Neymar kick is gold: Brazil wins 1st Olympic soccer title

Brazil won its first Olympic gold medal in soccer Saturday with a dramatic penalty kick by Neymar to defeat Germany, sending the nation into a frenzy after a 1-1 (5-4 shootout) victory.

With a stutter step and a smooth kick, he calmly sent a shot into the top corner and fell to his knees before being mobbed by his teammates.

Brazil had been battered by recession, political scandal, health scares over polluted water and the Zika virus and questions over whether it could pull off hosting the Olympics.

Brazil was also coming off a demoralizing elimination in the group stage of this year's Copa America and struggled in early group play in the Olympics.

After the teams traded four tense goals in the shootout — with both sides lining up arm in arm for each attempt, barely able to watch — Brazilian goalkeeper Weverton dove to his left to stop Nils Petersen's shot.

The men's soccer tournament attracted most of the attention of Brazilian fans at the Olympics.

The Brazilian football federation took the Olympic tournament as seriously as ever, bringing Neymar and many talented youngsters that are expected to be in the main squad in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Brazil arrived as the main title-favorite but struggled in the beginning, being held to scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq and becoming in danger of failing to advance past the group stage.