Neymar of Brazil celebrates scoring the winning penalty in the penalty shoot out during the Men’s Football Final between Brazil and Germany at the Maracana Stadium on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Neymar was on the World Cup team but didn’t play against Germany because of a back injury sustained in the quarterfinals against Colombia.
The no.2 ranked Germans scored two goals in the second half, and although the Swedes got a goal back they could not snatch an equaliser that would have taken the game into extra-time.
Brazil’s five penalties were of such high quality and Germany’s goalkeeper, Horn, barely came close to saving any of them before Brazilian goalkeeper Weverton Pereira Silva saved Petersen’s kick.
Brazilian soccer’s conquering hero Neymar has announced that he will step down as captain of the national team after leading it to gold medal glory in the Rio Olympics. “God loves Neymar like he loves all this team”.
When Neymar scored his first goal, he emulated Bolt’s “To the World” pose.
But when his home country failed to score a goal in shutout ties against South Africa and Iraq, he went home on August 10.
With Olympic gold finally in hand, the pressure is squarely on Brazil’s senior team now. On their fifth and final kick, Neymar nailed it easily, sealing the gold for Brazil in soccer for the first time in Olympic history.
The final game had to be decided via a penalty shoot-out, following a normal and extra time 1-1 finish after 120 minutes.
Neymar, who skipped the Copa America to try to give the hosts the Olympic gold, avoided joining a long list stars who failed to win the gold for Brazil, including Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
“It was a noble gesture on Neymar’s part to leave it up to Tite”, said Micale.
“He is a player of 24 years of age and already has and Olympic gold and silver medal”. It was only after the bronze medal was hung around her neck did she reveal that her father had passed away two months before the games.
Despite renouncing his captaincy, Neymar still is expected to be a key player as Brazil resumes its troubled campaign to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.
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But she did have a plea to soccer fans in Brazil as the women’s game continues to struggle for backing from both its federation and the public.
