Sweden ended a disconsolate Marta’s dreams of guiding Brazil’s women to a first Olympic football gold medal Tuesday with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win to set up a final with Germany on Friday. Solo came out the victor on penalty kicks after a dramatic 2-2 draw. Sweden, whose previous best showing at an Olympics was fourth place in 2004, will now face Germany in the final tomorrow.
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But a gold which they badly wanted here did not come.
A reporter for Magasin Danderyd, a Swedish magazine, had the temerity to ask Sundhage that very question.
And she was under fire in the Rio heat as a flurry of early Brazilian attacks peppered the Sweden goal.
Swedish soccer coach (previous U.S. soccer coach) asked if she could coach a men’s team: “Well, Angela Merkel runs a whole fucking country”.
But what Marta doesn’t have in her storied career is a major global title.
“We have to try to pick up the pieces of everything and be strong again to go and fight for the bronze”, added Marta.
Marta crumbled to her knees on the field at Brazil’s famed Maracana Stadium, her eyes filled with tears.
“But still we are not satisfied as we want to win the next game”.
The Swedes beat Brazil in the semi-finals with defensive tactics.
Sweden was riding high after knocking off the three-time defending champion United States in the quarterfinals. The top-ranked Americans went home without a medal for the first time since women’s soccer joined the Olympics in 1996.
Neid celebrated seven German championships and six German Cups in her playing days. Her duel with goalkeeper Hope Solo in the final at the Beijing Games was considered epic.
“There is insane stuff going on in the dressing room”, said coach Pia Sundhage, who led the U.S. to gold in 2012. She scored 48 goals.
“What people are saying in the media, it’s not a big deal”. I can only say frustration, no other way. “We talk about football”.
After the hour mark, Brazil dominated possession for long periods with loads of pressure, but the hosts were unable to find the goal they needed and the game headed to extra time.
Behringer, with her fifth goal of the tournament, opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Kadeisha Buchanan fouled Alex Popp in the area. It was Canada’s first loss of the tournament.
That same determination was on display earlier this week, when Sundhage brushed off USA goalkeeper Hope Solo, who’d publicly called the Swedish team “a bunch of cowards” after the Swedes won in overtime.
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Canada, which won bronze four years ago, was the only team from the medal round at the 2012 London Games to return to the semifinals in Brazil.
