(Paris) Sergio Camello scored twice in overtime and Spain won the men’s soccer tournament at the Paris Olympics on Friday with a 5-3 victory over France.
The victory capped a golden summer for Spanish soccer after winning the Euro last month.
Spain, who lost in the final to Brazil at the Tokyo Games three years ago, became the first European nation to win men’s soccer gold since their own triumph at the Barcelona Games in 1992.
France erased a 3-1 deficit to force extra time. Jean-Philippe Mateta tied the game with a penalty goal in the third minute of added time in the second half.
PHOTO VADIM GHIRDA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
France erased a 3-1 deficit to force extra time.
But Camello, who started the match on the bench, beat French goalkeeper Guillaume Restes in the 100th minute.e minute, then again in the first minute of stoppage time.
The victory marks a double for Fermin Lopez and Alex Baena, who were also part of the Spanish squad at the European Championship.
Lopez scored twice and Baena added the other goal for the winners in the Olympic final, as the two players gave Spain a 3-1 lead after a frantic 10-minute spell.
Enzo Millot had previously opened the scoring for France, which was trying to win gold for the first time since the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
Despite the defeat, the French team, led by Thierry Henry, performed a lap of honour around the pitch after the final whistle to show their appreciation to the crowd, who continued to cheer loudly.
“It was a crazy final, in the end we got a medal,” Henry said. “Unfortunately we are not Olympic champions, but you can’t take anything away from this team.”