Argentina Bags Second Olympic Gold

It was midfielder Angel di Maria that provided the finish to Lionel Messi’s magic pass, letting Argentina bust Nigeria by scoring 1-0 in the Olympic soccer finals last Saturday. Argentineans are now celebrating after retaining their crown. The team also bagged the gold in previous Olympics.

Angel collected Messi’s ball in the 58th minute and lobbed it over and beyond Nigeria’s goalie, leaving the Nigerians groping for the silver. The Nigerian team were champions in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Angel’s strike was a goal to lift a final that was badly affected by scorching temperatures of 42-degree Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit). The heat did not sit well with the players, with too many mistakes being committed in the first half of the game. The players were obviously struggling to move faster, but the heat would not let them.

Luckily, both teams caught on in the second half. It was so hot, the referee made a rare call allowing the players to stop and take drinks. After the drink break, Nigeria almost went ahead when Odemwingie crossed from the left to pass the ball to Isaac, who missed the ball in front of the goal. The final, as expected, was watched by a huge crowd of 89,102.

Brazil won the bronze by beating Belgium 3-0. Brazil now has to contend with the fact that its southern neighbour and archrival, Argentina, has two Olympic titles while it has none. After the final, Ronaldhino and his mostly star-player teammates, stood on the field to collect their medals and see the title go to their biggest rival, Argentina.