London 2012 Football: Play ball with Google's Doodle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Canadian women became the first to grab a medal, after they won the bronze beating France, in the football events at the London Olympics 2012, Google also comes up with a playful version celebrating the most popular game on earth.

Except for 1896 and 1932, Olympics have always featured men's football tournament at the every-four-years extravaganza. Women's football was introduced in 1996.

Although football did feature in the 1900 Paris and 1904 St. Louis Olympics, there were no medals awarded back then and only demonstration matches were held.

It were the 1908 London Olympics when officially the game made an entry into the Games. Great Britain won the Gold, Denmark the Silver and Netherlands the Bronze.

Argentina men, who won the Gold in 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Games, did not qualify for the London Olympics 2012. Actually neither did the Argentine women.

Brazil men's football team are looking for their first Olympic Gold and face Mexico in the final on Saturday.

Brazilian women, two time Olympic runner-ups in 2004 and 2008, on the other hand were knocked out in the quarter-final by eventual finalists Japan.

It is the United States team that dominates in the women's section though. They have won the Gold three times in the four Olympics since the inception of the women's football at the Games. They have won the last two Olympic football tournaments and are on course for a third when they take on Japan in the final on Thursday.