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Brazil’s King Neymar Leads the Way as Hosts Deliver First Olympic Gold
- Updated: August 21, 2016
Neymar had started Brazil’s march towards Olympic gold in the Maracana, and the Barcelona man was also there to finally end their quest. The inspirational forward led his young team-mates by example to add the final penalty to his early free-kick and finally break Germany’s brave resistance, as the Selecao prevailed in scenes of unrestrained joy in Rio de Janeiro.
It was never an easy ride for the Selecao, under overwhelming pressure to win the last gong missing from the nation’s bulging trophy cabinet. Brazil had finished three times as silver medallists at the Olympic Games, but never managed to overcome that final hurdle and take the top place on the podium.
Romario, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Bebeto: Brazil’s greatest players have tried and failed to break the drought since the door was opened to professionals in the 1980s. Neymar himself had been the golden boy four years previously in London, but his three goals were not enough to avoid final defeat.
Draws against Iraq and South Africa in the first two games hardly gave a glimpse of future success, neither for Neymar—who saw a young fan cross out his name and add in women’s icon Marta in an image that quickly crossed the world, per the Telegraph—nor his struggling team.
But from the boos of those opening encounters the Selecao took on an added strength, and that perhaps was what kept them going in Saturday’s final. Germany defended heroically against the yellow onslaught, but it is hard to argue that Brazil’s penalty shootout was anything but richly deserved.
Germany started strongly in Rio, keeping Brazil’s potent attack at arm’s length while probing out wide to find space. A mazy dribble from Serge Gnabry opened up the hosts 11 minutes in and left Julian Brandt free on the edge of the area. Brazil’s goalkeeper Weverton Pereira da Silva was grateful to see the shot bounce off the crossbar as he dived despairingly after the ball.
Neymar, however, was ready and willing to repeat his record in the quarter- and semi-finals and open the scoring. The forward was pulled down by Matthias Ginter 20 metres from Timo Horn’s net, and he lined up his free-kick. Once more the effort struck the bar, but the right side, and the Maracana exploded as the ball eventually settled in the back of the net to put the Selecao ahead in the first half.
Another great Olympian, Usain Bolt, received a tribute from the pitch as the forward performed an affectionate imitation of his famous lightning bolt celebration. Neymar may not have flown out of the blocks quite as quickly as the brilliant Jamaican, but his …
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