Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Neymar scored twice, including the fastest goal in Olympics history, as Brazil coasted into Saturday’s gold medal football match with a 6-0 thrashing of Honduras at Rio’s iconic Maracana.
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Neymar has received help from others, including youngsters Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Barbosa, who have scored one and two goals respectively.
Brazil Olympic football coach Rogerio Micale says that his team’s captain and superstar Neymar has learned from past mistakes, as the tournament favourites head for Wednesday’s semifinals against outsiders Honduras.
Brazil will be aiming to break their Olympic jinx in soccer.
In the 26th minute, Gabriel Jesus doubled Brazil’s lead after beating Honduras goalkeeper Luis Lopez to a through ball and flicking it into the back of the net.
The men’s semi-final had barely kicked off when Barcelona forward Neymar intercepted the ball, charged towards the Honduran side, challenged the goalie and bundled the ball into the net, sending the Maracana stadium into a frenzy of cheers.
Neymar will have to keep the magic going to allow Brazil to finally hoist the only worldwide title that has so far eluded it.
“Neymar is a player who carries a lot of responsibility because of the quality he possesses”. Off a corner in the 56th minute, defender Marquinhos bundled the ball over the line for Brazil’s fourth goal.
It was almost elation to devastation for Neymar, however, as he collided with Luis Lopez in the build up to his opening goal and was stretchered off after receiving treatment.
Honduras arrived at the Rio de Janeiro Games without much hope of contending for a medal, but the team eliminated two-time Olympic champion Argentina in the group stage and got past a very good South Korean team in the quarterfinals. Janine Beckie took only 20 seconds to score for Canada against Australia in the women’s tournament in Rio.
Although he has played well for his country, Neymar only has one of his team’s six goals at the Olympics.
Neymar struggled when Brazil opened with consecutive scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq, but he and the rest of the team are coming off convincing wins against Denmark and Colombia.
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19 Germany’s goals after four matches, including four against Portugal in the quarter-finals.
