Spain takes gold after 5-3 win against France in Olympic men’s soccer final

PARIS (AP) — It’s been a golden summer time for Spanish soccer.

Lower than a month after profitable the European Championship, Spain adopted up with an exciting 5-3 extra-time victory within the Olympic males’s closing in opposition to France on Friday.

Sergio Camello’s two targets finally settled an epic match in Spain’s favor after France fought again from 3-1 right down to pressure further time at Parc des Princes.

“We’re the happiest kids on the planet,” stated Camello, who had come on as an 83rd-minute substitute and certain made himself a nationwide icon.

Spain’s coach Santi Denia stated his gamers deserved to cry “tears of pleasure” after “such a long-suffering match.”

Lengthy-suffering for the gamers, perhaps. However for anybody watching, it should stay within the reminiscence as a basic.

France took an early lead via Enzo Millot however Spain replied with three targets in 10 minutes as Barcelona star Fermin Lopez Lopez struck twice and Alex Baena made it 3-1 within the twenty eighth minute.

Roared on by passionate dwelling crowd, France mounted a late fightback within the second half after Maghnes Akliouche scored within the 79th. France pushed the sport to further time when Jean-Phillipe Mateta equalized from the penalty spot within the 93rd minute.

However the momentum swung as soon as once more when Camello lifted over France goalkeeper Guillaume Restes within the a centesimal and he obtained his second when racing away from his personal half within the first minute of time added on.

The ahead tore off his shirt and was rapidly swamped by teammates and substitutes, who piled onto the sector from the touchline in frenzied celebrations.

Spain, which misplaced the ultimate to Brazil on the Tokyo Olympics three years in the past, grew to become the primary European gold medalist in males’s soccer because it final received the event on the Barcelona Video games in 1992.

Not even throughout Spain’s dominant run of profitable back-to-back Euros and the World Cup from 2008-2012, might it add to that sole Olympic gold.

That wait resulted in Paris and underlined the ability of Spanish soccer as soon as once more. Spain additionally received the underneath 19s European Championship final month — beating France within the closing.

The Olympic victory marked a private double for Lopez and Baena who have been each a part of the Euro 2024-winning squad.

“What a summer time. And I hope this summer time by no means ends so we will proceed profitable,” Baena stated. “I’m very glad to have made historical past with Spain.”

It was one other painful defeat in a closing for a France crew after shedding on penalties to Argentina on the World Cup in 2022. Like then, the French gamers confirmed their resilience to battle again from a shedding place and pressure further time — solely to fall quick once more.

Whereas Camello’s targets finally ended French hopes of a primary Olympic gold since Los Angeles 1984, the group continued to cheer loudly as coach Thierry Henry and his gamers confirmed their appreciation with a lap of honor after the ultimate whistle.

“We tried to reply as greatest we might,” Henry stated. “France is gorgeous once we are all collectively, once we unite. It was a beautiful sight to see these flags, crimson, white and blue.

“Individuals from the get-go wished to assist us. We misplaced tonight, however they stored singing.”

Spain’s victory ended the dominance of Latin American nations for the final 5 editions of the Olympics. Brazil and Argentina received twice in that point, with Mexico additionally taking gold.

Nigeria received at Atlanta 1996 and Cameroon at Sydney 2000.

Girls’s soccer can be thriving in Spain after the nationwide crew received the World Cup final yr. However it couldn’t add to that success on the Olympics, with Spain’s girls’s crew shedding 1-0 to Germany within the bronze medal match earlier on Friday.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP Summer season Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games