Neymar gives Brazil first soccer gold in Olympics
Brazil’s long nightmare finally ended Saturday. And the captain of its soccer team dropped to his knees as the moment took over and spread his arms in celebration. Far and away Brazil’s biggest sports star now, Neymar had scored the winning penalty to bring home the gold.
Neymar gives Brazil first soccer gold in Olympics
The Olympic tournament was the only major soccer tournament that had eluded Brazil so far. They finally accomplished it in front of an utterly apoplectic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
“That’s it,” Neymar said. “We made history.”
Neymar also had scored Brazil’s goal in the first half from a fabulous free kick. Ultimately, the Brazilians earned a measure of revenge for the 7-1 humiliation that Germany gave them in the 2014 World Cup. None of the players who had taken part in that game played in the Olympics, which is an under-23 competition. It essentially made Saturday’s game more an introduction than a reunion.
“This restores our self-esteem,” Brazil coach Rogerio Micale said. “We see that not all was lost, our football is still alive. There are some things that need to be fixed, but today we were able to make our people happy.”
“I don’t have words to say anything,” Neymar said later, sobbing. “I can’t describe my feelings right now. I just want to thank my teammates, my friends and my family, who have been by my side during the most difficult moments.
“It wasn’t easy. I don’t know what else to say, I’m just really happy.”
Germany settled for the silver medal. They have to forget gold in the first Olympics for which it had qualified since the country’s reunification in 1990.
