by Jamie Trecker

Updated: August 6, 2008, 1:21 PM EST 33 comments

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The much-discussed smog is one thing. The fact that a number of big European clubs have used this event to fire a salvo at FIFA (Federation of International Football Associations) is another.

Many club teams — notably Barcelona and Werder Bremen — are battling in court to keep their players. Others have come up with mysterious "injuries" to keep their stars out of Asia. A court ruled last Wednesday that the clubs had to comply with FIFA rules and release the players, but appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are pending.

What does this mean? In the near term, it means that clubs are mounting a concerted effort to put the brakes on FIFA. It also means some of the big names might not be there.

In the long term, however, this scuffle may well mean the end of Olympic soccer for men. So, enjoy it while you have it.

Here's a look at what to expect from the two entries from the USA as they take the field on August 7th.

THE MEN

The men are in the toughest group, lined up against Holland, Nigeria and Japan. If they manage to get out of it, they would likely face Argentina in the quarterfinals. But don't hold your breath. On paper, this is a group that could find the USA with as little as a point after the group stage ends.

That said, there have to be high expectations for this team. A contradiction? Not exactly. While grabbing four points would be an achievement for this team, the real competition is among the players themselves, many of whom are trying to show that they deserve a shot on the 2010 World Cup roster. And this is the latest set of meaningful games for these youngsters — to say nothing of a certain old-timer — to prove their legitimacy.

Breaking it down by position, in the nets Brad Guzan has to demonstrate he's a solid No. 2 behind either Tim Howard or (dare we hope?) Brad Friedel. Chris Seitz is a tweener who probably won't figure — fact is, Matt Reis and Marcus Hahnemann are both better than he is right now and equally suited to warm the 2010 bench.

On defense, this is a critical tournament for Marvell Wynne, who is in the midst of a sophomore slump. Wynne has talent and vision, but he remains unpolished and can be caught out. Michael Parkhust is already a deserved starter so the pressure is on Michael Orozco and Patrick Ianni to deliver. Orozco is a starter at San Luis in Mexico but is largely unknown outside of the training camps. Ianni is another tall back in the current American vogue.

In midfield, it's make or break time for a couple of guys. Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley have their slots sewn up, but the other six guys are all on the bubble. Let's start with Maurice Edu (last year's MLS Rookie of the Year). With TFC, he has been erratic and, even accepting that he's playing on a poor team, he seems to have regressed from the form that got him some full team looks. Sacha Kljestan is a scorer and playmaker who holds a lot of promise, but needs to get a look against better competition than the likes of Barbados. Still, he's a guy many have their eyes on as a breakout talent.

Thirty-six year old Brian McBride will provide important veteran leadership for the U.S. men. (Mike Clarke / Getty Images)

The same is not true for Benny Feilhaber, who has battled injury and ennui after a dismal season in England last year, nor for Danny Szetela. Bluntly, both guys need to step up and show they can play at this level. While Feilhaber has been decent with the national team, he's not first-choice right now. The stakes are higher for Szetela. A bad show here likely kills his national team career.

The odd men out are Stuart Holden and Dax McCarty. McCarty is a solid player whose stock dropped after the U-20 World Cup in Canada last summer. He hasn't made a huge impact in Dallas, while Holden looks to be a journeyman at Houston. Both could be guys for 2014 if at all.

Up top, Brian McBride is trying to provide veteran leadership in Beijing. The fact that a guy who is 36 is still the best forward America's ever produced is as much an indictment of our training as it is a testament to his skill and longevity. Jozy Altidore is also a lock right now for a slot, so that leaves Robbie Rogers and Charlie Davies. Neither one is particularly impressive on the surface, but both have some bullish potential. What they lack is the ability to create space and the knowledge and timing to receive the ball. For these two gents, these games are critical.

And then we come to the coach, Peter Nowak. Nowak was a great player, both here and in Germany and Poland. But he's been a lousy coach, and these games should be as high stakes for him as for the players. His squad's showing at the Toulon Festival earlier this summer was embarrassing, and he hasn't demonstrated the facility with young players a man in his job needs to have. Finally, his teams seem to lack both ideas and shape, and are so tactically weak that most opponents have been able to befuddle them merely by changing formation.

If the USA fails to come away with four points — a win against Japan, say and a draw with either Nigeria or Holland — Nowak should be looking for work.

Unfortunately, as U.S. Soccer has a habit of recycling coaches, that's unlikely to happen. However, that policy is doing long-term damage. Ultimately our squads and our coaching staffs need fresh blood. As we put responsibility on our players, we also should be making our coaches accountable.

THE WOMEN

Despite losing Abby Wambach to a broken leg, the USWNT has a pretty easy path to the semifinals.

Losing Abby Wambach was a big blow for the U.S. women, but they should still reach the medal round. (Donald Miralle / Getty Images)

Yes, easy.

It's sad, but because women's soccer only has four quality national teams, you can lose the player you've built your entire system around and still be okay. Fact is, the last team to come close to beating the USA this year was Canada, which the Americans pipped 6-5 on pks to win the Olympic Qualifying tournament in April. That's a run of 22-straight wins and a 26-game unbeaten streak stretching into last year.

The group the USA needs to get out of is a cakewalk. The Americans haven't lost to New Zealand since 1987 — basically, before the USWNT program really existed — have never lost to Japan, and have won ten straight against former nemesis Norway, outscoring them 29-4 in that span and twice blanking them 4-0 in 2008.

Even without Wambach, if the USA can't finish at least second in the group, something is seriously wrong. Since they'll finish first, you don't have to worry about anything until the semifinals, when they might have to face Brazil or Germany.

Now, let's talk about the last time the women lost a game. That would be when the Americans were shelled in the World Cup semis 4-0 by Brazil, a game that is now best remembered for the horrid treatment the team gave 'keeper Hope Solo for having the audacity to speak her mind.

Solo, who was barred from team functions and had to fly home alone, is on this team. But that episode laid bare some very unflattering things about this team — and to some, about women's sports as well — and it will surely be a major talking point during the Games.

That episode sums up what's riding on the women. While the men are playing for a slot at the World Cup, these women are fighting to have a successful pro league and pro future. This time, the things that happen off the field will be just as important as on, and it is an uncomfortable situation for a group that has always been run more like a club than a true national team.

The era in which the average American knew the players is over. There is no Mia Hamm, no Michelle Akers — and no replacements. People remember the Solo debacle, but they don't remember anything else. This team needs to change that by playing attractive, winning soccer in China.

It's a real gamble. Will this team resonate with the public at large or just the extremely small group of soccer fans that could keep WUSA's doors open? Will a gold medal sell these players to the nation? What about a bronze or a silver — both of which are more likely? A bad whipping by the likes of Brazil or Germany could create real marketing problems.

Unfortunately, Sepp Blatter's audacious claim that the future of the game was to be feminine has been shown to be remarkably false. Even countries that once embraced the sport — hosts China included — have fallen way back and the women's game is starving for both talent and attention.

The USA women have a real uphill battle on all fronts as a result. Can anything get people to feel the same way about women's soccer as they did back in 1999? The USA hopes a podium appearance can be the first step back.

More worrying for fans of the women's game is the very real possibility that their Olympic sport has already become more like several others — popular for two weeks every fourth summer, then largely ignored by the mainstream media until the next Games come along.

Jamie Trecker's newest book, "Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks" is out now from Harcourt. Jamie is assisted by Jerry and Janice Trecker. Contact Jamie at jamie.trecker@gmail.com and visit his blog and website at www.jamietrecker.com.