What a way to go out.
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The first of the Football gold medals are up for grabs at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with Sweden taking on Germany.
Neid, a two-time FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year, is stepping down following the Olympics. The win at the iconic Maracana Stadium gave her one more championship to cap her 11-year career as Germany’s coach.
After leading the United States to Olympic glory in 2008 and 2012, Sweden coach Pia Sundhage was aiming to secure another gold with the country of her birth.
In the bronze medal match, the Brazilian women will look to finish strong against Canada.
Germany and Sweden were playing in the gold-medal match for the first time. This could also be the last Olympics ride for Marta, who is three years younger but also has a ton of hard miles and a few injuries to consider.
“This is definitely a new summit for German women’s football”, Neid said. She will now hand over to Steffi Jones as an Olympic champion, having also presided over a 2007 World Cup triumph and two Euro wins.
The hosts may still be brooding and bruised following that World Cup loss but there was little ill-feeling towards Germany, aside from expressions of frustration at the slow pace of an attritional and uninspiring first half.
The best chance of the first half fell to Germany midway through the opening 45 minutes. Lotta Schelin’s blast three minutes later sailed over the goal and the match was scoreless at the break.
Marozsan fired home an 18-yard bullet past goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl and into the upper right corner in the 48th minute to give her side a 1-0 lead.
A comical own goal from Sweden’s Linda Sembrant, when she directed the ball into the goal after it had come back off the post following a free kick, increased Germany’s lead just after the hour.
Both came early in the second half at an impressively-full Maracana, where Sweden were unable to add another after substitute Stina Blackstenius reduced the deficit as Germany gave outgoing coach Silvia Neid the ideal send off.
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In the previous two matches, Sweden hunkered down on defense – drawing criticism from US goalkeeper Hope Solo – but Sundhage had her team attack more against Germany.
