RIO DE JANEIRO—A roar went up across in the Olympic host city Saturday night after Neymar, the Brazilian men’s soccer team’s star striker, nailed the penalty shot that would seal a gold medal against nemesis Germany.
For the team, it was sweet retribution for a 7-1 shellacking by the German squad in the 2014 World Cup. Local and international media had touted the contest at Maracanã Stadium as a grudge match, a chance for Brazil to avenge a humiliating defeat that had shaken the confidence of the Seleção and Brazil’s identity as the “Country of Soccer.”
But for some Brazilians watching the contest miles away on the wide screens at the main Olympic Park, the victory was an exclamation point on a greater triumph: Brazil’s ability to pull off a successful Olympic Games in the midst of economic and political crisis.
“This wasn’t revenge,” against Germany, said Rafael Freitas, a 36-year-old banker from Brasília. “Amid so many problems, this is bringing back the dignity of the Brazilian people.”Like many Brazilians, Mr. Freitas had viewed South America’s first-ever Olympics with a mixture of anticipation and dread. The months leading up to the Rio Games had been filled with press accounts ofthe city’s polluted water, a delayed subway line, a Zika virus epidemicand fears about Brazil’s ability to fend off a terrorist attack.
And as the Games got under way, there were more embarrassments: thieves targeted athletes, a stray bullet found its way into a press tent, venues ran out of food, and a diving pool turned a mysterious green.
But like Brazil’s men’s soccer team, which started slow and picked up momentum as it progressed, these Rio Olympics found their footing. As the days passed, lines moved more quickly, public transportation functioned, venues held together and athletic events clicked by with few hitches.
For São Paulo resident Vanessa Lopes, who was among those celebrating at Olympic Park, Brazil’s soccer victory was yet more proof that the nation was capable of success at the highest levels.
“Brazil has proven it can host any international event,” said Ms. Lopes, 43. “The bill may come later, but we did it.”There was celebrating purely for the sake of soccer, to be sure. As Neymar collapsed to the pitch at Maracanã, convulsed with sobs of joy and relief, following his winning penalty kick, millions of Brazilians whooped in triumph. Tonight it would be Germany’s turn to buckle when the pressure was greatest.
Still, for fans such as Ricardo Peng,who was relaxing with friends at Olympic Park after the match, even Brazil’s first Olympic gold medal in soccer couldn’t match the thrill of a win on soccer’s biggest stage.“For people who really like soccer, what matters is the World Cup,” said the 38-year-old public servant. “Still, I kind of envy the people at Maracanã who were watching this happen.”
Mr. Freitas, the banker, acknowledged that a Brazilian soccer victory was sweet. But as he shared beers with friends and took in the peaceful, happy crowd milling in the concession area of Olympic Park, he said his satisfaction went beyond the final score.
“It’s not just this game, it’s the whole organization of the event,” he said. “Brazil is sensational.”
Source: wsj.com
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