Germany goalkeeper Timo Horn sits on the field after failing to stop decisive penalty kick by Brazil’s Neymar during the final match of the mens’s Olympic football tournament between Brazil and Germany at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Advertisement
Neymar buried the winning kick of a penalty shootout against Germany on Saturday night at Maracana Stadium, sending all of Brazil into a boisterous celebration.
But he nonetheless had great praise for the charismatic 24-year-old striker who plays for Barcelona and is considered among the best current players in the world. As if written in the stars, that presented Neymar with the chance to win it and send a whole country of 205 million people into ecstatic hysteria.
“I really don’t have words to describe this, it doesn’t matter if it’s the World Cup or Euros, this is what you have earned through your hard work over weeks and months”.
The Germany-Brazil soccer featured almost entirely different rosters from the 2014 World Cup that marked a low point for Brazilian sports.
He told SporTV, per ESPN: “Today I have become a champion and I give up the captain’s armband”.
Like Bolt, Like Neymar!
They got their just reward just before the hour mark, as the visiting captain Max Meyer slotted the ball into the back of the net from close range.
Weverton saved Nils Peteresen’s spot-kick before Neymar scored the golden penalty.
Dzsenifer Maroszan gathered a cross ball on the edge of the box and had time to steady herself before curling a ideal strike into the top right-hand corner of the net.
“Now my critics will have to shut up”, Neymar said.
“It demonstrates maturity on Neymar’s part”.
Meanwhile, Brazil coach Rogerio Micale said that the victory has restored their self-esteem. “I finish this tournament with the best possible impressions of Neymar as does the team”.
“I am smiling all the time because I am proud of what we achieved”.
In a victory that also partially helped reduce some of the heartache from the 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany in the World Cup two summers ago, Neymar took centre stage.
Sweden cut the deficit in half in the 66th minute, with Blackstenius meeting a cross to make it 2-1.
Advertisement
Neither side could find a victor before the drama of the penalty shootout gave Brazil the gold. Having been jeered by the crowd and blasted by the media, the Barcelona frontman turned Brazil’s fortune in this competition with timely goals in the quarterfinal and the semifinal before playing the key role in Saturday’s final.
