RIO
DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 20: Players of Brazil celebrate on the
podium after the Men’s Football Final between Brazil and Germany at the
Maracana Stadium on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 20,
2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Brazil has won its first-ever Olympics
football gold following a 5-4 penalty defeat of Germany in the final of
the Rio Olympics football event.
Goals from both the Brazilian Captain Neymar and his German counterpart Maximilliam Meyer proved decisive for both countries as the encounter ended 1-1 in regulation and extra time.
Neymar netted Brazil’s goal in the 26th
minute to send the Maracana Stadium agog but the celebration was cut
short in the 58th minute when Meyer equalised for the Germans.
The equaliser sent jitters across Brazil
as it reminded the host of its previous three Olympics football finals
in 1984, 1988 and 2012, when it lost the gold.
The Brazilians kept the pressure but the German defenders gave their all to ensure the Olympics host did not have their way.
The Germans proved to be worthy opponents when they hit the Brazilian crossbar three times in the first half.
It however, paid off when Meyer equalised through a loose ball.
Both teams kept their own until the referee’s final whistle after 120 minutes, as there was no other goal in the extra time.
Germany opened the penalty kick with a bang and it was at 4-4 apiece when one of its players Nils Petersen missed his kick.
Brazil’s five penalties were of such high quality and Germany’s goalkeeper, Horn, barely came close to saving any of them before Brazilian goalkeeper Weverton Pereira Silva saved Petersen’s kick.
Attention was focused on Neymar who did
not waste time to bury the last kick to end it 5-4 and strike Brazil’s
first ever gold in the history of Olympics football after losing three
previous finals.
Photo Credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
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