The Brazilian soccer team started on its way to revalidate the gold it won at the Rio Games with a clear and convincing 4-2 victory over Germany, in a match in which attacker Richarlison presented his candidacy for the title of great star of the Olympic tournament with a treble.
Little or nothing had to do with the match played this Thursday in Yokohama with the Olympic final that faced both teams five years ago in Maracana. If then Brazil, led by Neymar, had to wait for the penalty shootout to defeat the Germans, tonight they had barely elapsed seven minutes when the South Americans already dominated on the scoreboard (1-0).
In fact, the South American team could have advanced a couple of minutes earlier in a brilliant counterattack led by Richarlison that Matheus Cunha failed to complete.
Who did not fail was Richarlison that in minute he did not miss an extraordinary pass in depth from Antony to establish the 1-0. And that the German goalkeeper Florian Müller stopped in the first instance the shot of the player of the Everton English, but Richarlison was more alive than anyone to pick up his own reject and score.
A play that perfectly summed up what happened in the first forty-five minutes in which Brazil not only won the tactical game against Germany, but also in which the South American players beat their rivals in each individual match. Richarlison and company imposed their fastest speed against some permanently overwhelmed German defenders.
Brazil was enough with a simple and straightforward game, with never more than three or four passes, not only to overcome the pressure line of the German team, but to leave their forwards completely alone in front of the rival goalkeeper.
An invitation to a win that Richarlison He was not willing to waste as he demonstrated after 22 minutes after signing 2-0 by finishing with a powerful header from a cross from the left of Guilherme Arana.
But even so the voracity of Richarlison was not appeased, eight minutes later he added his third goal (3-0) by solving a new counterattack with a precise shot.
Those of Andre Jardine they were even able to extend their lead even further before reaching half-time, but Matheus Cunha saw how the goalkeeper Florian Müller He was stopped by a penalty shot in the extension time of the first half.
The ruling seemed to relax the Brazilian team, who faced the start of the second half in a remarkably relaxed way, which Germany took advantage of to reduce the distance. But if the both of Nobody Amiri, which made it 3-1 at 56 minutes, after first hooking a bounced ball in the front of the area, opened a door to hope for the German team, it slammed shut six minutes later with the expulsion by double yellow card from the midfielder Maximilian arnold.
Circumstance with which Brazil seemed to end the match as evidenced by Richarlison's departure from the field in the following minutes, who left his place on the pitch to Reinier.
The Brazilian team let go completely in the final minutes, which allowed the Germans to reach just a goal (3-2) with seven minutes to go thanks to a header from Ragnar Ache.
Although the victory of Brazil does not thus jeopardize the victory that once again made clear the difference between the two teams tonight with a goal from Paulinho, which he established in the prolongation time of the final 4-2.
Data sheet:
Brazil: Santos; Dani Alves, Nino, Diego Carlos, Arana; Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz; Antony (Paulinho, m.73), Claudinho (Malcom, m.65), Richarlison (Reinier, m.73) and Matheus Cunha.
Germany: Müller; Henrichs, Pieper (Torunarigha, m.46), Uduokhai, Raum; Maier, Stach (Schlotterbeck, m.80) Arnold, Richter (Ache, m.68), Krause (Löwen, m.68) and Amiri (Teuchert, m.73).
Goals: 1-0, m.7: Richarlison. 2-0, m.22: Richarlison. 3-0, m.30: Richarlison. 3-1, m.56: Amiri. 3-2, m.83: Ache. 4-2, m.94: Paulinho.
Referee: Iván Barton (ESA). He sent off Germany's Maximilian Arnold with a double yellow card in the 63rd minute. He also showed a yellow card to Douglas Luiz for Brazil; and Pieper, Arnold, Stach and Henrichs for Germany.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the first day of group D of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games football tournament held at the Yokohama International Stadium. No spectators.