Spain vs Argentina LIVE: Tokyo 2020 result, final score and reaction from Olympics fixture
The final group stage match will determine which nations progress to the knockouts and aim for the gold medal
Spain face Argentina in the men’s football at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, with both nations needing a positive result to ensure they continue their journey in Japan.
The Europeans have so far won and drawn, but despite dominating long stretches of their matches they have been unable to click in attack, scoring just once so far - they are top of the group heading into the final 90 minutes, and need just a draw to guarantee a top-two finish. Argentina have it slightly more difficult, after defeat to Australia earlier in the group stage. They did recover to beat Egypt, but the lay of the group means they have to win this match to go through - anything less and they will be out, regardless of the result from the other match.
The race for medals looks set to be a tight one and there have already been plenty of surprise results - but to even have a chance at success, a big performance from both sides is required here.
Follow the latest updates from Spain vs Argentina and all the big news at Tokyo 2020 below:
TRY! Great Britain 5-0 Argentina (Ben Harris, 1 minute)
Brilliant from Great Britain! They win the ball back from the kick-off and immediately spread to width, Dan Bibby somehow scooping a low pass from his shoelaces. Through the hands of Alex Davis the ball is efficiently worked to the incredibly impressive Ben Harris, who has had a fine personal Tokyo 2020 and canters over in the corner.
Rugby Sevens Bronze Medal Match: Kick-off imminent
Great Britain will kick things off against Argentina. They take a knee before they do. Stand-in captain Dan Bibby has the ball in his hands - off we go!
Tokyo Olympics: Liam Broady knocked out of men’s singles
Liam Broady’s Olympics journey is over. The 27-year-old is broken again in the deciding set by Jeremy Chardy, who goes on to seal a 7-6 4-6 6-1 victory.
What a run it had been for the world number 143 Broady, though, who claimed that impressive win over Hubert Hurkacz yesterday. Chardy advances to the quarter-finals, where he will play Alexander Zverev.
And that means that Team GB’s hopes of a tennis medal in Tokyo are over, after Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury were defeated in the men’s doubles earlier today.
Rugby Sevens Bronze Medal Match: Awesome Argentina also missing a key man
This Argentine side had been tipped to contend for medals at Tokyo 2020 and they have proved one of the sides of the competition. Their remarkable victory over South Africa with just five men on the pitch in the quarter-finals was a signature performance, and building around a group of Youth Olympic gold medallists from 2018, they have every shot against England.
Marcos Moneta is one of those gold medallists, and the wing has been magnificent so far at Tokyo Stadium - he could be Argentina’s chief threat. They are coached by Santiago Gomez Cora, arguably the greatest ever Argentine sevens player, but will be missing the inspirational and experienced Gaston Revol, who was sent off against South Africa. Can they win their first Olympic sevens medal?
Sign up to The Independent’s Toyko Olympics 2020 newsletter
It is an Olympics like no other as the delayed Tokyo 2020 event takes place a year later than planned due to the Covid pandemic.
The Games were due to take place last summer but because of the restrictions in place organisers were forced to postpone the event until now, when it is taking place but with no spectators.
So at long last all of the events are in full swing but what about the details of all the sporting action itself and how are Team GB faring so far?
Sign up to The Independent’s Toyko Olympics 2020 newsletter
Keep up to speed with a free round-up of news from the Olympics delivered to your inbox on each Friday of the Tokyo Games
Rugby Sevens Bronze Medal Match: No Tom Mitchell
It feels particularly unfortunate, then, that after everything he and his team have been through Tom Mitchell is unable to take part in this bronze medal match. GB missed him dearly in the semi-final, struggling to cope with New Zealand’s possession based game short of their outstanding captain and sweeper.
He misses out again, but GB do match up better with Argentina than NZ and Fiji’s long, strong athletes. Tony Roques has picked a smaller side after a number of Britain’s best forwards and bigger sevens stars aged out of contention in the last eighteen months or so, which has left them short of a little bit of breakdown competitiveness and physicality.
Rugby Sevens Bronze Medal Match: Great Britain vs Argentina
18 months ago, England Sevens were in Cape Town when news broke that Simon Amor, their head coach and the man set to lead GB7s at Tokyo 2020, would leave the team to join Eddie Jones’ England staff. The players were not told.
Less than 12 months ago, most of these players were made redundant as challenges from the pandemic saw the RFU cruelly cut their sevens programme contracts. The players mobilised, fundraising in a desperate attempt to send two teams to an Olympics they had long targeted.
Eventually, enter the National Lottery and a unique partnership between the competition and the three constitutent unions of Great Britain Sevens, and after months of hard training locked away at Loughborough, here we are - Great Britain have a shot at a medal.
Tokyo Olympics: Broady trailing in deciding set
Liam Broady’s serve has been broken in his opening service game of the deciding set against Jeremy Chardy - and the Frenchman has just held serve to take a 4-1 lead in the third.
A big comeback is required now for the Briton as he looks to battle his way through to the quarter-finals of the men’s singles.
Rugby Sevens Bronze Medal Match: Great Britain vs Argentina
Meanwhile over at Tokyo Stadium, kick-off in the medal matches is fast approaching. It wasn’t to be for Great Britain’s men this morning in their sevens semi-final, with New Zealand producing a study in continuity and cutting lines to win incredibly impressively and move into the final. That means that GB can’t match their silver from five years ago, but after everything this group of players has been through, a bronze medal would be a remarkable achievement for Tony Roques’ side.
Standing in their way are a strong Argentina side, who pushed Fiji hard in the other semi-final but eventually fell to the fabulous Fijians. Their fight for gold with New Zealand should be immense, but first it’s the battle for bronze...
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments