Cameroonian deserters want UK stay

Cameroonian athletes who deserted their Olympic squad told reporters they want to stay in the UK to develop their careers. The five boxers, who met the BBC at a secret location in London, went missing more than a week ago.

 Cameroonian authorities said they suspected the boxers wanted to be economic migrants. The boxers said they had absconded after they were threatened by senior members of the Cameroonian delegation. Last week, swimmer Paul Ekane Edingue and female footballer Drusille Ngako also went missing from the Olympic village.

The boxers - Thomas Essomba, Christian Donfack Adjoufack, Abdon Mewoli, Blaise Yepmou Mendouo and Serge Ambomo - said that there was no support for athletes in Cameroon.

 In the BBC interview, Essomba said the boxers were looking for a sponsor to take them on and to help them obtain long-term residency.

 "We are not staying here because we don't like our country, but [because we] want to practise the sports we love," he said. "We want to become professional.

 We cannot return to Cameroon... if we return, we will not practise anymore." Mendouo said Cameroonian officials had treated them badly during the Olympics - and there had been differences over their promised bonuses, which had been halved.

 "Cameroonian authorities threatened us - those who brought us to these Games," he said. "When a colleague was defeated, he was asked to give his passport."

 The head of the Cameroon delegation to the Olympics, David Ojong, said the boxers were lying.

 They had never been threatened and were making up the allegation to justify their desertion, he said. The boxers have a visa to stay in the UK until November.

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Unstoppable! Bolt and co smash world record as Jamaica blast to 4x100m gold

Usain Bolt claimed his third gold medal of the London 2012 Games as Jamaica won the men's 4x100m relay at the Olympic Stadium in a world record time.

 The Jamaican quartet of Bolt, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater were too good for their nearest rivals, a US team boasting the talents of Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin.

 Bolt received the baton with Jamaica already in the lead and crossed the line in 36.85 seconds, smashing the previous record of 37.04 secs and Olympic record of 37.10 secs.

 More to follow.

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Brazil 1-2 Mexico: Samba Boys fail to find their rhythm as Peralta double seals Olympic gold

Mexico claimed the gold medal in the London 2012 Olympics football after battling to a 2-1 win at Wembley against overwhelming favourites Brazil.

 Luis Fernando Tena's side opened the scoring 29 seconds after kick-off as they pounced on a defensive mistake before Oribe Peralta fired in from the edge of the area.

 Peralta doubled his and Mexico's tally for the afternoon with 15 minutes left of the match as he headed home a right-wing cross, and despite Hulk pulling one back in stoppage time, El Tri held on and claimed their first ever gold medal in the football.

 Neither side made wholesale changes from their respective semi-final victories.

 Mexico were forced into one change as Giovani dos Santos was replaced by Hector Herrera after the Tottenham man could only take a place on the bench due to injury.

 Brazil on the other hand remained completely unchanged, with Alex Sandro surprisingly keeping his place in the midfield instead of Hulk, while new Paris Saint-Germain signing Lucas Moura once again had to settle for a place on the bench. The match started like lightning as Mexico took the lead inside 30 seconds.

 Rafael da Silva tried to play an intricate ball just inside to Sandro, but the Spurs man was dispossessed by Marco Fabian who fed the ball to Peralta, and the forward let rip from the edge of the area, burying his strike past Gabriel.

 For a few moments the goal appeared to wake Brazil up, but Mexico soon had the ball back under their control with the Selecao struggling to get Neymar, Oscar and Leandro Damiao into the match.

 It took 20 minutes for the tournament favourites to force Jose Corona into a save. Damiao found Oscar in the penalty area, and the Chelsea midfield faked to shoot before going for goal, but the experienced goalkeeper easily made the save.

 Mexico were looking very solid at the back, with Brazil’s fancy flicks and backheels not coming off as they began to look increasingly frustrated.

 Brazil’s attacking prolificacy forced Menezes into making changes, and just after the half-hour mark Alex Sandro was hauled off for his FC Porto team-mate Hulk as El Tri were looking more and more comfortable.

 Javier Aquino and Marco Fabian were beginning to double-up on Rafael and the Manchester United man was struggling, with Aquino cutting inside the full-back before laying a pass off for Jorge Enriquez, but the Chivas de Guadalajara man's strike fizzed just wide.

 Minutes after coming on, Hulk was trying his luck as he shot from 30 yards, but Corona got down to his left and palmed it away, before then stopping Damiao from a tight angle.

 Brazil were coming into the game a bit more as half-time approached and Marcelo almost equalised as the Real Madrid man played a one-two into the area with Damiao, but at the vital moment he sliced his shot wide of Corona's post.

 The anonymous Neymar finally showed signs of life in the final minute of the first-half as he cut inside and fired a powerful low strike just past the post, but the first part of Mexico’s job was complete as they went into the break in the lead.

 The Samba Stars looked like men on a mission as they came out after the break, with Hulk looking in imperious form, while 20-year-old Neymar lead a team huddle himself before firing narrowly over from 25 yards out.

 The Santos superstar was involved again a few moments later as he burst into the area, but his shot had all of the sting taken out of it by a block from the impressive Diego Reyes and Corona gathered easily.

 Following a lively start to the second period, the match went through a patchy spell, with Mexico handing out some rough treatment to Neymar, while the forward should have equalised just shy of the hour-mark as the ball dropped to him 10 yards out, but he blazed it well over.

 Despite hardly touching the ball since half-time, Mexico were inches away from doubling their lead in the 64th minute.

 Thiago Silva failed to deal with a long ball allowing Fabian to steal it ball off him, and although Gabriel challenged the winger, the ball sat up for the Mexican to produce an over-head kick that came back off the crossbar.

 Brazil looked stunned and they were just as lucky four minutes later as Peralta had a goal chalked off for being offside, then three minutes after that a Fabian header went a whisker over as Brazil were living life very much on the edge and they would soon pay for that.

 Menezes' men had looked poor at the back all day and with 15 minutes to go, a lovely cross from the right by Fabian was brilliantly headed into the bottom corner by Peralta after the Santos Laguna man drifted away from all Brazilian defenders, and Wembley erupted.

 Although they were pressing desperately for a late goal, Brazil were struggling to break down the Mexico backline, with Hiram Mier and Reyes looking as impenetrable as ever.

 Brazil's frustrations were obvious in the final minutes as the awful Rafael gave possession away to Fabian and then fouled the clever midfielder, much to the annoyance of Juan whose opinions did not please the young United defender.

 In stoppage time Hulk was played through on goal and stroked the ball past Corona to pull a goal back, while Oscar headed agonisingly over when he should have scored from five yards out, but Brazil could not find the equaliser and Mexico held on for the win as the Selecao still cannot win gold in the men's football.

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Usain Bolt wins 200m to make Olympic athletics history

Usain Bolt became the first man to retain both Olympic sprint titles as he led home a gold and green Jamaica clean sweep in the 200m.

 Bolt matched Michael Johnson's world record time from the Atlanta Games of 19.32 seconds as he held off training partner Yohan Blake in silver and Warren Weir in bronze.

 Blake had beaten Bolt at the Jamaican trials, his last race over the distance before London, but the double 100m champion ran a brilliant bend from lane seven to lead by a metre coming into the straight.

 Glancing to his left he was aware of Blake closing in a fraction at 150m, but held his form to cross the line with finger to his lips.

 Blake's 19.44 secs was a season's best, while 22-year-old Weir set a new personal best with 19.84 secs to complete the Jamaican party. But this was Bolt's race, and these have once again been Bolt's Games.

 On a warm, still summer evening perfect for sprinting, Bolt had clowned around as he waited to be called to his blocks, as ever a study in easy relaxation despite the magnitude of the occasion.

 He flirted with the girl looking after his kit and then gave a regal wave before taking his rivals apart from the moment the gun sounded.

 Four years ago in Beijing he won his first Olympic 200m gold in a then world record of 19.30 secs.

 While there was no new mark on Thursday evening, this was a display to rank among the best the event Bolt calls his own has ever seen.

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Photos from Usain Bolt record breaking Olympic 100m victory

Usain Bolt fulfilled his dream of becoming a 'legend' of the sport by successfully defending his Olympic 100m title in stunning style in London.

 Bolt was only fifth quickest out of the blocks but was quickly into his running and stormed to victory in 9.63 seconds, the second quickest in history and an Olympic record.

 Reigning world champion Yohan Blake took silver in 9.75s to equal his personal best, with 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin taking the bronze in 9.79.

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Usain Bolt wins Olympic 100m men's final at London 2012

Bolt, 25, the Jamaican world recordholder and defending Olympic champion, exploded down the track at London's Olympic Stadium and won the gold medal Sunday night in a blazing time of 9.63.

 It broke his Olympic record set in Beijing — 9.69 — and was just .05 off the world record of 9.58 he set in 2009.

 During introductions, Bolt made a series of hand gestures, then smiled. Much had been made about the possibility of bad weather preventing fast times on the Olympic Stadium track.

 But on Sunday night, just before 10 p.m. London time, when the fastest men in the world lined up to see who is fastest, the weather was perfect.

 Yohan Blake, Bolt's training partner and world champion from last year, was second in 9.75 seconds.

 Team USA's Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion who served a four-year doping suspension ending in 2010, earned the bronze with a time of 9.79.

 Tyson Gay of the USA was fourth (9.80) and Ryan Bailey of the USA was fifth (9.88). Gay, 29, who was battling injuries in 2008 and didn't make the final, was in tears in the mixed zone after the race.

 "I don't think I could go back and do nothing else," Gay said, choking up. "I feel like I ran with the field.

 I just came up short. That's all I did." Gay is the second-fastest man in history at 9.69 seconds. And once again Jamaica gets the better of the USA in the sprint rivalry. On Saturday night, in the women's 100, Jamaica won gold and bronze and the USA got silver.

 The anticipation could hardly have been greater, for a lot of reasons. The main question was whether we would see the Beijing Bolt again or the lesser version that had been on display this season.

 In Beijing, Bolt ran three races and set three world records — 9.69 in the 100, 19.30 in the 200, plus a third world record on the Jamaican winning 4x100 relay.

The next year, at the 2009 world championships in Berlin, he lowered those marks to 9.58 in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200. 

And there those records have remained. In 2010, Bolt's fastest time was 9.82. Last year, his fastest was 9.76, and he was disqualified for a false start in the 100 meters at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

 This season, again 9.76 is his fastest time, and he was beaten twice by 22-year-old Jamaican training partner Yohan Blake — in the 100 and 200, both times at the Jamaican Olympic trials. People have wondered if he was 100% healthy.

 He was bothered earlier this year by a back issue which morphed into a tender hamstring. Also, people have wondered if Bolt was worried in the blocks about false starting, unable to shake the mishap in Daegu.

 He has said that's not the case, and he has shrugged off criticism of his start with a rather unusual explanation.

 "We have come to the conclusion that back in the day, I was never a good starter, and I'm never going to be a great starter," Bolt said a few days before the Games, referring to himself and his coach, Glen Mills.

 "So I should just get past that and focus on just running. I'm not worried about the start.

 It's all about execution and getting it right at the end of the race." But there was still this to wonder: what exactly is getting it right for Bolt now, at age 25, four years after electrifying the Beijing Olympics with his prancing and preening but most of all his explosive speed? Is another 9.76 getting it right? Does he have another 9.6 again? Or even a 9.5? In round 1 in London Saturday, he stumbled out of the blocks — another sluggish start for the 6-5 Bolt — and lumbered to the line in 10.09 seconds.

 During introductions for his semifinal heat Sunday evening, he struck a boxing pose and threw a right and a left.

 Then he looked as comfortable as could be, starting pretty well, driving through the halfway point like an Olympic champion would, and then easing up at the finish with a big lead. His time — 9.87 — impressive for how easy he took the finish.

 Even if Bolt's days of running 9.5 and 9.6 are over, the excitement about this race was palpable. Few experiences in sports rival the drama of eight men crouching into the blocks of an Olympic 100 meters final.

 It's over in less than 10 seconds. And when it is, heroes are celebrated, reputations have been altered and maybe even Olympic careers ended. Gatlin, who served a four-year doping suspension after his 2004 Olympic gold in the 100, will be 34 in 2016.

 Gay will be 33, and he has said this will likely be his last Olympics. In Bolt's case, his career almost certainly goes on for years. He is just 25, after all.

 For him, the career-arc question is about his stated goal: to be a legend. If the Beijing Bolt was to return, that goal figured to be assured. But in the days and hours leading up to the race, it was a significant "if." It's not anymore. The Beijing Bolt is back.

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Team GB 1-1 South Korea (aet, 4-5 on penalties): Sturridge miss sends hosts crashing out

Daniel Sturridge's missed penalty proved decisive as Team GB were defeated in a shootout by South Korea after a tight and tense clash at the Millennium Stadium.

 Sturridge saw his spot-kick saved by substitute goalkeeper Lee Bum-Young after all eight of the previous penalties had been converted, and Celtic's Ki Sung-Yeung netted to send his side into the last four.

 Aaron Ramsey had earlier cancelled out Ji Dong-Won's opener from 12 yards, and then missed another spot-kick as the two sides played out a contest low on quality but high on drama.

 The result ends Team GB's involvement in the Olympic football after the women's side crashed out to Canada at the same stage on Friday evening, with the nature of this defeat all the more galling.

 Stuart Pearce stuck with the same starting XI which saw off Uruguay to progress as Group A winners on Wednesday, with Ryan Giggs once again having to be content with a place on the bench.

 South Korea, meanwhile, made two changes to the team which drew with Gabon, with Nam Tae-Hee and Sunderland's Ji Dong-Won recalled.

 Perhaps intimidated by the capacity crowd at the Millennium Stadium, the hosts started tentatively.

 Their opponents took full advantage of the opportunity to dominate the opening exchanges, and on 15 minutes Jack Butland was forced into a flying stop to deny Ji.

 South Korea hassled and harried Team GB, pinning their rattled opponents back and tempting them into conceding corners and committing fouls deep inside their own half.

 The consistently dangerous deliveries from Celtic’s Ki came close to making them pay a number of times, and on 18 minutes Arsenal's Park Chu-Young headed over unmarked.

 A breakthrough looked simply a matter of time, and so it proved on 29 minutes when Ki's lay-off found Ji around 20 yards out, and the Sunderland man's swerving strike deceived Butland as it flew into the far corner.

 Stung into action, Team GB poured forward with greater purpose, and were granted a chance to level the scores when Ryan Bertrand's scuffed shot struck the arm of a sliding Oh Jae-Suk in the penalty area.

 The right-back was booked for his trouble, and Ramsey's low spot-kick just about crept under Jung Sung-Ryong.

 All of a sudden panic reigned in the South Korea defence, and five minutes later Sturridge went down under the clumsy challenge of Hwang Seok-Ho.

 Once again referee Wilmar Roldan pointed to the spot, and once again Ramsey stepped up. His second effort was no more tame than his first, but this time Jung parried it away, and the Welshman was left cursing a golden opportunity missed as the half-time whistle sounded.

 Both sides emerged for the second period with a more cautious mindset, as if the fact a semi-final place was at stake had just dawned on them, although Tom Cleverley was unfortunate not to give Team GB the lead on 49 minutes when Craig Bellamy's excellent cross somehow managed to evade him at the near post.

 South Korea found themselves unable to keep up their high-intensity pressing game as fatigue levels gradually decreased, giving Team GB more time to settle into their passing game and look to craft attacks.

 Kim Young-Gwon, however, highlighted the threat they still posed on 63 minutes with a fierce free-kick which flew just over.

 Team GB's likeliest route to goal looked to be with Bellamy down the right flank, and two minutes later a flowing one-touch passing move involving the Liverpool man and Aaron Ramsey set Sturridge racing through on goal, only for Ki to make a superb covering tackle.

 As the closing stages approached chances grew fewer and further between. Ji caused panic in the Team GB defence on 84 minutes when he headed Ki's floated ball in dangerously back across goal, but none of his team-mates had gambled on a late run into the box.

 With five minutes of normal time to go Pearce replaced the tiring Bellamy with Giggs, much to the delight of the frustrated Millennium Stadium crowd, but the Manchester United veteran proved unable to create a decisive breakthrough and the match went into extra time.

 It was South Korea who began brighter after the restart, and Butland atoned for his earlier mistake by pulling off an excellent save to deny Koo Ja-Cheol from the angle. Ji pounced on the goalkeeper's parry, but could only direct his header well wide.

 Three minutes before the halfway mark the Sunderland striker missed an even more glorious headed chance.

 Another superb Ki corner found him unmarked around the penalty spot, but he got under the ball and skied his attempt high above a grateful Butland's crossbar.

 In the dying moments the tireless work-rate of Sturridge looked to be Team GB's best hope of a winner but, with both sides too weary to carve each other open and too afraid to take the risk, the contest slid intevitably towards penalties.

 In the shootout, Ramsey, Cleverley, substitute Craig Dawson and Giggs all netted for Team GB as all of the first eight penalties were converted.

 But Sturridge saw his effort saved by substitute goalkeeper Lee Bum-Young, and Ki fired high into the net to send South Korea into the semi-finals.

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Team GB 1-0 Uruguay: Sturridge sends hosts through as group winners to set up South Korea tie

Stuart Pearce's men controlled much of the match before some late pressure from the South Americans, and although there weren't many clear-cut chances in the first period, GB went into the break in the lead as Daniel Sturridge netted in stoppage time.

 In a similar fashion to the first period, chances hardly flowed after half-time, but Sturridge almost got a second late on as he forced Martin Campana in the Uruguay goal to tip his effort round the post, while Gaston Ramirez came close with a stinging drive that crashed off the bar in injury time.

 Pearce made three changes to the team that beat UAE 3-1 with James Tomkins, Ryan Giggs and Marvin Sordell dropping to the bench in favour of Ryan Bertrand, Scott Sinclair and Daniel Sturridge.

 Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez also made a number of changes, as Matias Aguirregaray, Diego Rodriguez and former AC Milan youngster Tabare Viudez replaced Emiliano Arias, Nicolas Lodeiro and Maxi Calzado, respectively.

 The hosts started in positive fashion with Craig Bellamy getting plenty of involvement from the off, as the Welshman crossed in from the right, but Scott Sinclair's back-post header was blocked at the critical stage.

 GB continued to press the Uruguayans and some good work by Aaron Ramsey down the left won a corner, from which Alexis Rolin was forced to clear just in front of the goal line after Steven Caulker beat Sebastian Coates in the air.

 However, moments later Coates did triumph in the air and came close to giving his side the lead as the Liverpool man nodded Luis Suarez's left-wing free-kick over the bar, but he should have at least hit the target.

 Bellamy and Ramsey were having an impressive first-half and they linked up excellently down the right as the forward played a disguised pass inside to the Arsenal man who fizzed a smart ball across the penalty area, but it sailed through without anyone getting contact on it.

 Coates was soon causing aerial problems once again for GB, connecting with Diego Rodriguez's corner, heading it downwards towards goal before it bounced up and struck Joe Allen, leading to intense calls for a penalty, however replays showed the ball quite clearly hit the Swansea man in the chest.

 After imposing a significant amount of control over Uruguay, GB finally took the lead in first-half added time, and it was brilliantly worked. Scott Sinclair cut inside before slipping an inch-perfect pass in behind the defence for Allen.

 The Wales international cut the ball back and found Sturridge amidst a crowd of players in the area, and the Chelsea man was able to poke the ball into an open goal, allowing Stuart Pearce's side to go into the break in the lead.

 With just over a minute played in the second-half, GB looked destined to double their lead as Ramsey fantastically released Bellamy down the right, and Sinclair headed the 33-year-old’s cross back across goal to Sturridge who somehow knocked the ball onto the post from a yard out, but his blushes were spared as the linesman flagged for offside.

 After a quiet opening 53 minutes, pantomime villain Suarez burst into life as he out-muscled Caulker, before breezing past Richards and running across Jack Butland, but his shot was smothered well by the 19-year-old goalkeeper and the hosts were able to clear as Uruguay threatened to come alive.

 GB were still looking comfortable, but Uruguay attacked with promise again just past the hour mark as Suarez shot left-footed from the edge of the area, but Butland got down very well to his left, while the desperately poor Edinson Cavani smashed the rebound into the side-netting from a narrow angle.

 The hosts were straight back on the attack a few moments later and Neil Taylor's curling left-footed strike from the corner of the penalty area almost snuck inside the far post, but it sailed narrowly wide.

 With victory and three points in sight, GB began to sit back an unnecessary amount, inviting Uruguayan pressure and Suarez almost had a chance following a Ramirez knock down, but the Liverpool man was given a yellow card for effectively catching the ball, yet amazingly still had the audacity to contest the decision.

 Uruguay's newly-found attacking belief was testing GB's defensive quality, with the South American side's main threat coming from Coates at set-pieces, but the young defender first headed on to the back of Micah Richards' head, and then nodded wide.

 A brilliant solo run from Sturridge almost ended in the forward doubling his tally for the night as he marched on by himself from the halfway line before beating Rolin and shooting towards the far post, but Campana tipped it round his right-hand post.

 Tabarez's men were continuously attempting to wind-up their hosts, and although they to hit the bar through Ramirez in stoppage time, they were unable to get the goals they needed and GB held on for the win.

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Men Olympic Football : Brazil ease through, Egypt progress

Internacional striker Leandro Damiao inspired 10-man Brazil to comfortable 3-0 Group C victory over New Zealand to send them into the quarter-finals with a 100% record.

 The 23-year-old set up midfielder Danilo to open the scoring and then claimed his second of the tournament before the break, with Tottenham's Sandro adding a third in the second half to cement the win which will see his side return to St James' Park on Saturday evening.

 Brazil went ahead with 23 minutes gone when Danilo played a one-two with Damiao before surging into the box and lifting the ball over keeper Michael O'Keeffe.

 The South Americans were simply irresistible, and they extended their lead within six minutes when Alex Sandro ran on to an audacious back-heel by left-back Marcelo and squared for Damiao to tap home.

