The 2016 Olympic men’s soccer tournament is getting underway on Thursday in style, with the defending gold medal winners Mexico squaring off with one of the most talented teams in the tournament in Germany. It’s going to be a high-paced, high-excitement match, and could wind up as one of the best of the group round.
Mexico vs. Germany 2016 live stream: How to watch Olympic soccer online
Germany are one of the gold medal favorites in the 2016 Olympics, but their first match may be their hardest, against 2012 gold-winning Mexico.
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The match starts at 4 p.m. ET, and in the United States it will be shown on the USA Network, and online at NBCOlympics.com and NBC Sports Live Extra.
Mexico’s high-flying style and Germany’s premium talent make for a fascinating and even matchup, one full of skill and flash and drive. There’s no obvious favorite here, though Mexico’s experience and success in this tournament four years ago could give them something of a leg up. Either way, this is going to be a close-fought game, and one very well worth watching. The winner will be the favorite to make it out of their group and have an easier path in the knockout rounds toward the gold medal match.
Key player -- Oribe Peralta (Mexico)
While some may have expected Mexico to try to bring Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to the Olympics instead of Peralta, it’s hard to argue that Peralta doesn’t bring a lot to this squad. His experience as a key figure in their gold medal-winning side at the 2012 London Olympics will be vitally important for this match, especially with Germany’s one potential weakness being their back line. If his hard-effort style can unsettle that defense, it could open up the game in a big way for Mexico.
Key matchup -- Jorge Torres Nilo (Mexico) vs. Leon Goretzka (Germany)
Goretzka is a wonderfully talented and versatile midfielder who will play a big part for the German Olympic side in this tournament. What he does not have, however, is a wealth of first-team experience, something his opposite number for Mexico, Torres Nilo, has in spades as one of Mexico’s three over-23 players. Goretzka is frequently going to be in spaces that will put him one-on-one with Torres Nilo, and if he can’t find a way to get past the more veteran Mexican midfielder, it’s going to make this match very tough on Mexico.
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 4 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. local
Venue: Fonte Nova Arena, Salvador, Brazil
TV: USA Network (U.S. - English), Telemundo (U.S. - Spanish), Fox Sports 3 (Mexico), ZDF (Germany)
Online: NBCOlympics.com, NBC Sports Live Extra, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (U.S.), Fox Play Latin America, ESPN Play Latin America (Mexico)
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