FINAL READY: Here, the Brazil players storm against Reinier after he scored the decisive penalty that sent reigning champion Brazil to the Olympic final. Photo: MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP
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(Mexico – Brazil 0-0, 1-4 after penalties) Dani Alves (38) is already the most winning football player in history with 42 trophies. Now the Olympics’ oldest male football player is eyeing title number 43.
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Dani Alves is seven years older than the next oldest player in the Brazil team, and now the ring fox is looking for his 43 title as a football player after Brazil beat Mexico in Tuesday’s semifinal.
“Seleção” controlled the match, but 36-year-old Guillermo Ochoa, Mexico’s elder, stopped one finish after another, a bit like during the 2014 World Cup, the championship the man with the hairy locks is perhaps best remembered for. Richarlison outsmarted Ochoa on one occasion, but the Everton striker hit the post.
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In the end, a penalty shootout was needed to separate the teams. Dani Alves scored the first penalty despite Ochoa being behind it, before Mexico missed. The Brass kept their heads cold and scored on the following two, while the Mexico players succumbed to the pressure.
In the end, it was Erling Braut Haaland’s teammate, Reinier (on loan from Real Madrid), who scored the decisive goal.
—-CLOSE UP: Guillermo Ochoa threw himself on the right side of Dani Alves’ penalty, but the ball slipped in. Photo: MIKE SEGAR / X90033
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Later on Tuesday, it will be clear whether Brazil will meet host nation Japan or Spain in the final. Brazil is the reigning champion after the Olympic gold at home in Rio de Janeiro five years ago – then with the superstar Neymar in the lead.
This will be the brass’ third straight Olympic final. At the London Olympics in 2012, it was a silver medal. Then it was Mexico that took the gold.
The Bucket Lifter Alves
Brazil’s Olympic squad is perhaps the one with the most stars: In addition to ring fox Dani Alves, they have players like Richarlison (Everton), Diego Carlos (Sevilla), Bruno Guimares (Lyon), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal ), Malcom (Zenit), Antony Santos (Ajax) and the man who decided the penalty, Reinier (Borussia Dortmund).
The 38-year-old Dani Alves, who has played for clubs such as Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and PSG, and who still keeps going in the Brazilian big club São Paulo, is captain of the Brazilian Olympic national team.
The eccentric right-back has already won 42 titles during his highly deserved career. That makes him the most winning player in football history.
Closest to the list is his old teammate, Lionel Messi, who picked up his 38th trophy with the Copa America title earlier this summer. Behind follow Andrés Iniesta and Maxwell with 37 titles.
Dreaming of the World Cup
According to a number of media, which ESPN and MARCA, Alves dreams not only of title number 43 – but also number 44 and 45. According to the media, he will be hungry for a ticket to next year’s World Cup in Qatar, and as soon as the Olympics are over, he will fight for the Copa Libertadores title with São Paulo. Alves & co. will face reigning champion Palmeiras in the quarterfinals.
ESPN points out that Dani Alves, who was named the tournament’s best player when Brazil won the Copa America in 2019, still has good cards on hand as there is no razor-sharp competition for Brazil’s right back. In addition, ESPN writes that Alves feels he has something unresolved in the World Cup context:
He was not selected for the championship in 2006, was the second choice behind Maicon in 2010, and in the World Cup at home in 2014, he started the championship as the preferred back choice, before he lost his place to Maicon again during the championship.
—-VETERAN WITH A PLAN: Dani Alves. Photo: Andre Penner / AP
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Just before the championship in 2018, Dani Alves was injured – and lost the tournament in Russia.
For a player with as many as 118 matches with the Brazilian flag on his chest, it has been a long time between the matches in the World Cup.
The 38-year-old has been involved in winning the Copa America twice with Brazil, and has also won the World Cup twice. Now he is one match away from Olympic gold – something like may help him in the search for a ticket to Qatar in 2022.
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