Brazil and Ukraine take Paralympic football honours

September 19 – Brazil kept up their Olympic momentum with Gold and Bronze medals in the Rio Paralympic football tournaments. Their success in the five-a-side final at the Olympic Tennis Centre was their fourth successive win.

The 1-0 win over Iran maintained their 100% record in the tournament.

In the bronze medal match, Argentina beat China 1-0 on penalties following a scoreless draw.

Iran were also runners up in the Paralympics seven-a-side football final at at the Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

In a pulsating match, Ukraine’s Artem Krasylnykov scored a dramatic extra-time goal for the Europeans to win 2-1.

With the scores level at 1-1 at full time, Krasylnykov found the net five minutes into the second period of additional time before the Iranians pushed everyone forward in search of a last-gasp equaliser.

Ukraine took their third Paralympic titles, having won at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

In the bronze medal match Brazil overcame The Netherlands 3-1 with Brazil’s Leandro Goncalves scoring a hat-trick. Former Brazilian legend Cafu was present and was full of praise for Goncalves.

“Someday I will tell my sons, ‘Cafu said I am a very good player’,” said Goncalves.

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