Neymar steps down as Brazil captain after winning Olympic gold medal

It was a victory that was about more than soccer for a nation that desperately needed something to celebrate.

Rocha, donning a green and yellow track suit with a Brazilian flag draped over his back, said he used his full-time salary as a software engineer and a Portuguese teaching job to help pay for almost a dozen tickets to Olympic events this month.

All the troubles were forgotten when Neymar‘s kick sailed into the net.

It was redemption for the Brazil captain too.

“This is one of the best things that has happened in my life”, said Neymar, who sank to his knees in tears after scoring from the spot.

Brazil are hopeful that their Olympic football triumph will give the faltering senior national side a boost as they head into two key World Cup qualifiers next month. Fireworks burst above the stadium and around the city as drivers honked in celebration and fans partied through the night in Copacabana.

“It is a seed, the players are young so that is an excellent sign for the future”.

Germany hit the woodwork three times in the first half – through Julian Brandt’s 25-yard effort, a deflection off a Brazilian defender and Sven Bender’s header – before they scored a deserved equaliser shortly after the restart. When Neymar scored his first goal, he emulated Bolt’s “To the World” pose.

The game finished 1-1 after extra time, with Neymar’s first-half free-kick cancelled out by Max Meyer’s strike.

The stop set the stage for Neymar, as if scripted.

Neymar was named Brazil captain in September of 2014 when Thiago Silva was out injured.

“I don’t have words to say anything”, Neymar said later, sobbing.

“I really don’t have words to describe this, it doesn’t matter if it’s the World Cup or Euros, this is what you have earned through your hard work over weeks and months”.

For Neymar, the victory marks a title with his country, having been part of the team that had to settle for silver four years ago in London. He did not elaborate.

All around him, 70,000 Brazilians inside the vast Maracana Stadium chanted his name, expecting – no, demanding – their nation’s biggest soccer star deliver a historic success at Rio 2016. Olympic soccer features under-23 teams while the World Cup is for the top national squad.

Brazil’s resolve is about to be tested like few times in its history.

“Beloved nation, the gold is ours”, Weverton said, still holding on to the game ball.

Seven-to-one has become a popular expression of grief in Brazil, used at times to explain away a particularly bad day.

But when his home country failed to score a goal in shutout ties against South Africa and Iraq, he went home on August 10.