It’s only the beginning of what will be a tough road to glory

The Independent’s football newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( July 23, 2021 [The Independent]( Reading the Game Written by Karl Matchett 'Every football fan in the home nations can cheer Team GB all the way' [Oscars image]( Hello! This is Karl Matchett, football reporter with The Independent and I’m filling in for Miguel Delaney on ‘Reading the Game’ this week while he enjoys the rest of his well deserved break. ** The official opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics takes place on Friday evening (23 July) in Japan - noon in the UK - but some of the actual events have already started, notably the men’s and women’s football tournaments. Great Britain have medal hopes here, with Hege Riise leading the women’s side comprised mostly of English players but with the crucial additions of Scotland’s Caroline Weir and Kim Little, and Wales international Sophie Ingle. Victory over Chile in the opening fixture got the side off to a positive start but with six matches in total to navigate if they want Olympic gold, it’s only the beginning of what will be a tough road to glory. Women’s football has continued to make significant gains in terms of visibility, access and earning much-deserved respect of late. And on the back of a tremendously exciting men’s European Championship tournament which enthralled much of the nation, there’s every reason to be just as emotionally invested and hopeful about the medal prospects of Steph Houghton, Nikita Parris, Fran Kirby and the gang in Japan this summer as the tournament goes on. The gold medal match is in Tokyo on 6 August; perhaps somewhat in contrast to Euro 2020, every football fan in the home nations can cheer Team GB all the way this time. ** On the men’s side of the Olympics, we’ve already had shock results, impressive performances and a whole lot of goals - just one day in. Nothing to compare with Netherlands Women beating their Zambian counterparts 10-3, mind. The two men’s teams which seem noteworthy for different reasons are Spain and Brazil; the former named six players who featured heavily at the Euros in their opening encounter but could only draw 0-0 with Egypt. Will a summer without respite prove a step too far for the talented group? Players such as Pedri and Mikel Oyarzabal have played well over 60 games this year now. Brazil, on the other hand, wiped the floor with Germany in a 4-2 victory and looked fluid, creative and full of intensity. The only player in their line-up who featured at the Copa America was Everton’s Richarlison - and he scored a hat-trick and could have had five with ease. Profligacy in the final third aside, they look the early team to beat as they bid to retain the gold medal won by Neymar and Co in Rio 2016. ** It won’t be long before the summer focus of international action ends and the Premier League fast approaches, which inevitably means teams are closing in on the transfers they feel will make a difference for the upcoming campaign...or at least, they’ll hope they are. Everton have made a reasonable, if low-cost, start in this regard by adding Asmir Begovic, Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray to their ranks. None are stellar recruits - Begovic a decidedly second-rate back-up goalkeeper - but each speak to the intention of boosting the depth available to new manager Rafael Benitez. As a well-known proponent of squad rotation, sometimes to extremes, having a few more players available at a similar level of quality could turn out to be of far greater use to the Toffees across the course of the season than merely adding one new signing who raises the ability in the starting 11. Transfers to get them straight into Europe? Possibly not by themselves, but the Goodison Park club will be hoping Benitez’s experience can help bridge that gap too. ** The other side of the build-up to a new campaign is pre-season tours and friendlies, something which hasn’t been anything like normal over the last year or so. What the first days of top-flight clubs getting back on the training pitch has quickly reminded us of is that, even though fans might be back in stadiums soon and restrictions in the country lifted, football - and the rest of life - is still to be affected by the ongoing and far-reaching ripples of coronavirus. Already, Chelsea and Manchester City have cancelled planned friendlies against Drogheda and Troyes respectively; the Blues due to a potential positive case in the camp and City because of the hazards of returning from overseas. Liverpool, mindful of the changing requirements of travel, have opted to spend a full month in Austria before heading straight back to Merseyside for their final warm-up games. With European fixtures on the horizon soon after the league season starts, we may well be served regular reminders that football isn’t quite back to normal just yet. Top stories [8 players to watch in men’s Olympic football tournament at Tokyo 2020]( [Premier League investigation into Man City’s finances is proof transparency is needed]( Karl's Dispatches It’s never dull working in the world of football - as long as it’s not covering a full weekend of spaced-out matches in empty, soulless arenas, anyway. Good job that never happens, right? But even by football’s tremendous capacity to self-generate interest and need to be analysed in microscopic detail, the past few months have been sensational for those watching on. An entire summer of dreams and excitement has brought back what football was about, you know, before, when we felt a part of it. The on-pitch stuff. The pursuit of success. The incomparable moment of euphoria that only a goal, a final whistle, a penalty save can bring. Even if only for less than a minute. Being part of that this summer for the major tournaments, even if only on the periphery of them, has been nothing short of exceptional - and after a decade of freelancing previously, it has been a whole new experience being a full-time part of the Indy team for me. Now it’s the Olympics, and that’s another area of it I fully enjoy: watching players up-close who, during the regular season, there’s little time or opportunity to get to know. After all, your club just might end up spending big on that Brazilian midfielder or Australian forward, right? Quote of the day “We have been waiting for this game a long time and we were so eager to get started. Get a good start, get a win, keep them away from our goal, score two goals – it’s a good statement for the games coming up.” Hege Riise after Team GB start their search for Olympic gold with a win Reading the game quiz Emile Smith Rowe has been handed the No10 shirt at Arsenal after signing a new long-term contract. He’ll be the seventh player to wear that jersey for the Gunners in the Premier League since squad numbers were introduced - name the other six. (Last week's answers: Portugal (2004) and France (2016), answers from 9 July to follow next week) Essential reading [Premier League transfers: The biggest need for each of the top six teams this summer]( [Daniel Farke: I would not accept 17th in Premier League if offered to Norwich now]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's football newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's football newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Football_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. 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