Olympics: Football round-up - Spain sent home by Honduras

The reigning world and European champions suffer a shock elimination from London 2012, as Brazil and Japan ease into the quarter-final stage.

Honduras and Spain players clash during their Olympic football match in Newcastle

Brazil and Japan booked their spots in the quarter-finals of the men's football competition yesterday, while the Spain, the Euro 2012 and World Cup winners, were eliminated from the tournament.

In Group C Neymar inspired Brazil to a 3-1 victory over Belarus. The South American side, seeking their first Olympic gold, went behind on eight minutes as Renan Bardini found the net, but Alexandre Pato tied it up with a header in the 15th after a cross by Neymar.

The Brazilian forward scored with a superb free kick in the 65th minute and then set up the final goal for Oscar, who recently signed for Chelsea, in injury time.

"I'm so glad that we won the game," Neymar said. "We played very well in the second half and now we are another step closer. It was very hard for us against a good Belarus team."

The victory in front of 66,000 people at Manchester's Old Trafford Stadium gives Brazil six points in Group C, three more than Belarus, with both New Zealand and Egypt on one point after the pair drew their encounter 1-1.

In Pool B Mexico got their campaign back on track by beating Gabon 2-0. Substitute Giovani Dos Santos scored twice in the second half to give the South Americans their victory in Coventry.

South Korea's 2-1 win against Switzerland means they join Mexico on four points.

In Group D Japan continued their stellar start to the tournament, following their first round defeat of Spain, with a 1-0 win over Morocco.

Kensuke Nagai fired Japan into the quarter-finals with a late winner. The Grampus Eight forward struck with an instinctive lob six minutes from time to settle a tight Group D encounter.

Spain went 1-0 down in the seventh minute to a Jerry Bengtson goal for Honduras, and failed to recover in a tempestuous match that saw 13 yellow cards.

Senegal defeated Uruguay 2-0 in the UAE's pool to throw qualification from Group A wide open.

Moussa Konate socred twice, either side of Abdoulaye Ba's first-half dismissal.

In a match littered with fouls - and a further five yellow cards - Senegal kept the World Cup semi-finalists at bay, with Luis Suarez coming closes when he headed into the side netting.

Outsides to qualify before the competition started, Senegal know a victory over the UAE in Coventry on Wednesday will send them through to the knockout stages.

* Agencies