The men's Olympic football tournament is not random.Clubs are not required to release their players. Men's football at Games is typically an under-23 competition, with three over-age players. This year it is under-24 due to the delay in the year. It all comes down to the availability of the best eligible players for the teams.While there are many questions about the merits of the competition, Saturday's final will be remembered for its value. This is more than a match between two teams. Brazil vs. Spain has become a battle for ideas. It's a fierce contemporary rivalry that -- at least on the Brazilian side -- contains plenty of needles.Schedule and bracket for the Men's Olympic Games soccer tournament- Tan: Japan's search for gold is over, but history is still waitingA decade ago, in the Club World Cup finals, Santos and Barcelona were met by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. Barcelona won with astonishing ease, 4-0 to the surprise of many Brazilians. Guardiola remained in the stiletto during the post-match press conference. Guardiola said that his team treated the ball the same way as his grandfather.This is not surprising. Spain was just a few months away of defending their continental title and were the reigning European and world champions. Brazilians were not only impressed by their victories. This was due to the sheer swagger that was used in achieving this feat. Brazilians are rightly and understandably proud to be the five-time world champions. There was also pride in being referred to abroad as "the beautiful sport," which in Brazil is called "football-art".However, with many Brazilian coaches now focused on the counter-attack and the Spanish attempting to take their place, the Spanish arrived to claim the victory and to gloat about how they had done it.Many Brazilians found the Spanish possession game a bit boring. Barcelona was fortunate to have Lionel Messi, who provided the individual fantasy and destructive dribbles. Spain's passing, however, could sometimes feel stale. It could be spectacular at other times, with new triangles constantly emerging as the two players swap passes and move into positions to receive.Some Brazilians were not able to see the beauty in it. Brazilian TV pundits were unable to hide their desire to see Spain lose the Euros.Recently, two Spanish coaches worked in Brazil's domestic game. Both were proponents of possession-based coaching. Domenec Torrent, a former Guardiola assistant, was responsible for Rio giants Flamengo while Internacional, further south, went with Miguel Angel Ramirez. Ramirez is fresh from an impressive spell in Ecuador with Independiente del Valle.Brazil considers themselves to be the spiritual guardians for 'the beautiful sport', but Spain has taken over the Selecao in recent decades. Buda Mendes/Getty ImagesBoth failed to last long. Both were not given enough time to build. They felt hostility in an environment that was willing to make them fail and were eager to see that the Spanish possession game wasn't all it seemed to be.It is amazing how few major games have there been between these two teams in recent years. The Confederations Cup final was held in 2013. This tournament is where Spain's crown began to slip. For 45 minutes, they were unstoppable in a group match against Uruguay. They would never be the same again. Brazil's victory over them in the Maracana marked the end to Spanish dominance, but it didn't mean the dawn of a new Brazilian era. Brazil's campaign ended in the knockout rounds of both the subsequent World Cups. This is what adds spice to Saturday's Olympic final.A gold medal is at stake. The game also serves as a pointer to Qatar 2022. This game pits a promising Brazil team against a challenge that is somewhat similar to the one facing the senior side at the end next year.Spain is stronger than the other European sides, such as the Germany team that Brazil faced in their first game. This is largely due to the calendar. Because the Spanish season begins late, clubs are more likely to release players. Spain has brought a squad that included some of their Euros-winning young lions. In the semifinal, Spain was clearly better than eventual champions Italy.Spain will play against Brazil, unlike Mexico who were so cautious against Brazil on Tuesday. Are they wasting too many chances to score? They will have to be patient against a Brazil defense that has conceded only three goals in five matches. Can they also hold Brazil's attack at open space?This is particularly true if Matheus Cunha, centre-forward, is able to return to the game. His versatility and back to the goal play open up attacking options that were not available in the goalless draw with the Mexicans. Richarlison is currently the top scorer but Cunha is the only one who is on target in the knockout matches. Brazil may relish the rare opportunity to counter-attack an opponent's game plan.There is a possibility of a better Olympic final than it deserves. A game whose ripples will be felt all through Qatar 2022.
