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Brazil have successfully defended their Olympic title after beating Spain 2-1 at the International Stadium Yokohama in Japan.
Right from the first whistle, the Brazilians were off to a swift and dominant start. They looked more energetic and more eager to win the gold medal than the Spaniards.
Although both sides had their chances, Brazil produced more shots than their opponents, and they deservedly broke the deadlock thanks to a wonderful effort from Matheus Cunha in the first half.
After the interval, Spain came out stronger, knowing that they needed to score to keep their hopes of winning the gold medal alive, and Mikel Oyarzabal did just that. It was all square after the equalizer, with neither side able to find a winner in normal time.
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Changing things up before extra time, Andre Jardine introduced Malcom into the game, and the forward scored the deciding goal for Brazil in the 108th minute. By then, it was too late for the Spaniards to change the result, and they had to settle for the silver medal.
Without further ado, here is a look at five talking points from Brazil's victory over Spain.
#5 Richarlison misses golden opportunities for Brazil
After a misjudged clearance that saw Unai Simon clatter into Cunha, Australian referee Chris Beath decided to award the Brazilians with a potentially game-changing penalty.
Unfortunately, it was a moment to forget for Richarlison, who missed the spot-kick as he fired his shot way over the cross-bar. Given that the 24-year-old was the top scorer at the Olympics, his team surely would have expected him to easily put the ball past Simon and give Brazil the lead in the first 45 minutes.
After the break, Richalison had another brilliant chance to net his sixth goal of the competition, but he was denied by the woodwork. Fortunately for him, his side eventually emerged victorious and clinched the gold medal.
#4 Poor and tired defending let Spain down
Spain conceded both goals primarily due to a lapse in concentration and fatigue among the defenders. They have played two extra times in the past week - the first against Ivory Coast and the second against Japan - and clearly, the long and arduous journey to this gold medal match affected the Spaniards.
Towards the end of the first half, Spain's lackluster defending enabled Dani Alves to keep the ball in play and provide an assist for Cunha. The Hertha Berlin forward was initially surrounded by three Spaniards, but Pau Torres missed the ball and allowed Cunha to get past him.
Then again, in the second half of extra-time, Jesus Vallejo was outpaced by match-winner Malcom despite being closest to the long ball from Antony.
It was certainly not meant to be for Spain who looked tired and out of ideas as time passed.
#3 Spain substitutions made an impact
After the break, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente opted to replace Marcos Ascenio and Mikel Merino with Bryan Gil and Carlos Soler respectively. Both players went on to make a positive impact and create more goalscoring chances.
In Soler's case, his effort paid off in the 61st minute when his superb cross down the right flank found Oyarzabal, who made no mistake in leveling things up for Spain.
As for Gil, the 20-year-old almost scored the winner in normal time, but his excellent shot ultimately hit the cross-bar. In extra time, the new Tottenham Hotspur winger also made a crucial interception to deny Brazil from scoring.
While it was not enough to win the game, Soler and Gil's presence kept Spain in the game and made things a lot tougher for Brazil.
#2 Malcom is Brazil's new hero
In the previous Olympics, Neymar was Brazil's hero as they beat Germany 5-4 on penalties. Five years on, Malcom is now the new hero for his country after defeating Spain.
Judging by how the game was going, it looked likely that both sides would be heading into penalties to determine the winner. Malcom, who was introduced before the start of extra time, came on to score and put the game beyond Spain's reach.
In his last five appearances for the squad, Malcom had not scored a single goal, but he rose to the occasion when his team needed something special.
It is also worth mentioning that at one point in time, the 24-year-old was not even expected to take part in the Olympics because Zenit Saint Petersburg had forbidden him from doing so.
In an unexpected turn of events, a hamstring injury forced Douglas Augusto to withdraw from the Brazil squad, and the Russian club finally allowed Malcom to represent his country in the games. What a memorable goal it must have been for the Brazilian forward!
#1 Dani Alves adds Olympic Gold Medal to his trophy cabinet
Regardless of whether it is Copa America, La Liga or the UEFA Champions League, you name it, Dani Alves has won it. In fact, prior to the Olympics, the veteran defender was just missing a World Cup trophy and an Olympic medal. Besides those two, he has won almost every other trophy and title that is available to him.
With this victory against Spain, the gold medal will be added to Alves' long list of accolades and cement his reputation as one of the best footballers in the world. It was amazing to see that even at 38, Alves was able to play every minute of Brazil's campaign in the Olympics and inspire the rest of his younger teammates.
Before the match, the captain said:
"It means a feeling of achieving a dream, every high performance athlete wants to be here. Being here, being able to represent my people, at football, is an honour for me."
Having fulfilled his dream of playing and winning a medal in the Olympics, Alves will soon return to Sao Paulo, where he currently plays after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
