Rio de Janeiro - Arab Today
For the first time ever, Brazil has won an Olympic gold medal in soccer. Neymar fired his country to victory over Germany on Saturday, scoring in a 1-1 draw and converting the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout win.
The Germans got off to a fast start, with Julian Brandt hitting the crossbar in the 11th minute. But it was the Brazilians who struck first, through their captain Neymar. In the 27th minute, he drew a foul on Matthias Ginter 25 yards away from goal and stepped up to address the free kick himself.
Germany came out with a bit more organized attack to start the second half, and it paid off within 15 minutes. Max Meyer was the man who leveled the game in the 59th minute, finishing a beautiful first-time shot from 12 yards off a low cross by Jeremy Toljan.
Brazil had lost the Olympic final three times - in 1984, 1988 and 2012 - but they finally got the gold they craved on a dramatic night at the Maracana stadium in which they outplayed the Germans but were saved three times by the woodwork.
Source : XINHUA