Team GB are a novelty but it was a familiar
ending for many British fans as the Olympic team were beaten on
penalties in the quarter-final.
After a 1-1 draw with South Korea, Daniel Sturridge was the man to see his effort saved as the Koreans produced five perfect kicks to win 5-4 from the spot.
The Chelsea forward delayed his run-up and substitute goalkeeper Lee Beom-Young was the hero to take South Korea through to a semi-final against Brazil.
In normal time, both goals had come in the first half with Sunderland's Ji Dong-Won beating Jack Butland a little easily before Great Britain won a spot kick and the chance to equalise.
Ryan Bertrand's shot was blocked by a hand and Aaron Ramsey converted the resulting penalty as he slotted the ball underneath Jung Sung-Ryong.
Ramsey could then have given the hosts the lead before the break after Sturridge was fouled in the box but this time his effort was saved - a taste of things to come for Stuart Pearce's side.
Pearce, who only used Ryan Giggs as a late substitute, knows better than most the perils of penalties, having seen his left-footed kick saved in the 1990 World Cup semi-final.
And many in the Millennium Stadium will remember Paul Bodin's missed penalty in the same city that blew Welsh hopes of reaching the 1994 World Cup.
So on a night of unprecedented Olympic success on the athletics track, it fell to the nation's footballers to provide the familiar feeling of penalty failure.
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