The game finished 1-1 after extra time, with Neymar’s first-half free-kick cancelled out by Max Meyer’s strike. But Sweden’s late pressure was not enough to prevent the German win and sends the country’s legendary former player and manager Silvia Neid out as a gold medallist – it was her last match managing the national team.
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Brazilians, led by team captain Neymar, played well; but so did the Germans.
In an eventful evening at the world famous Maracana Stadium here, the host nation avenged their 1-7 defeat in the 2014 World Cup semifinal with a 6-5 victory in penalties against World Cup champions Germany.
There were no more goals in the remaining part of the match, officiated by Faghani Allreza of Ireland.
The future starts on Monday, when senior national team coach Tite, appointed in July after Dunga was sacked, names his first squad for qualifiers in Ecuador on September 1 and at home to Colombia five days later.
Now it was skipper Neymars turn to take the fifth and final shot of the regular penalty shoot-out. Neymar was brought down nearly 25 metres from goal and, although the angle was tight, he curled a spectacular strike into the net off the underside of Timo Horn’s bar. But the Barcelonas champion striker curved the ball nicely and accurately to deceive the opponent goalkeeper Timo Horn at the right corner of the iron frame.
Germany opened the scoring just after halftime with goal from Dzsenifer Marozsan.
The noise ratcheted up to a level not heard at these Olympics but Germany attacked undaunted, with a teasing Meyer free-kick directed onto the top of the crossbar by a Brazilian defender.
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 here in which they outplayed the Germans but were saved three times by the woodwork.
With 294 of 306 titles decided, the United States led the medals table with 43 golds, with Britain in surprise second place with 27 to China’s 26. “Yesterday we were criticized”, said the Brazilian star, “We have replied with good football”.
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‘We can look to the future with more confidence and more pride, ‘ said an optimistic Micale. Ill leave here with the sensation of having done my duty..
