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At the final whistle after 120 minutes without air, after six games in 17 days, and at the end of an 11-month season with barely a break, the players of Brazil and Spain collapsed. in contrasting states of delirium.
For the Brazilian men’s Olympic football team, the evening ended with a career joy for many in attendance. The gold medal came thanks to an overtime goal from the dynamic and revolutionary Malcom, who plays his football in the Premier League of the Russian Olympic Committee with Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Richarlison, who missed a penalty and gave himself other chances, fell face down near the center circle. A group of coaches intertwined their arms and bounced off the grass like a huge human beach ball. Flags were waved as the gathered Brazilian media launched into chants and songs.
Have a thought for Spain, too, who now have to contend with the rise of the European club football machine as their own summer dreams begin to fade. They have a silver medal to accompany the memories. It was a worthy final as both teams struggled to their physical limits, and it was rightfully won by Brazil, if only for the volume of offensive substitutes launched by André Jardine.
No one cares about men’s Olympic football. Why don’t they just play it on horses or introduce a swimming round. All of this is a distraction from the real deal of endless club football that no one really remembers. This is often the line at this point.
Well, don’t talk about it in Brazil, which has an enduring obsession with this competition. Five silver medals for the men’s team created a long-delayed sense of gratification around their 2016 success in Rio. With another gold medal, Brazil has more Olympic men’s football medals – nine – than any other nation.
The Olympic final in Rio was contested in front of 63,000 people at the Maracanã. In Yokohama, teams faced the familiar spectacle of empty plastic seats. The international stadium is a huge open concrete bowl, pleasantly faded in places, with the sprawling view that comes from an old-fashioned six-lane race track around the perimeter.
Brazil initially lined up in a classic 4-2-3-1, Spain in a similar form, with Pedri in a deeper role than recently at center.
As a pleasant breeze began to blow under the patchwork roof, the game settled into a slow-burning pattern: Spain kept the ball, Brazil looked to play on the break, trusting the awesome power. of Richarlison’s race.
This Olympic tournament answered a few questions about Richarlison – is he any good? (Answer: sometimes); what exactly is he doing? (Answer: stuff) – and also left them hanging. Here, the Everton man was at the center of a bizarre interlude with 33 minutes elapsed. A deep free kick was launched into the Spanish area. Unai Simón flew wildly with both knees with his head held high and pulled Matheus Cunha out.
It was a violent assault in any other setting, although Simón is a goalkeeper he is of course generally allowed to kick in the head. Eventually, the referee awarded a penalty via VAR, to Simón’s apparent shock.
Richarlison stepped forward, paused, then placed the ball in the wide open spaces behind the goal, so far off target he might have needed a PCR test to get back onto the playing field. But at the stroke of half-time, Brazil finally took the advantage, a goal scored by the persistence of Dani Alves on the right. His withdrawal was allowed to rebound and was repelled by Cunha, who stroked the ball into the corner.
Luis de la Fuente sent Bryan Gil and Carlos Soler early in the second half. Gil is a light, skillful and unpredictable winger who has just signed for Tottenham. Nature heals itself. And it worked for a while as Pedri, playing his 73rd game of the season, started pulling the strings.
Brazil really should have killed the game after 52 minutes, Richarlison finding space but seeing his shot bounce over the bar on Simón’s heel.
But soon after, Spain equalized via a brilliant finish from Mikel Oyarzabal via Soler’s cross. Oyarzabal crouched on the left edge of the box, tilted his body and then smashed a magnificent volley back to the goal, the ball hitting the corner with an audible zing.
But it was the appearance of Malcom at the start of extra time that changed the situation decisively. Malcom was a late injury substitute for this team. He’s a Corinthians boy, who moved to Europe at the age of 16, made a name for himself in Bordeaux, spent a season in Barcelona and could have become another talent remembered, another traveling pistol for hire in European football.
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But he had his moment here. Brilliant and mobile, his speed was simply too high for the right side of the Spanish defense. Finally, 12 minutes from time, he grabbed a nice cross pass from Antony and flew away. Malcom shot hard and low, the ball flying to the far corner of the net, again on Simón’s heel. Brazil won their seventh gold medal at the Games and will now try to become the first men’s team to be crowned three times in a row in Paris.
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