Captain Tsubasa Stats

Recap

This was the last game of group D of the Madrid Olympic Games’ football tournament. It was played in the Riazor stadium (La Coruña).

Both teams had already qualified for the knock-out round having won the first two matches. Therefore, this match was just going to decide who would finish first (and face Argentina in the next round) and who would finish second (and play Japan in the quarterfinal). Brazil had the best goal difference so a tie would be enough for them to earn the first place, and reserved their main players (Natureza, Rivaul and Carlos Santana) in the bench for this game.

In the first half Germany took advantage of playing with their best players and got a three goal lead thanks to a “true” hat-trick (one goal scored with each leg and another with a header) by their captain Karl Heinz Schneider. Schweil Teigerbran assisted Schneider for the first and third goal (the latter from a corner kick), while forward Manfred Margus was the passer for the second goal.

At the half-time break Natureza and Santana replaced midfielders Silva and Marcio, and shortly afterwards Pepe scored off Santana’s repelled shot. In the 57th minute Rivaul entered the pitch subbing for Branco. In the 62th minute Natureza put the 2-3 in the scoreboard assisted by Rivaul, and in the 71st minute Brazil completed their comeback with Natureza and Santana’s full metal phantom kick, one more time thanks to an assist from Rivaul.

However, Germany scored in the 80th minute in a counter attack finished by Schneider and started by goalkeeper Muller’s long pass. Right after recovering the lead, Germany replaced forward Margus and attacking midfielder Franz Schester for defensive midfielders Eric and Kevin Schmidt. But Brazil did not give up and manage to tie the game in the 98th minute after Rivaul scored a penalty kick, that also meant a red card for Hardwich.