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Pre-Opening start Soccer kicks off Olympics ahead of Opening Ceremonies
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Soccer, so often the poor relation of Olympic sports, has a dream chance to make a big impact when it kicks off Sydney 2000 on Wednesday, two days before the rest of the games start. Standout players from Manchester United, Arsenal, AC Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona take the field in four of the five soccer host cities. Despite being the world's most popular sport, soccer has been overshadowed at the Olympics by athletics, swimming and gymnastics. Here, it has a clear run before the rest of the games start, and can light up the event well before the torch arrives to do just that at the opening ceremony Friday. A sellout crowd of 92,000 is expected at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday to see host Australia face a strong Italian team, and it should prove an ideal start. Defending titlist Nigeria meets Honduras in Adelaide, the United States faces the Czech Republic in Canberra and Cameroon meets Kuwait in Brisbane. Games officials believe that some 1.2 million fans will watch the 32 men's and 20 women's soccer games, more than for any other Olympic sport. But if the early matches fail to entertain fans and TV audiences, soccer will stay where it has always been at the Olympics -- virtually a bronze-medal sport on the prestige podium. In the run-up to the Games, soccer was hit by some heavy blows. Two of the biggest names originally chosen for their national teams -- Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu and Australia's Harry Kewell -- haven't made it to Sydney. Under pressure from his club, Kanu -- the standout player of Nigeria's historic triumph in Atlanta four years ago -- chose to stay with Arsenal. Kewell, expected to be the star of these games on his home turf, was sidelined after surgery for an Achilles tendon problem. But the Olympic rosters announced Monday by soccer's world governing body FIFA remain impressive even though they are restricted to players age 23 or below with just three overage players allowed per team. Christian Abbiati of AC Milan has emerged as one of the best young goalkeepers in Italian soccer while Brazil's Athirson and Spain's Puyol could stand out among the defenders. Nigeria's Celestine Babayaro, who plays left side midfield for Chelsea, was on the team that struck gold in Atlanta yet has only just turned 22. Among the midfielders who could shine are Barcelona's Gabri and Italian stars Massimo Ambrosini of AC Milan and Gianluca Zambrotta, Juventus. Cameroon midfielder Lauren is performing well in his first season for Arsenal. Although he rarely starts for Manchester United, South African winger Quinton Fortune is one of the Reds' key backup players. Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata is making a name for himself at AS Roma in Serie A. Despite the absence of Kanu and Kewell and Brazil's refusal to select veteran Romario, there are plenty of star strikers in action at the games. Ronaldinho, a 20-year-old striker with Brazil's Gremio, will try to achieve what Ronaldo and Rivaldo failed to do in Atlanta and win a first soccer gold medal for his country. Mark Viduka of Leeds United will lead Australia's strike force while the key figure in South Africa's attack is Benny McCarthy of Spanish club Celta Vigo. Chile has taken advantage of the rule allowing three overage players by recruiting 33-year-old striker Ivan Zamorano of Inter Milan. The veteran forward likely will face Morocco in Melbourne on Thursday, when South Africa meets Japan in Canberra, Brazil faces Slovakia in Brisbane and South Korea takes on Japan in Adelaide. Women's competition also starts Wednesday, with Sweden meeting Brazil in Melbourne ahead of the Australia-Italy men's game, and the Australian women, known as the Matildas, playing host to Germany in Canberra. The defending titlist United States opens against big rival Norway in Melbourne on Thursday when China, runner-up four years ago, meets Nigeria in Canberra.
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