Category: Special Edition

Playing despite a ruling that favored his club team, Barcelona, Lionel Messi scored one goal and set up another to lead Argentina to a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast in its Olympic men’s opener on Thursday.

Host China tied New Zealand, 1-1, on an 89th-minute goal by Manchester United’s Dong Fangzhuo. It was one of five games whose outcome was decided by goals in the last quarter of an hour. Italy was the only team to win by more than one goal. New Jersey product Giuseppe Rossi, a former Man. United player, scored in the Azzurrini’s 3-0 victory over Honduras. For all the results and goal scorers …

The USA-Japan men’s game will be replayed tonight on Universal HD at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. Soccer will also be available on various NBC networks, including MSNBC, USA, CNBC and Telemundo. Complete soccer coverage will be available on the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and online at nbcolympics.com. Check with your television provider for the availability of the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel.

[VIDEO] In addition to live online coverage, NBC offers video highlights of Olympic men’s and women’s soccer action from China …

“My glass is always half full. For us, it is a new experience to lose a game and the fact we tried to turn around and create some chances in the second half is positive. I’m happy that this is the first game and not the last.”

— U.S. coach Pia Sundhage after the shock loss to Norway, only the Americans’ second-ever in Olympic play.

Stunned Americans look for answers
A nightmare start, a shock result, and just like that, the U.S. women are at the foot of Group G.

[NORWAY-USA REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 2-0 loss to Norway on Wednesday. …

Parity has arrived in women’s soccer. Except for Norway’s 2-0 win over the USA, all the opening games in the Olympic women’s soccer tournament were decided by one-goal margins or ended in ties.

The USA-Norway women’s game will be replayed tonight on Universal HD at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET. Soccer will continue on Thursday morning with live coverage of the USA-Japan men’s game on MSNBC and delayed coverage on Universal HD. Soccer will also be available on various NBC networks, including USA, CNBC and Telemundo. Complete soccer coverage will be available on the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and online at nbcolympics.com. Check with your television provider for the availability of the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel.

The battle between 2007 World Cup finalists Germany and Brazil and the world’s greatest players, Birgit Prinz and Marta, promised much and delivered little.

[REACTION] The U.S. players talked about the nightmarish first four minutes and the plays that led to Norway’s two goals — a difficult cross from the left and Kate Markgraf‘s horrendous backpass …