A confident Spain side withstood a VAR-assisted late rally by France’s men’s Olympic soccer team to take the gold medal. Man of the match Sergio Camello chipped in two goals in extra time to defeat the hosts, 3-5 aet. The French team led by head coach Theirry Henry has to settle with an impressive silver medal despite a tough start to the event. This showcased the overall fighting spirit of the hosts as they managed to deliver an amazing final.
Spanish Armada Rules The Pitch
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Despite playing on the familiar grounds of Parc des Princes, home to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, France had been down 1-3 as late as the 78th minute before Maghnes Akliouche deflected in to convert Michael Olise’ free kick. Jean-Philippe Mateta capped the scoring for the home side in the 93rd minute from the penalty spot to tie the match and force extra time. Then Camello took charge. Spain last won men’s Olympic gold on their home soil at the 1992 Barçelona games. This latest win cements their preeminence in current world football. Spain’s teams are now holders of FIFA’s Women’s World Cup, and UEFA’s Euro championship, and the men’s U23 squad are gold medalists.
France Start Well
France did not go down without a fight, however, Enzo Millot, who plays professionally in the Bundesliga club Stuttgart, fired in the first goal of the match just at the eleven-minute mark. His shot was partly deflected by Spain’s keeper, Arnau Tenas. Tenas is a regular himself at Parc des Princes when he takes the field for PSG.
Spain answered quickly. The score was 1-all by the 18th minute when emerging superstar Fermín López scored the first of his own two goals on the afternoon from inside the box. López, who plays professionally at Barçelona, had been instrumental in getting Spain to the gold medal match. His second goal of the day came just seven minutes later from an easily put-away rebound. Spain seemed to seal the match less than five minutes later. Alex Baena’s free kick went untouched into the upper left corner and it was 1-3 to the visitors.
Tenas and Camello Take Charge
The teams played even for most of the match and possessed the ball equally. France had more shots overall and was on target. But Tenas seemed very self-assured after his first concession. He completed his day in extra time with a genius-level assist on Camello’s final score. Tenas kept the ball in on his line. Then flew a perfect pass more than half the field length. The striker took it in stride and chipped the French keeper for the second time in the overtime.
Looking Forward
Positive takeaways for the host nation must be Mateta’s emergence as a leading figure for the national team. He was a late substitution on this squad for the much more expected presence of Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe’s had already played quite a bit including being part of France’s squad at the European championships. Mateta came second overall in goals scored at these Olympics.
France’s successful run to this gold medal match may also signal the transition of the management of the senior men’s team to Thierry Henry. Henry has been rumored to be on the list for a few high-profile management positions. Didier Deschamps has been France’s headman now for more than a decade. Some may see Henry’s Olympics as a strong argument for the change.
Women’s Gold Medal Match
The USA and Brazil will contest for the women’s gold medal in soccer, on Saturday 10 August, at 11 am EST. It will be interesting to see if Martha will come up with a win and gold in her game in Brazil colors. On the other hand, the Americans have a splendid opportunity to add another big medal to its tally, which has already crossed the 100-figure mark.
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