Veteran skipper Giggs leads Britain to victory

30 Jul 2012, 6:57 am   -   Source: Reuters
Britain's players pose before their men's preliminary first round Group A soccer match against UAE at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Wembley Stadium in London July 29, 2012. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

Britain's players pose before their men's preliminary first round Group A soccer match against UAE at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Wembley Stadium in London July 29, 2012. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

LONDON (Reuters) - Hosts Britain took a big step towards the quarter-finals when goals from skipper Ryan Giggs and substitutes Daniel Sturridge and Scott Sinclair secured a deserved 3-1 win over the United Arab Emirates at Wembley on Sunday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Hosts Britain took a big step towards the quarter-finals when goals from skipper Ryan Giggs and substitutes Daniel Sturridge and Scott Sinclair secured a deserved 3-1 win over the United Arab Emirates at Wembley on Sunday.

Giggs, at 38 years and 243 days, became the oldest man to appear in the Olympic football competition and then became the oldest scorer when he headed Britain in front after 16 minutes.

The UAE equalised through Rashed Eisa after 69 minutes but Britain then hit back with two goals in four minutes from Sinclair, who scored with his first touch after 73 minutes, and Sturridge who added the third with a brilliant chip over goalkeeper Ali Khaseif in the 76th minute.

The result, Britain's first win in the Olympics since they beat Taiwan 3-2 in the Rome Games in September 1960, put them top of Group A with four points having scored more goals than Senegal who stunned Uruguay 2-0 earlier at Wembley.

Britain will qualify for the last eight as long as they do not lose to Uruguay in Cardiff next Wednesday while the UAE are eliminated after losing their first two games.

(Reporting by Mike Collett, editing by Justin Palmer)

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