With a kiss of the ball and an unforgettable kick, Brazil’s biggest soccer star gave the Olympic hosts their biggest moment of the Rio de Janeiro Games.
Brazil on Saturday won their first Olympic gold medal in soccer with a dramatic penalty by Neymar to defeat Germany, sending the nation into a frenzy after a 5-4 shoot-out victory after the score was 1-1.
Before the decisive shot, Neymar picked up the ball, kissed it and placed it on the penalty spot. With a stutter-step and a smooth kick, he calmly sent a shot into the top corner and fell to his knees before being mobbed by his teammates.
Photo: AFP
“That’s it,” Neymar said. “We made history.”
Brazil had been battered by recession, political scandal, health scares over polluted water and the Zika virus and questions over whether it could pull off hosting the Olympics.
All the troubles were forgotten when Neymar’s kick sailed into the net.
Jubilant celebrations broke out around Rio, reminiscent of the parties following five World Cup championships won by the soccer-mad nation. Fireworks burst over the stadium, car horns blared and fans sang and tossed beer into the air.
As the team stood atop the medal podium, gold draped around their necks, tears streamed down the faces of fans as all of Maracana Stadium joined in belting out the national anthem.
The victory came two years after an embarrassing 7-1 home loss to Germany’s senior team in the World Cup semi-finals. Brazil were also coming off a demoralizing elimination in the group stage of this year’s Copa America and struggled in the first round of the Olympics.
Germany, playing with a young team that looked nothing like the World Cup-winning squad, made it hard for Brazil, hitting the crossbar three times in the first half. Neymar put Brazil ahead 1-0 with a superb free-kick in the 26th minute.
Germany tied it with a goal in the 59th minute by captain Maximilian Meyer, and neither team came close the rest of regulation and two extra periods of play.
After the teams traded four tense goals during the shootout — both sides lining up arm-in-arm for each attempt, barely able to watch — Brazil goalkeeper Weverton stopped Nils Petersen’s shot from the spot. As if scripted, that set up Neymar with a chance to win gold for Brazil with one kick.
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