U.S. Gets Olympic Schedule

The luck of the draw Wednesday gave the U.S. women’s team a relatively easy bracket in the Athens Olympics.

It also gave the Americans an extra game just to reach the quarterfinals.

Because there are 10 countries involved, making for an uneven format in the third appearance of women’s soccer in the Summer Games, FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, added a quarterfinal round as the 10 teams were put into three groups.

The U.S. was grouped with Brazil, Australia and Greece. World Cup champion Germany, perennial power China and up-and-coming Mexico make up what should be the strongest group. Sweden, the group favorite, Japan and Nigeria make up the third set.

The teams in the Americans’ overloaded group must play three matches in seven days in the first round and should the U.S. meet China in the quarterfinals, as expected, the Chinese will play with five or six days of rest, compared to two or three for the U.S.

The U.S. opens against host Greece, the overwhelming favorite to finish last, in Iraklion on Crete on Aug. 11, two days before the Games’ opening ceremony. The Americans get a break, though, by playing their next two games in the same city, Thessaloniki, against Brazil on Aug. 14 and close out group play against Australia on Aug. 17.

Defending Olympic champ Norway did not receive a bid, since Europe did not hold a qualifying tournament, choosing instead to send its two top teams from last year’s World Cup.

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Men’s Draw

The men’s Olympic draw seeded 16 teams into four groups of four.

The groupings: Group A: Greece, South Korea, Mali and Mexico; Group B: Paraguay, Japan, Ghana and Italy; Group C: Argentina, Serbia and Montenegro, Tunisia and Australia; Group D: Costa Rica, Morocco, Portugal and Iraq.

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Don’t Drink the Water

Akratitos, a Greek first-division team relegated to the second division after a subpar season, is under investigation after bottled water it provided visiting Iraklis in an April game was found to be laced with the psychiatric drug haloperidol, a powerful depressant.

Iraklis turned over a sealed bottle of the water for testing and Greece’s Food Inspection Agency said results showed that a hypodermic needle was used to inject the drug, though the agency did not say if the quantity it found was enough to affect an adult.

“Haloperidol is a powerful chemical substance used in medicine and is considered a powerful neurological drug given in serious and long-term cases of psychosis,” the agency said, according to Associated Press. “This case will immediately be turned over to a prosecutor.”

The Greek Assn. of Professional Soccer Clubs also announced it was investigating Akratitos, and the players’ union described the incident as “shameful and disgusting.”

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Quick Passes

Josh Wolff scored on a penalty kick and Tony Meola posted his 51st career shutout as the Kansas City Wizards held on for a 1-0 Major League Soccer victory over the Colorado Rapids in front of 12,546 at Denver. The loss ended Colorado’s league-record 16-game home unbeaten streak.... Brazilian striker Ronaldinho, who scored 22 goals in 45 matches after his $25-million transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Barcelona last July, has signed a four-year contract with Barcelona worth at least $5.45 million, Agence France-Presse reported.... Iraq won its first game in Asian World Cup qualifying since last year’s war, defeating Taiwan, 6-1, at Amman, Jordan. In other matches of note, Japan thrashed India, 7-0, South Korea upended Vietnam, 2-0, and China beat Malaysia, 4-0.... Argentina will play a friendly against Colombia at Miami on June 27.

-- Compiled by Paul Gutierrez