preliminary match

基本解释

The Leao-coached Brazilian team lost to football light-weight Australia in a match for third-place, and drew with unheralded Japan and Canada during the preliminary round.
Leao执教的巴西足球队与澳大利亚队这样的二流球队在进行第三名比赛时输了，并且在预赛时与不被人看好的日本和加拿大踢成了平局。
bbs.translators.com.cn
Argentina's football star Diego Armando Maradona (C) cheers his team during the men's preliminary round group A basketball match Argentina vs Russia, on August 18, at the Olympic Basketball Arena.
8月18日，在奥运会篮球馆举行的男子篮球预赛轮A组阿根廷对俄罗斯的比赛上，阿足球明星迭戈-马拉多纳（中）在为自己国家的球队加油。
China's men's basketball team lost to Greece 91-77 in the final match of the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament Monday. Center Yao Ming had 18 points and five rebounds from just 18 minutes.
中国男篮18日在奥运会篮球小组赛最后一战77-91不敌希腊队，姚明出场仅18分钟，得到18分5个篮板。
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He reports that Iceland's preliminary round match against Denmark attracted nearly 60 percent of the country's 100, 000 televisions and a share of about 100.
NPR: Sports Beyond The Olympics