Honduras’ Alberth Elis (left) controls the ball in front of Brazil’s Walace during a semi-final match of the men’s Olympic football tournament between Brazil and Honduras at the Maracana stadium on Wednesday
Maybe Neymar and his teammates can make the Olympics a success for Brazil after all. Brazil’s celebrated men’s soccer team rolled to a 6-0 win over Honduras in the semifinals on Wednesday to earn a spot in the gold medal match.
In other action across the Rio Games, the United States men’s basketball team beat Argentina 105-78, Americans Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross won bronze in beach volleyball and the Jamaicans had a big night at the track with Elaine Thompson winning the women’s 200 meters and Usain Bolt cruising to a win in the semifinals of the men’s 200.
Brazil started the day 16th in the medal standings, with only three golds in the first 11 days. Two of the country’s best chances remaining to reach the top of the podium competed on Wednesday. The men’s soccer team survived, but Agatha and Barbara lost in the beach volleyball gold medal match to Germany.
Empty seats have been prevalent across Rio, but not at the Maracana Stadium, where they packed in to watch Neymar and Co. They didn’t have to wait long, with Neymar scoring 15 seconds into the game. It was the fastest goal in men’s Olympic history, and Brazil led 3-0 going into halftime to cruise into the final.
“We don’t want to disappoint the fans,” Brazil midfielder Renato Augusto said. “They want us to play well and they want us to win the gold.”
Neymar added a goal on a penalty kick in stoppage time, and Gabriel Jesus also scored twice for Brazil, which got off to a slow start in the tournament. But the team picked up the pace and will face Germany, which beat Nigeria 2-0 in the other semifinal match. Germany’s senior team trounced Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals of the World Cup in Rio two years ago.
“Hey Germany, just wait, your turn is coming up!” a fired-up fan base chanted.
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn became the first 18-hole leader in the history of women’s golf in the Olympics. Jutanugarn shot 6-under 65 for a one-shot lead over seven-time major champion Inbee Park and Seiyoung Kim, both of South Korea. This is the first time for women’s golf in the Olympics since the Paris Games in 1900, and back then it was only a nine-hole competition.
Agatha and Barbara, the defending world champions, beat Americans Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross in the semifinals on Tuesday night to reach the finals. But Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst dispatched them 21-18, 21-14, leaving Neymar as Brazil’s only hope.
The improved play of the soccer team comes as welcome respites for the beleaguered Brazilians, who have seen the Rio Games deal with distraction, disorganization and tragedy for the last two weeks. The problems continued Wednesday when a Brazilian judge ordered that the passports of Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen be seized and that the American swimmers stay in Brazil as authorities investigate Lochte’s claims that he was robbed at gunpoint. Lochte’s father told The Associated Press that his son had returned to the U.S. before the order was issued, but teammates Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were pulled off of their plane as they were getting set to leave. Jon Krawczynski, Rio de Janeiro, AP
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