Mexico stunned Brazil to win their first gold in the Olympic men’s football tournament as Oribe Peralta’s double clinched a shock 2-1 victory over the five-time world champions at Wembley yesterday.
Peralta struck after just 30 seconds and the Mexican striker sealed one of the all-time great Olympic upsets when he scored again late in the second half.
Hulk got one back in stoppage-time but Mexico, playing in their first Olympic final, were worthy winners as Brazil once again failed to end their long wait for a first football gold.
While Brazil have graced the World Cup with some of the best players and most dazzling performances ever seen on football’s grandest stage, the Selecao have never managed to replicate those golden moments at the Games and this was another miserable chapter in their Olympic history.
Brazil, bronze medallists in Beijing in 2008, lost in the Olympic final in 1984 and 1988 and their failure to win gold has rankled with such a proud football nation for decades.
Mano Menezes’s team are unlikely to get a sympathetic reception on their return home after such a lacklustre display riddled with nerves and defensive blunders.
The humiliation is certain to provoke Brazilian fans and media to play the blame game and Rafael, who sarcastically clapped Juan before being substituted in the closing stages, is the prime candidate.
But Menezes is adamant the 22-year-old’s error wasn’t the only reason for Brazil’s defeat and he claimed the whole team should shoulder the blame for failing to respond to that early setback.
“We have that national culture (of finding a scapegoat) when things don’t go well and you are not going to change it overnight,” Menezes said.
“Individual mistakes were made and the major one was made after 30 seconds today, but we had 89 minutes to turn it around and we didn’t manage to, so we all lost, not just one player.
“On previous occasions we were able to deliver after going behind but this time it wasn’t possible.
“Unfortunately we weren’t able to react as we should have after our accident in the first minute. We didn’t improvise or change our tactics.
“But our opponents were extremely well prepared. We acknowledge they were the better team and we congratulate them on their victory.”
While Menezes was left to deal with the fall-out from one of the all-time great Olympic upsets, Mexico coach Luis Fernando Tena beamed proudly as he contemplated whether the victory was his country’s greatest football triumph.
Tena acknowledged it was a significant moment for one of football’s less heralded nations, but he stopped short of declaring it their best ever.
“This is a moment of great emotion and triumph,” he said.
“But you will have to ask other people if this is the best achievement in our country’s sporting history.
“For me, it’s a very important moment because our young players have shown great mental strength.