Brazil wins second consecutive “Gold” in football: Beat Spain 2-1 to win the title.

Brazil won their second-ever gold medal in Olympic football, which also happens to be their second consecutive gold medal in the Olympics. With a 2-1 victory over the Spaniards, Brazil secured this feat. The game was pretty even throughout. The possession stats read 45-55, Brazil after the game, which shows how cutthroat the game was. Brazil’s Malcolm scored the winning goal in the second half of extra time in the 107^th minute of the game. Spain held their defense throughout the game but faltered at a time when it mattered the most. Here’s how the game turned out to be: – 

The teamsheets: – 

The Spain squad consisted of a few common names from club football including Real Madrid’s ace striker Marco Asensio and Barcelona’s midfielder Pedri Gonzalez. Both of them significantly contributed throughout the game. The wing-backs were Eric Garcia and Marc Cucurella. Brazil on the other hand too had a few experienced players. The side was led by the most decorated footballer on the planet, Dani Alves. The other renowned names included Richarlison, Diego Carlos, and Santos with the gloves. 

The first half: – 

The initial charge was taken by Spain, with them moving the numbers forward. The first attempt came in the 2^nd minute itself, which was cleared well by Santos. The 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th minutes saw a few Brazilian attacks but all were in vain. The one in the 11th minute was off a freekick taken by skipper Dani. Brazil’s striker Anthony was making things difficult for Cucurella at the back. The 16th minute saw Diego Carlos makes a supreme off-the-line clearance. In the 25th minute, Richarlison banged one shot onto the side netting. Richarlison, who was playing a great game, slammed a penalty over the goal in the 36^th minute, this was certainly a missed chance. 

The 42^nd, 43^rd minutes saw Brazil moving forward and this was going to be vital. In the injury time of the half, Matheus Cunha banged the first goal for Brazil of a rebound to give Brazil a breakthrough before halftime.1-0, Brazil! 

The second half: – 

The 5^th minute saw Anthony and Richarlison have a 2 VS 1 with the Spanish keeper but Anthony missed his shot on goal. In the 52^nd minute, Richarlison’s brilliant skill work and a shot were denied by the woodwork. In the 59th minute, Spaniard appealed for a penalty, but they weren’t rewarded that! The 60^th minute witnessed the equalizer for Spain. It was an excellent finish from Mikel Oyarzabal as the ball entered the Brazilian net. The rest of the half was just both the teams holding the game. 

Extra time: – 

The 95^th minute of extra was Malcolm having a shot coming off the side netting. In the very next minute, Claudinho’s long ranger was deflected off target. Throughout extra time Brazil was on the offense. Eventually, in the 107th minute, Malcolm pushed the ball back into the Spanish net to get the winning goal for Brazil. 2-1, Brazil win!!