Brazil has yet to concede a goal and a shutout against the Germans would make it only the second team to make it through an Olympic tournament with nothing but clean sheets.
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Host nation Brazil – the most successful country in soccer history – finally claimed its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport after beating Germany 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s men’s final at the Rio Games. “That loss has reverberated in the nation’s psyche”.
Germany continued to push for an equaliser but struggled to bypass the Brazil defence, as the score remained 1-0 in favour of the hosts at the break. “It is very easy for me to hand over the reigns”. But this win has done more than that – it’s reignited a flame, and today the whole world witnessed it.
Instead, Nils Petersen’s saved penalty allowed Neymar to end the five-time World Cup winners’ long quest for men’s football gold, bringing relief to a country whose complexities and problems have been reflected at times by their Olympics. Sweden, having scored just three goals in reaching the final, finally showed their attacking abilities with a well-worked move finished off by Blackstenius five minutes later.
Then Marozsan’s free-kick in the 62nd minute hit a post and rebounded off Sweden’s Linda Sembrant for an own-goal.
As the team stood atop the medal podium, gold draped around their necks, tears streamed down the faces of fans as all of Maracana Stadium joined in belting out the national anthem. By the time Brazil’s goalless drought ended late in the second half – the team going without a goal for almost seven consecutive hours of soccer during the tournament – Canada already had a two-goal cushion.
The win was a ideal farewell for German coach Silvia Neid, who was managing the side in her last match.
The victory in Rio’s Maracana stadium follows a 2007 World Cup win, an Olympic bronze in 2008, and two European titles in 2009 and 2013 for the German women during Neid’s reign. But the match still has huge significance for Brazil, which has never won gold in soccer.
“I’m looking forward to our last discussion before the game, I’m looking forward to walk together with the team, I’m looking forward to the butterflies in my stomach before the game, which is usual before such a big game, I’m looking forward to the scenery”, she said. “It is a different time, different game, different players”. “I am sure the final with Germany will be a great match but it has nothing to do with the past”.
Neymar was in the side that was shocked 2-1 by Mexico at London 2012.
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A frantic closing period saw the Scandinavians push for an equalizer – making a mockery of the cowards tag previously given them by United States goalkeeper, Hope Solo – but Germany always looked risky on the break.
