At 38, Alves helps Brazil to soccer gold by beating Spain

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP):

SOCCER’S ULTIMATE winner is still finding time to collect new titles. Dani Alves is an Olympic champion at 38.

Draped in the Brazilian flag, the captain cherished the 43rd winners’ medal of a career that shows no sign of winding down.

All that is missing from the set of major honours after this 2-1 victory over Spain – secured in extra time by Malcolm – is World Cup glory.

Do not write off the game’s most decorated player trying to make it to Qatar next year. He is keen.

“I’m a dreamer, a small dreamer and more than a dreamer, somebody who executes their dreams,” Alves said. “The most important thing is to fight and that’s what I know what to do. I have the drive of a 23-year-old. I still want to do big things in football.”

The right back was determined to come to the Tokyo Games after not being part of the 2016 Olympic gold on home soil in Rio de Janeiro.

Hard work has paid off

“I fought to be in three Olympic Games,” he said. “I am grateful to all the people who worked with me, that believed in me, and I want them to know that all the hard work has paid off.”

He managed to play all of Brazil’s six games in Japan – 600 minutes in 16 days.

“This is a dream coming true, to be on the top of the Olympic podium,” he said. “No matter how much history you have, how much experience you have. I came here for the first time and to come back with the biggest prize ... I am lost for words.”

It was Alves who set up the opener, keeping alive Claudinho’s cross and hooking the ball back into the area for Matheus Cunha to strike into first-half stoppage time.

He was one of only three permitted overage players in a youthful squad that idolised him growing up as he collected trophies at Juventus, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

“You know the difference in age is a little bit (big),” the 22-year-old Cunha said. “I’m like a little boy when I saw Barcelona, the Brazil national team and now we were together, we take one gold medal for Brazil.”

They had to work for it against a Spain side featuring six players coming straight from the run to the European Championship.

Spain tied the game in the 61st minute when Mikel Oyarzabal volleyed in from Carlos Soler’s cross. Spain hit the crossbar twice late in regulation time – from Oscar Gil and Bryan Gil.

The inability to find the target meant Spain ended up with silver – and no repeat of the 1992 Barcelona Games gold – after Malcom’s winner in the 108th minute. Neymar, whose penalty clinched the 2016 Olympic title, could not get an exemption from Paris Saint-Germain to do double-duty this summer. Richarlison managed to (get an exemption) from Everton and scored a tournament-leading five goals in Japan.