2016 RIO OLYMPICS: BRAZIL WINS FIIRST FOOTBALL GOLD
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 21 Aug 2016
Host Brazil finally captured its first ever Olympic gold medal in football, the sport they love most. Captain Neymar was tearful after he led his country to the historic first men's soccer title with the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout victory over arch-rival Germany in an exciting final at the Maracana stadium on Saturday.
The game finished 1-1 after extra-time, with Neymar first scoring for Brazil with a magnificent free kick in the 27th minute before German skipper Maximilian Meyer tied it with an amazing goal to force an overtime period.
No goals were scored in extra time so the game was decided by a shootout. Germany's Nils Petersen the first to miss with their fifth spot kick. Neymar took his turn to notch the title clinching goal and drove the 78,000 full-house crowd wild.
Five-time world champion Brazil lost the Olympic gold medal match three times in 1984, 1988 and 2012 but now they have garnered the only international crown that eluded them by winning over the country who defeated them 7-1 in the World Cup semi-finals in the Brazilian homecourt in 2014.
A unified Germany is the now the only country to have won the World Cup but have not won the Olympic gold medal.
But in the women's football, Germany won their first ever Olympic gold by beating Sweden, 2-1 at the Macarana Stadium.
Photo: Brazilian team captain and hero Neymar with the gold medal.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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