At the end of regulation time, the scores were tied at 3-3. However, Camello’s goals 10 minutes into the extra time and again at the very end gave Spain their first Olympic men’s football championship since La Roja’s gold medal win in 1992 on home soil
After falling behind 3-1, France staged an amazing comeback to force extra time. Maghnes Akliouche equalized in the 79th minute, and a VAR review gave the home team a penalty that Jean-Philippe Mateta scored in stoppage time.
After Enzo Millot gave France the lead in the 12th minute, Spain responded with three goals in ten minutes, led by a double from Fermin Lopez and an outstanding free kick from Alex Baena, to come within a whisker of winning the championship.
“Tears of joy were due for such a lengthy and painful match. “As a family, they have worked for 40 days,” Spain’s coach Santi Denia said on TVE.
“The matches were really close. France plays very well; they push you back. We won the match in the smallest of details. We also worked really energetically.”
After a shoddy effort at a block by Spain goalkeeper Arnau Tenas, France’s Millot scored the first goal of the game by pounced on a loose ball in the box and fired into the top left corner.
The Barcelona midfielder gave his team the lead with his second goal in the 25th minute, following goalkeeper Guiillaume Restes’s save. Six minutes later, Spain equalized when Lopez, who was unmarked, put the ball into the net for the first time from the middle of the box.
Just before the interval, Baena curled his free kick into the upper left corner, but 11 minutes from time, Akliouche gave France the lead with a close-range touch from a set piece.
After keeper Guiillaume Restes’s save in the 25th minute, the Barcelona midfielder gave his team the lead with his second goal, and six minutes later, Spain equalized when the unmarked Lopez slid the ball into the net first time from the center of the box.
Baena curled his free kick into the upper left corner just before the half hour mark, but Akliouche’s close-range touch from a set piece gave France the lead 11 minutes from time.
The drama truly started when the referee was called to the TV screen to review a foul that Benat Turrientes had committed against fellow substitute Arnaud Kalimuendo in the penalty area, just as Spain were ready to celebrate winning the championship.
After a penalty kick was given, Mateta scored his sixth goal of the competition to equalize and send the French supporters into frenzy.
After Spain had previously eliminated Lopez and Baena, Thierry Henry’s French side attempted to win in extra time.
However, it was Camello of Spain who scored, lobbing the ball over the stranded Restes while the goalie made a fantastic save to seal the victory in the closing seconds.
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