After losing 1-0 to Argentina on Sunday, Brazil will not defend its Olympic football title in Paris.
The Argentina under-23 team coached by Javier Mascherano won the decisive South American Olympic qualifier with a goal from Luciano Gondou. He headed a cross from Valentin Barco past goalkeeper Mycael in the 78th minute.
In Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, Brazil won gold in men’s football.
The Olympic qualifying for men’s football in South America offers two spots in Paris 2024, with the remaining berth being decided by Paraguay and Venezuela on Sunday night. Argentina finished the final group stage campaign with five points in three matches and cannot be overtaken by the other teams.
The Argentines had the upper hand in the first half, but Brazil, coached by Ramon Menezes, didn’t help bring much emotion to the match. World Cup winner Thiago Almada hit the post in the 16th minute.
During the 61st minute, Argentina’s Leandro Brey saved a hard strike from close range by substitute Gabriel Pec. Brazil were unable to keep up the pressure, with striker Endrick again playing below par. It was Gondou’s header that made the difference.
“We deserved this. We didn’t lose a single match at the qualifying,” said Gondou, who scored four goals in the tournament in Venezuela. “We suffered, we waited for this goal, but at the end we got it.”
“It is a very bad feeling, we prepared well for this,” Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos said. “We struggled to keep the ball throughout the tournament. It didn’t go as we expected.”