Host Brazil will take on South Africa in one of the men’s soccer tournament matches in Rio Olympics 2016 on Thursday, kick off time at 3:00 PM ET.
Advertisement
Brazil men’s Olympic football team captain Neymar said that Thursday’s 0-0 opening day draw against 10-man South Africa felt “like a defeat”.
Like Neymar, Gabigol and Gabriel Jesus have been a constant in Brazil’s youth squads, and the trio is also expected to lead Brazil’s attack at the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.
Brazil, which has never won the Olympic gold, started with a highly rated front three of Neymar, new Manchester City signing Gabriel Jesus, and 19-year-old Gabriel Barbosa, the Santos striker expected to head to Europe in this transfer window.
Neymar and Gabigol threatened a few times but also couldn’t score.
But the little-known South Africans matched the hosts until they had Mothobi Mvala sent off just before the hour.
Share with Us – We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism.
In other matches, Iraq and Denmark finished with the same score, 0-0, Honduras beat Algeria 3-2, Portugal beat Argentina 2-0 and another tie between Sweden and Colombia at 2-2 along with Germany and Mexico at 2-2 a tie.
The Mamelodi Sundowns lynchpin was in fine form, particularly in the first half, as he used his pace and skill to test the Brazilian defence when South Africa countered.
World champions Germany played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with 2012 gold medallists Mexico under a torrential downpour in Salvador. The FC Barcelona striker is just 24 years old, but he is now the fifth highest goal scorer in the history of the Brazilian men’s national soccer team.
Mvala took his second yellow when he hockey hip-checked the rampant Zeca minutes after his first, yellow, and Brazil would set for a half-hour with a man advantage.
Fiji and South Korea were in action in Group C later. Most recently Brazil was embarrassed at the Copa America when it failed to advance past the group stage of the continental competition.
Neymar proudly sported the captain’s armband, but his desire to get involved by dropping deep often left him too far from the South African goal to make a telling impact.
Brazil controlled possession but wasn’t able to create many significant chances until late in the second half.
Advertisement
It ended Brazil 0-0 South Africa.
