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Olympics: Brazil wins soccer gold

And middleweight Claressa Shields became the first American boxer of either gender to win two Olympic boxing gold medals.

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Felipe Anderson was presented with the best opportunity of what remained of normal time, put clean through on goal by Neymar.

The future is Gabriel Jesus and Gabigol, both 19-year-old strikers.

Brazil’s inability to medal was heartbreaking for Marta, the talented five-time Federation Internationale de Football Association world player of the year, who was finally getting the attention she has deserved from her native country.

“I was something I received with honour and love”.

Rio de Janerio: Germany refused to be intimidated in the hostile cauldron of Rio’s Maracana stadium but they faced an uphill task against 11 Brazilian players roared on by 80,000 vengeful and passionate fans.

Inside the filled Metro station next to Maracana Stadium, Marcos Antunes, 29, and a group of almost two dozen beer-drinking friends and strangers sang, shouted and chanted for their victorious national team after the victory.

There were no more goals so the match went to penalties with Nils Petersen missing Germany’s fifth spot kick leaving Neymar, who appeared to injure himself late in the game, to limp up and coolly score from the spot to send the capacity crowd wild.

He said that he will step down as the captain of the Brazil national team.

Tite will have to find a new leader, no easy task in a squad he is rebuilding after a disastrous end to their home World Cup in 2014 and poor showings in the Copa America tournaments of 2015 and 2016.

It was evident from the start that Neymar knew the nation’s hopes of winning a first men’s Olympic soccer gold rested largely on his shoulders.

In 1950, the other time Brazil hosted the World Cup, they made it to the final only to lose to Uruguay.

Brazil arrived as the main title-favorite but struggled in the beginning, being held to scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq and becoming in danger of failing to advance past the group stage.

Unlike Neymar’s squad, the US women’s basketball team breezed through the tournament – make that six straight tournaments.

“We needed to respond to the Brazilian people”.

Neymar was brought down nearly 25 meters from goal and, although the angle was tight, he curled a spectacular strike into the net off the underside of Timo Horn’s bar.

“Now we need to look toward the future”, said Rogerio Micale, the coach of Brazil’s Olympic team.

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The wounds remain raw two years on from a 7-1 World Cup semi-final shellacking that not only saw the Selecao lose the chance of winning on home turf but their dignity.

Brazil wins gold in soccer; US grabs more track medals