 Egypt also progressed to the knockout rounds after a convincing 3-1 win to knock out Belarus.

 The North Africans struggled to break down a dogged Belarusian side in the opening period but got the all-important breakthrough 11 minutes after the break as Mohamed Salah sweetly controlled a long ball through the middle and slotted home his third goal of the competition.

 Belarus responded by abandoning the caution they had shown for the first hour, but that only made them more susceptible to the counter-attack and two flowing moves from the Egyptians allowed Marwan Mohsen and then Mohamed Aboutrika the easiest of finishes.

 Andrei Voronkov pulled one back with a fine header three minutes from time but it was too little too late for Belarus, who bow out of their first ever Olympics at the group stages.

 Pre-tournament favourites Spain embarrassingly bowed out of the men's Olympic football competition without a goal to their name as they drew 0-0 to Morocco.

 A month ago their compatriots retained their European Championship crown to add to World Cup glory, but this has been a few days to forget for coach Luis Milla's side.

 The goalless draw in front of a crowd of 35,973 at Manchester United's Old Trafford, also ended the faint hopes of the north Africans.

 In the same group, Japan and Honduras both qualified for the quarter-finals in the men's football tournament after fighting out a 0-0 draw of their own at the City of Coventry Stadium.

 Japan finished top of the group with seven points from three games and they will take on Egypt in the last eight. Runners-up Honduras will face a more daunting test against one of the tournament favourites in Brazil.

 Oribe Peralta's second-half strike saw Mexico top Group B with a 1-0 victory over Switzerland at the Millennium Stadium.

 The Swiss needed a win to have any hope of reaching the Olympic quarter-finals, and they enjoyed the better of the opening half with Innocent Emeghara and Admir Mehmedi missing presentable chances.

 But the failure to take their chances was punished by an improved Mexico after the break, with Peralta's low finish setting up a last-eight meeting with the runner-up in Group A.

 South Korea set up a potential quarter-final meeting with Great Britain despite being held to a disappointing 0-0 draw against Gabon at Wembley.

 Arsenal's Park Chu-young and Sunderland striker Ji Dong-won were both guilty of missing easy chances and the quality of the Asian side's finishing - and their play in general - was very poor.

 Gabon came the closest to clinching victory in the second half when Levy Madinda hit a post, but the draw was enough to see Korea through to the last eight.

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GB v Uruguay preview: Park the bus and it's the end of the road warns Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge fears his Great Britain side will come unstuck in their all-or-nothing Olympics clash with Uruguay if they just play for a draw.

 Stuart Pearce's men only need a point from Wednesday night's showdown at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to progress into Saturday's quarter-finals.

 But Chelsea striker Sturridge says the Brits must go all-out to win, warning that Uruguay - one of the pre-tournament favourites - will be dangerous after a surprise loss to Senegal on Sunday left them facing group-phase elimination.

 Sturridge said: "When a draw is good enough to see you through, it's always an awkward one.

 "You find yourself playing for a draw, [then] they get a goal and then you have to open up. "You kind of want to get a goal early doors and then try to see it out if you can. "It's always difficult when you've got to get a point.

 "It's better when you have to win the game because then you want to attack and show an attacking mentality. But now you know the other team is going to be attacking you and you have to be mentally ready for that. "Uruguay are a very good team.

 (Edinson) Cavani is a great individual. We know he's been performing well over the last couple of seasons and also they have Luis Suarez.

 "It's better when you have to win the game because then you want to attack and show an attacking mentality.

 I'm sure this will be the game they'll be looking to show how good they really are." Sturridge scored with a spectacular chip in Sunday's win over UAE , but had only been a second half substitute as he battles his way back to full match fitness after being struck by viral meningitis last month.

 He is expected to start against Uruguay however, and the Chelsea attacker says he is relishing the chance to prove himself as a centre-forward, having been forced to play wide for much of his career at Stamford Bridge. Sturridge added: "It was fantastic to play at Wembley and score a goal.

 "The manager is playing me in a centre-forward role and I feel more comfortable there and hope to show my capabilities. "I'm not focusing on anything but the Olympics. Just to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience for myself, something special, is something you dream about.

 "As a footballer you never think you'd get the opportunity to be part of something like this so for me I've actually not been focusing on anything but this. I'm delighted to be here."

 Pearce's squad has a clean bill of health. Captain Ryan Giggs, who had a tight hamstring against UAE, is set to lead out the team in Cardiff.

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