Spain and France will compete today for the Olympic gold medal as the two best teams from start to finish in this year’s Games.
France has remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, while Spain has lost once in a 2-1 defeat to Egypt in the group stage.
Ahead of the gold-medal match, find out when and where to watch, the current odds for the game and a prediction.
The French defense has been the difference in this year’s Olympic Games.
Les Bleus have conceded just one goal in the entire tournament in their semifinal victory over Morocco. They block, intercept and limit the number of shots on goal. They make scoring difficult while showing an ability to put the ball in the net almost at will.
Their 11 goals in these Olympics tie them with their opponent, Spain, for most in the tournament.
The biggest issue facing France as it attempts to win its first gold medal since 1984 will be the pressure to win at Parc des Princes. Les Bleus are playing on home soil, in front of what is sure to be a raucous crowd.
Will the pressure to succeed prove too much for the men’s team?
Spain is young, possesses excellent ball skills and can exhaust opponents simply by running them around the pitch. Like France, La Roja are excellent scorers who can keep up with opponents, thanks to their ability to find the net quickly.
If the French allow the pressure to get to them, they could easily find themselves in an unfamiliar position in these Olympics: at a deficit.
Still, Spain’s defense can be suspect, as evidenced by the fact that it has allowed a goal in every match except its quarterfinal showdown with Japan. That leaves them susceptible to a potent French attack, which could well prove to be the difference.
Ultimately, finding a weakness in the French team is nearly impossible. It has played every facet of the game flawlessly and should be rewarded today with a gold medal four decades in the making.—bleacherreport