Almost three hours before the semi-final against Honduras, Brazil’s football cathedral was crowded and, with an hour to go to kick-off, it was a heaving, singing mass of almost 78,000 souls.
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Brazil has at last taken discernable steps to footballing redemption – at least on the pitch.
Brazil team before their match vs Colombia.
Neymar scored after only 14 seconds – the fastest goal in Olympic football history – as Brazil thrashed Honduras 6-0 to reach the men’s final in Rio. It also offers the host nation a chance to revenge their humiliating 7-1 defeat at the hands of Germany in the 2014 World Cup.
“I am sure the final with Germany will be a great match but it has nothing to do with the past”.
Max Meyer scored the equalizer for Germany in the 59th minute.
The men’s national teams from Brazil and Germany will face off on Saturday in the final at the Rio Olympics. “He has the gift of playing football, he delights everyone with his talent”, said coach Micale.
History now beckons for the golden generation of the Seleção as they look to become the first Brazil side to secure a Gold medal at the competition.
“Hey Germany, just wait, your turn is coming up”, the fans chanted at the Maracana. “It is wonderful, fabulous”, Germany coach Horst Hrubesch said.
The Seven Network has broadcast rights to the Olympic Games in Australia.
Marquinhos, unmarked in the centre of the box, converted Neymar’s corner with an easy finish to notch Brazil’s fourth in the 51st minute.
“We will play against Brazil not just Neymar”.
“We’re playing together as a group”.
“That was the World Cup”.
“We won and we won well, but if in the final we don’t play well again, all of this will be for nothing”, Brazil midfielder Renato Augusto said. “But nobody here played in that final”.
“We are not going to lack energy or fight. But we are happy to be here, whether we win or not”. It arrived at the Rio de Janeiro Games as the main title-favorite and with the obligation of winning the elusive gold, which is the only trophy the five-time World Cup champions have never won in soccer. The game followed a bronze medal match in which Americans Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross beat Brazil’s other women’s team, Larissa and Talita. At London 2012, Brazil and Neymar were defeated 2-0 in the final by Mexico.
This is the third straight Olympics in which Brazil has brought some of its best players looking for gold.
“I am pretty satisfied, not only for the atmosphere but also because of my team”. Although Luis Lopez who had kept a clean sheet in quarts denied Neymar’s free-kick in the 64 minute, the 23-year-old was unable to prevent Luan from recording Brazil’s fifth on 79 minutes.
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USA HOOPS: After meeting in the semifinals of the last three Olympics, the US men’s basketball team plays Argentina in the quarterfinals.
