Leandro Damiao scored two goals and Neymar added another as Brazil scraped past Honduras to earn a 3-2 win and advance to the semifinals of the men's Olympic football tournament.
Honduras got goals early in each half but could not hold on as the Brazilians played with an extra man from the 33rd minute after defender Wilmer Crisanto was sent off with two yellow cards just a minute apart.
Mario Martinez put Honduras ahead in the 12th before Damiao equalized in the 38th. Roger Espinoza gave Honduras the lead again in the 48th, but Neymar evened the score by converting a penalty kick in the 50th and Damiao netted the winning goal in the 60th.
"I'm glad I got the goals because we were in trouble for a while there," Damiao said. "It was nice that we came through when we needed the most. We are still alive."
Espinoza also was sent off in injury time after a foul on Oscar. He got a standing ovation from the crowd as he left the field, as did the rest of the Hondurans after the match ended.
Brazil will play its semifinal on Tuesday in Manchester against South Korea, which beat host Britain on penalties later on Saturday.
Brazil's men's team has won four Olympic medals, but none of them were gold. It earned silver in 1984 and 1988, and bronze in 1996 and 2008. It is the only significant football competition the five-time world champions haven't won.
"It was a very difficult match as we expected it was going to be," Brazil coach Mano Menezes said. "The early goals destabilized our team a bit but I'm happy that the players responded and we could equalize and get the victory to send us to the semifinals."
Honduras got goals early in each half but could not hold on as the Brazilians played with an extra man from the 33rd minute after defender Wilmer Crisanto was sent off with two yellow cards just a minute apart.
Mario Martinez put Honduras ahead in the 12th before Damiao equalized in the 38th. Roger Espinoza gave Honduras the lead again in the 48th, but Neymar evened the score by converting a penalty kick in the 50th and Damiao netted the winning goal in the 60th.
"I'm glad I got the goals because we were in trouble for a while there," Damiao said. "It was nice that we came through when we needed the most. We are still alive."
Espinoza also was sent off in injury time after a foul on Oscar. He got a standing ovation from the crowd as he left the field, as did the rest of the Hondurans after the match ended.
Brazil will play its semifinal on Tuesday in Manchester against South Korea, which beat host Britain on penalties later on Saturday.
Brazil's men's team has won four Olympic medals, but none of them were gold. It earned silver in 1984 and 1988, and bronze in 1996 and 2008. It is the only significant football competition the five-time world champions haven't won.
"It was a very difficult match as we expected it was going to be," Brazil coach Mano Menezes said. "The early goals destabilized our team a bit but I'm happy that the players responded and we could equalize and get the victory to send us to the semifinals."
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