- Spain secured Olympic gold with dramatic extra-time goals from Sergio Camello
- Thierry Henry’s side fought back from 3-1 down to send the game into extra-time
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Beforehand, they held aloft a colossal banner of the gold medal above a sign exhorting Thierry Henry’s players to ‘decrochez la medaille’ – ‘get the medal’ – and though we have heard the anthem from every corner of this Olympics, La Marseillaise had never sounded quite like it did here.
There had been a feeling that gold was written in the firmament for France. The final was played out on the same turf where Michel Platini’s team won the European Championship – 2-0 against Spain – 40 years ago.
And then the Spanish turned up. The dominance of a nation who are current women’s World Cup holders and men’s European champions spans all ages.
France also played them in the final of the under 19s European Championships in Belfast, just 12 days ago. Spain won 2-0. This Olympic crown makes it three titles in the space of a month, with almost entirely different squads for each.
France’s extraordinary comeback, having trailed 3-1 at half-time, means the country has its heroes today. Jean-Philippe Mateta, the Crystal Palace forward, who calmly converted a 93rd minute penalty to send the game into extra-time.
Sergio Camello came off the bench to fire Spain to victory in men’s Olympic football final
The Rayo Vallecano forward silenced the home crowd at Parc des Princes with two extra-time goals
The dramatic victory secured La Roja’s first-ever men’s Olympic gold medal in football
Desire Doue, one of Henry’s substitutes, dominant on the left during France’s excellent second half. Henry himself – the motivator and game-changer.
But Spain’s fourth goal – Sergio Camello taking the beautiful ball Sergio Gomez had clipped in his path and navigating it over the goalkeeper – told the story of this nation of so many football talents.
In the aftermath, there was agony over Real Madrid’s refusal to release Kylian Mbappe to Henry’s Olympic team, whilst Spanish law requires the country’s clubs to release their players for the country’s own national sides.
Spain only needed a couple of the fringe Euros players to stake their early claim on a first Olympic gold since the Barcelona Olympics of 1992.
Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez was on a higher intuitive level when he took a ball from the left channel to equalise out France’s early goal. He pounced when French goalkeeper Guillaume Restes spilled a ball to him for a second.
Initially, Spain’s defence was also resolute when Henry’s players, who had also conceded to a free-kick from Villarreal’s Alex Baena before half-time, tried to find way back. The 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi was outstanding. Eric Garcia, his 23-year-old Barcelona central defensive partner limped away after an outstanding block.
After an excruciating early mistake, allowing Enzo Millo’s left foot shot to slip through his hands for France’s opener, Spanish goalkeeper Arnau Tensa made several excellent saves.
France took an early lead in Paris before Fermin Lopez equalised for La Roja after 18 minutes
The Barcelona starlet added a second minutes later to mark his sixth goal of the tournament
Alex Baena looked to have put the result beyond doubt by doubling Spain’s lead on 28 minutes
Thierry Henry’s side struggled to get hold of the game throughout much of the first-half
But the French were offered a lifeline when Maghnes Akliouche managed to get a touch on a Michael Olise free-kick
Jean-Philippe Mateta forced the game into extra-time by cooling netting a stoppage-time penalty
But the spirit which had led Henry to cause his tightly-knit group ‘the crazies’ was manifest. Arnau Kalimuendo had headed against the bar before Michael Olise’s free-kick was deflected in off Juan Miranda.
Mateta’s penalty followed a tussle just outside the six-yard box in which Miranda had both arms wrapped around Kalimuendo. VAR ruled for the French nation.
Yet still the Spanish kept coming. Camello’s struck a fifth – the last piece of Spanish majesty of a breathtaking night.
