At the break of dawn on Tuesday, a soccer storm erupted on the field of the Olympic men's soccer team in Paris. Hosts France, with the help of two stunning strikes from Crystal Palace star Sam Madida, advanced to the final with a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Egypt. Their opponents, Spain, had already beaten Morocco 2-1 in another close match, also sealing a ticket to the final.
France were widely favored to win the match and although they temporarily fell behind on 62 minutes, the hosts quickly adjusted their tactics and mounted a strong comeback. Sam Madida leveled the scores late in the game with a brilliant long-range shot off a sublime pass from Michael Ollis. Going into extra time, Omar Fayyad's goal gave Egypt a 2-1 lead, but France's tenacity and perseverance ultimately led to a 3-1 win.
Henry, the captain of the French team, was overwhelmed with emotion after the game: Watching my teammates mount the podium one by one, I said to myself, I can't let the French people down. I have paid too much for the color of this medal. It feels like a dream, I wish I could sleep a little longer. If France were to win the men's Olympic soccer gold medal, it would be the first major title of Henry's coaching career.
France's opponent, Spain, is also not to be underestimated. Since the 1992 Olympics, the U.S. has won back-to-back gold medals five times in a row, twice each in Brazil and Argentina and once in Mexico. And this year, the men's Olympic gold medal will hopefully return to the continent after 32 years.
