Eight flawless spot-kicks were converted before Petersen saw his effort saved, with Neymar keeping his cool to convert the winning penalty kick.
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“Today I have been proclaimed a champion and I hand over the armband as captain”, Neymar told SporTV after scoring the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout win over Germany on Saturday.
Neymar dusted himself down after a foul and took aim from 25 yards, with his exceptional, right-footed free-kick beating Timo Horn and clipping the underside of the bar on its way in.
The lottery, and on this occasion, to achieve Olympic glory, finally smiled on Neymar and Brazil.
Brazil coach Rogerio Micale essentially said it was too soon to put Neymar in that realm, suggesting his next step is a World Cup title.
He will most definitely have an instrumental role to play over the coming years, but he will not be leading the team.
Bettancourt, 19, hadn’t enjoyed an Olympic soccer championship in her lifetime because, despite being one of the world’s most traditionally soccer-rich countries, Brazil had never won one. I was glad to receive it, I have honored it, but today I am (leaving it).
The Brazilians had waited 64 years since their first Olympic Football Tournament to win gold.
The victory gave Brazil a measure of revenge for their humiliating 7-1 defeat by eventual World Cup winners Germany in the semi-finals on home soil in 2014 – a game the frustrated Neymar had to watch from the sidelines due to injury.
But after scoring Brazil’s first goal in the gold medal game as well as the shootout victor, Neymar, once again, had become Brazil’s favourite son, dropping to his knees in both prayer and elation following the match.
Although Olympic soccer for men essentially is an under-23 youth tournament, its stature grew in the land of the “Beautiful Game”.
The equaliser sent jitters across Brazil as it reminded the host of its previous three Olympics football finals in 1984, 1988 and 2012, when it lost the gold.
“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”.
“Beloved nation, the gold is ours”, Weverton said, still holding the ball. “This ball is mine, it’s part of history”.
Brazil coach Rogeiro Micale summed up the mood of the people.
“We had our chances, we could have scored at least three times”. “We have replied with good football”, he said. Brazil won the bronze two times.
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That criticism melted away amidst chants of “ole, ole, ole Neymar” in front of the biggest crowd of the Games at the Maracana as Neymar led the hosts to a long-awaited gold. “Please visit us again soon”.
