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| Neymar emotional after Brazil win Rio Olympic gold |
FC Barcelona players Neymar and Rafinha have both helped their nation Brazil to win their first ever Olympic gold medal in the Men’s football category after they defeated Germany 5-4 on penalties in the gold medal match of the 2016 Rio Olympic games.
Despite being heavily criticized at the start of the tournament, Barça star and Brazil captain Neymar inspired his country to the victory. The winger scored Brazil’s only goal of the game and also netted the winning penalty to help them win that one honour they’ve waited so long to win in football, an Olympic gold medal in the Men’s football category.
Neymar was the most fouled player at the games and it continued in the final at the Maracana as the player was fouled close to the area on 27 minutes and the player stood up to take the free kick, bending a beautiful curler from 30 yards past Germany’s goalkeeper Timo Horn with less than half an hour on the clock.
Germany woke up after conceding the goal and they began to pile the pressure on Brazil who now looked confused. Sven Bender fired a free kick off the bar and the home side were lucky to enter into halftime still leading. Germany hit the post for the third time in the game and it didn’t take long however as Germany grabbed the equalizer at the hour mark through captain Max Meyer. The player was unmarked in the box and met a cross from Toljan to finish off and make it 1-1.
The game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes despite Brazil coming close in extra time and it was down to penalties. Rafinha came on for Gabriel Jesus in extra time and was among the players who scored their penalty kick, he netted Brazil’s third. The kicks were tied at 4-4 before German player Nil Petersen saw his kick well saved by Weverton, giving Neymar a chance to win it for Brazil.
The captain made no mistake as he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to give Brazil the gold medal. Neymar burst into tears after the game, it was historical. Brazil had lost the gold medal match in three previous occasions including 2012 when Neymar and Co lost to Mexico to only claim the Silver.