Saturday was a big day for Neymar, who scored Brazil’s only goal and converted the decisive penalty kick in Brazil’s thrilling victory over Germany in the Olympic gold-medal game.
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The soccer championship is the headline event Saturday in the Rio Olympics on a day that features a full slate of track and field competitions, the us women basketball team vying for another gold and a Hall of Fame golfer pulling off an impressive comeback.
Brazil’s arrival in the gold medal match capped a remarkable rebound for the men’s team, who were widely ridiculed after their early struggles in this tournament – which included a 0-0 draw with Iraq, which was then ranked No. 99 in the world.
Neymar, the man that carried the weight of the Olympics host nation on his shoulders, stepped up in a penalty kick shootout and won a gold medal for his country.
“It’s different to play against the USA and Brazil – and Germany – you have to look at the differences”, Sundhage said.
In the end the lottery of penalties decided the clash and it was written in the stars that Neymar would be the man to seal victory for the Brazilians and spark an all-night Rio party.
Dunga made Neymar captain following Brazil’s humiliating 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany at the 2014 World Cup. “It was the most incredible thing”, fan Claudia Oshman said after the game.
“God loves Neymar like he loves all this team”, said Weverton.
The Germany-Brazil soccer featured almost entirely different rosters from the 2014 World Cup that marked a low point for Brazilian sports. It was the gold Brazil craved, worth more to them than a dozen from other sports.
“I don’t have any words to describe it properly, but when you reach your goal it is just that moment of pure joy”. I just want to thank my teammates, my friends and my family, who have been by my side during the most hard moments.
Brazil had lost the Olympic final three times – in 1984, 1988 and 2012 – but they finally got the gold they craved on a dramatic night at the Maracana stadium in which they outplayed the Germans but were saved three times by the woodwork.
“It’s very easy for me to hand of the reins to somebody else”.
After the game, Neymar announced that he didn’t want to be the team’s captain anymore, saying it was an honor but the coach could pick someone else going forward.
Brazil hung onto its lead until halftime despite Weverton catching a shot and appearing to carry it over his own goal line just minutes before the break. Brazil is, finally, an Olympic champion football team.
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Taking silver was Jamaica with a time of 2:58.16, and Bahamas stormed past Botswana to take bronze in 2:58.49. That’s because Olympic soccer features under-23 teams while the World Cup is for the top national squad.
