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Olympic Games Betting Odds: Soccer, more commonly known as football throughout the rest of the world, is one of the more popular sports in the Summer Olympics every single tournament. This year, the soccer tournaments start before the Olympiad officially begins on Wednesday, August 3 and runs through the penultimate day of the tournament on Saturday, August 20.
A total of 16 men's teams and 12 women's teams will head to Brazil, though this isn't a sport played in just one venue. In fact, it's the only sport which is going to be played all over the country, as there are seven different venues in six different cities which will feature at least a few soccer matches over the course of this tournament, not unlike the World Cup, Copa America or the Euros.
Football is also unique in that the women's tournament is considered far more serious than the men. Men's soccer features teams competing with younger squads. Most of the nations are required to send U-23 teams to the Olympics, though there are varying rules used throughout the world. Only a sprinkling of veterans are allowed to play in the Olympics and are there to be mentors more than superstars. Women though, have no age restrictions whatsoever, and outside of the World Cup, this is the biggest competition which they have in their sport.
The women's tournament features 12 teams which will be cut into three groups. The top two qualifiers and the top two third place teams advance into the quarterfinals where knockout round play begins.
The men's tournament will have 16 teams split into four groups, the two top qualifiers in each of which will move on.
Each team in both genders is guaranteed to play three matches in the group stage against the other members of its group.
South American teams have dominated in the Olympics in recent years on the men's side of the draw. Argentina won gold medals both in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008, while Paraguay and Brazil each have medals as well in that span.
Women's football, which has only been discipline since 1996, has been run by the United States. The Yanks have won gold medals four times out of a possible five and won silver medals in Sydney the one year in which they didn't take the top prize.
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