In the wee hours of Saturday morning, the curtain went up on the soccer extravaganza that is the Paris Olympics. The men's soccer final between France and Spain was a passionate clash on the host's home turf, and after 90 minutes of intense fighting, the score was set at 3-3. However, in extra time, the "Raging Bulls" of Spain came out on top with a solitary goal by Shahzad Okamero to win the Olympic Gold Medal by a score of 5-3, following the European Championships.
The French team was coached by Hall of Famer Henry and led by overage player Cassidy. The match started with France showing offensive power in front of the net. In the 15th minute, Milot, the center of the midfield, cleverly used the space to his advantage to give France the first breakthrough and a 1-0 lead.
However, Spain was not to be outdone. On 18 minutes, Fermin Lubis calmly finished off a shot to make the score 1-1, followed by back-to-back goals in the 25th minute to help put Spain back in front 2-1. 5 minutes later, Aleix Barr extended the lead again with a penalty kick to make it 3-1 at half-time.
In the second half of the match, Spain appeared to be running out of steam and France stepped up their attack. 79 minutes in, Elliott Orange helped France bring the score to 2-3, and as the match came to a close, Spain was awarded a penalty kick, which Madida converted to make the score 3-3 and send the match into extra time.
In the first half of extra time, Shaji Ocamelu deftly rounded the opposing goalkeeper on a breakaway and fired the ball into the net to give Spain a 4-3 lead. In the second half of extra time, Shaji Ocamelu scored again to win the Olympic gold medal with a final score of 5-3 against France.
