Brazil Advances To Finals By Beating Mexico In Penalty Kick

Brazil beat Mexico on penalty kicks, 4-1, to advance to the Olympic men’s soccer final after a foul-filled semifinal that featured 10 yellow cards but no goals.

Dani Alves, Gabriel Martinelli, Bruno Guimaraes and Reinier converted their kicks in the shootout for Brazil after their goalkeeper, Santos, stopped Mexico’s first penalty and then watched its second attempt hit the post and bounce away.

Carlos Rodriguez kept Mexico alive by making Mexico’s third kick, but Reinier stepped up moments later to end it, slipping his shot past goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

The game was a matchup of the last two Olympics champions and a rematch of the 2012 gold medal match, won by Mexico. And if that’s not enough history, Brazil’s senior team ended Mexico’s last World Cup in the round of 16 in Russia.

The sides weren’t strangers.

“We highly respect Mexico,” Brazilian coach Andre Jardine said. “They’re a traditional rival of ours.”

Brazil will face the tournament favorite, Spain, in Saturday’s gold medal match in Yokohama. Spain beat host Japan on a curling shot by Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio deep into extra time.

Spain’s winner came with five minutes left in the second extra-time period, when Asensio, who had entered the match as a substitute, found a few yards of space in Japan’s penalty area and curled in a left-footed shot inside the far post.

And Mexico was off in search of bronze.

“The idea was to go for the gold since before we even arrived here,” Lozano said. “But I told the players when we came off the field how proud I am of them. And in three days we still have a shot at taking home a medal.

“Tonight we were on the losing side. Obviously it hurts. It’s going to be tough, honestly, to sleep tonight. But at the end of the day we’re professionals and we are strong and we still have a chance at a medal.”