraine.

This is a must win for Argentina, and while it will be tough, I think they do it.

Dominican Republic vs Spain

Saturday, 9 AM EST | The expectation was that the Dominican Republic would be the whipping boys in this group, but they surprised a lot of people with a 0-0 draw in their opener against Egypt.

This is a much tougher game, though, although Spain had to battle for their win over Uzbekistan. An easier one for Spain here.

Ukraine vs Morocco

Saturday, 11 AM EST | The pressure is all on Ukraine here after their opening game loss to Iraq. Another loss here may well mean the end of the road.

Morocco is sure to be on a high after taking out Argentina in their opener, but they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas now. I think this one ends in a stalemate.

Uzbekistan vs Egypt

Saturday, 11 AM EST | It was a far from convincing showing from Egypt in their opener, with goals hard to come by against a team they were expected to beat.

With Spain on the horizon, they really need something out of this game against an Uzbekistan team that gave the Spaniards a run for their money.

Israel vs Paraguay

Saturday, 1 PM EST | This group always seemed like it was going to be right, which is what we saw in the opener between Israel and Mali, which ended in a 1-1 tie.

Paraguay were hammered 5-0 by Japan, but it is worth noting that the game was close before Paraguay went down to 10 men via a red card.

I think they bounce back here.

New Zealand vs United States

Saturday, 1 PM EST | It was a great start to the tournament for the Kiwis, who came a away with a comfortable 3-0 win over Guinea.

This, though, is likely to be a much tougher ask for them against a United States team that is sure to be a little desperate after losing 3-0 to the host nation in their opening game.

The US showed enough to be considered a likely winner here.

France vs Guinea

Saturday, 3 PM EST | The host nation showed some real class under pressure by rolling to a 3-0 win over the United States in their opener.

Guinea was always expected to struggle, but it was still a little surprising to see them so easily swept aside by New Zealand.

This one could get out of control early on.

Japan vs Mali

Saturday, 3 PM EST | With a win in this one, Japan can secure their spot in the knockout round, but do not be fooled by their 5-0 win in their opener, as most of their offense came with an extra man on the field.

Mali ended their opener with a tie, but they could use a win in what is sure to be a tight group.

Odds to Win Olympic Soccer Tournament

• France +169
• Spain +216
• Argentina +770
• Japan +780
• Morocco +950
• Iraq +1650
• New Zealand +2600
• Egypt +3200
• Mali +3200
• USA +3900
• Israel +3900
• Paraguay +4900
• Ukraine +6400
• Uzbekistan +8000
• Guinea +9500
• Dominican Republic +24000

All the feels! The emotion is real! 🥹#Paris2024 | #Football pic.twitter.com/0cOsN09cv7

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 24, 2024

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