By David Gold at Wembley
August 4 – If the London 2012 Olympic football tournament was meant to be dominated by Brazil’s Neymar, obviously no-one told Honduran Roger Espinoza, who lit up today’s quarter-finals, although it was not enough as his team crashed out.
Espinoza (pictured top, in white) set up the opening goal as Honduras stunned the gold medal favourites, with Mario Martinez firing home with a half volley to stun Brazil at Newcastle’s St James Park.
Wilmer Crisanto was then sent-off for Honduras, and Brazil soon levelled things up, with Hulk and Leandro Damião continuing to show off the dynamic partnership they have forged up front, with the latter firing home the equaliser.
Despite being a man down, at the start of the second half Honduras remarkably went ahead as Espinoza produced some fancy footwork and then a fine left foot drive which found the net.
Damião was almost immediately fouled in the area, and Neymar converted the subsequent penalty, but the Santos man was struggling to keep up with Espinoza’s virtuoso brilliance.
In the end it was left to Internacional’s Damião to finally win the game late on with a superb shot on the turn after Neymar and Marcelo linked up well.
Espinoza was then sent-off late on for his troubles, but not without stamping his mark on the Olympics.
Meanwhile, here at Wembley, Mexico won an equally absorbing clash against Senegal.
Jorge Enriquez gave Mexico the lead their bright start deserved with a header from a Giovani dos Santos free kick early on.
Senegal struggled to create much, although Pape Souare was a constant threat from the left and would prove pivotal later on.
As it was, Javier Aquino doubled the lead in the second period after a neat move from Mexico sliced Senegal’s weak defence apart, and it seemed as though they would comfortably progress.
However, soon after Souare, a constant option on the left, sent in the latest in a series of superb crosses which was finally converted by Moussa Konate.
Luis Fernando Teña’s team were then punished for opting to sit back rather than go for a third goal, when Souare’s corner was headed in by Ibrahim Balde.
That took the game to extra time, where Mexico’s superior fitness showed, no doubt helped by the fact that it is the middle of their domestic season, whereas Senegal’s squad, made up of players who compete in Europe, were coming off the end of a tiring campaign.
Mexico were clearly sharper throughout the period, with Papa Gueye making a horrendous error in his own penalty area, losing the ball to Dos Santos, who calmly passed the ball into the net.
It was another error which sealed the Mexicans’ progression, as Abdoulaye Ba’s header back to his goalkeeper was short, and although Ousmane Mané got a hand to Raul Jimenez’s header, he could do nothing as Herrera pounced on the loose ball to head home.
Mexico face Japan in the last four after they comfortably saw off Egypt at Old Trafford in Manchester.
The result was never in doubt as Kensuke Nagai gave them an early lead.
Maya Yoshida and Yuki Otsu then added further strikes as Japan cruised into the semi-finals.
The final semi-finalist will be South Korea, who won 5-4 on penalties against the hosts, Britain, after a 1-1 draw at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Ji Dong Wong gave South Korea a deserved lead just before the half hour mark, but Britain soon levelled things up.
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, also the Wales captain, stepped up to take and score a penalty, although he then missed another spot kick minutes later (pictured above).
South Korea looked sharper throughout but could not find a winner during extra time and so the game went to penalties.
Ramsey showed nerves of steel to take a third penalty, and score, with both teams going on to convert their first four respective spot kicks.
Daniel Sturridge then missed the crucial penalty as Britain showed that, united the home nations may have been during London 2012, but English habits die hard – particularly when it comes to quarter-final penalty shoot outs.
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