Brazil defeated South American rivals Colombia 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 after goals from Neymar and Luan.
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Colombia rarely tried to play in their quarter-final, preferring to hack at their opponents, and it was from a 30-yard free kick that Brazil took the lead after 12 minutes with Neymar curling the ball through a wall that disintegrated.
It is the third time a clash between the countries has turned ugly in as many years with Neymar always at the centre of the controversy.
In one, nine-minute period during the first half, three Colombian players received yellow cards, each after rough tackles on the Brazil star.
Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar was at it again on Saturday.
“We know that the Brazilian fans will support their team for 90 minutes, but we will have the mental and emotional control of it”, he said. The two nations met in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Olympic tournament, with Brazil winning 3-2 on their way to the silver medal in London.
Brazil never looked back from there and held on for a 2-0 victory after a goal by fellow forward Luan in the 83rd minute.
Brazil will face Honduras in Wednesday’s semi-finals in Rio after the Central Americans stunned South Korea 1-0 thanks to Alberth Elis’s victor in Belo Horizonte.
In the other semifinal, which will be played in Sao Paulo later Wednesday, 1996 Olympic champion Nigeria will face Germany, which is playing in the Olympics for the first time since 1998, when USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann was on the team. The tournament is played mostly with under-23 squads. Honduras advances into the semifinals round by beating a talented South Korean team. Those results put Brazil in danger of another embarrassing home elimination two years after the 7-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup semifinals. If it beats Honduras, it will be back at the stadium for Saturday’s final.
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“I’m not surprised. I have said from the beginning with more games the better we will get as a team”, said Gnabry.
