Golden prospects: Why Brazil's Olympic summer could prompt an upturn in fortunes for the Seleção

For some, the excitement that attended Brazil's success at the Olympic Games was just one more symbol of the decline of this once-great football nation. 

Questions abounded: Why were Brazil going wild about success in an under-23 tournament as if it was the moon landing? Had they forgotten what happened at the World Cup? They don't expect this to mask the corruption and incompetency of those who organise the domestic game, do they?

There was an element of straw-man assassination to these missives; few if any experts were making blanket proclamations about the overall health of the Brazilian game. The buzz about the success was for the most part more modest, more measured.

You can read my take on Brazil's victory at the 2016 Olympics in the latest edition of When Saturday Comes Magazine. It's available in newsagents, can be ordered here and read online (with a subscription) here. 

Oh and I didn't get paid extra for the Vine. 

Gold soundz: Making sense of Brazil's Olympic football success, with help from Andy Murray

Andy Murray entered the London Olympic Games at a fairly low ebb four years ago. Earlier in the summer, he had come up short against Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final. Murray must have wondered whether the Grand Slam glory he had pursued for so long would ever arrive.

The Olympics provided a salve for his wounds. Murray breezed to the gold medal match and nonchalantly dispatched Federer. It wasn't Wimbledon (although it was staged there) and it did not make up for the previous defeat. But as Murray thanked a partisan Centre Court crowd, it was hard not to feel that a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

A month later, he won the US Open.

The comparison between Murray's watershed moment and Brazil's Olympic football breakthrough on Saturday night is an imperfect one for a number of reasons (the Scot's success was not set against a wider story of decline, for one). But when the dust settles on a dramatic night in Rio de Janeiro, those seeking to contextualise and measure Brazil's 5-4 victory over Germany in a penalty shootout (following a 1-1 stalemate) may find instructive – and inspiring – echoes here.

Read my take on Brazil's Olympic success at ESPN FC.

Neymar under fire as Brazil start Olympics on back foot – but win over Denmark eases pressure

"Resuscitated," read the front page of sports daily Lance! on Thursday morning, which seemed just about right. After the choking tedium of the games against South Africa and Iraq, Brazil breathed life into their Olympic campaign with a 4-0 win over Denmark – a result that restores belief, even if it will not fully neutralise doubts.

On the face of it, the key moment of the game was Gabriel Barbosa's scuffed opening goal, which settled the nerves and allowed the hosts to go about their business with a renewed sense of conviction. But of greater long-term significance may be the third goal, scored by Luan, not because it was an especially memorable finish but because its construction suggested that Brazil's most potent attacking force might be awaking from his slumber.

In my latest for ESPN FC, I look at a tough couple of weeks for Neymar and explain why his critics should be careful what they wish for.

10 reasons to think Brazil will win gold in the Olympic football tournament this summer

The opening ceremony for Rio 2016 may not take place until Friday, but one sport clearly has no time for administrative niceties: the women's Olympic football tournament kicked off on Wednesday, with Sweden and Brazil among the winners.

The men have just got underway as I type, with the hosts playing South Africa in Brasília. Brazil are massive favourites to win gold, having named a strong squad for the tournament.

For Unibet, I pick out ten reasons to think they can win gold this summer.

Meet Brazil's Olympic football hopefuls, including 'Big Daddy' and the midfielder who once lived in a sex motel

Football tends to take a back seat during the Olympic Games – both because there are so many other sports vying for attention and because the major nations do not regard it as a priority. The under-23 tournament has produced some memorable moments in the past, but the reality is that, in this era of soaring bank balances and packed schedules, the Games are viewed by many as an inconvenience.

The exception that proves the rule is Brazil, who are taking the competition very seriously indeed. Their priorities for the summer were established early in the year when it was decided Neymar would be left out of the squad for the Copa América Centenario so that he could appear at Rio 2016. He is, by some margin, the biggest star present at the tournament, but by no means will this be a one-man show; Brazil's squad boasts plenty of other talent, especially in attacking areas.

My player-by-player guide to Brazil's Olympic football squad can be found at ESPN FC.

Olympic generation left behind as Brazil embrace alternative bright future

With squads for the 2014 World Cup being unveiled on an almost-hourly basis this week, excitement for the tournament is understandably building to fever pitch. By now, all of the favourites – plus England – have shown their hands, even if most have opted to name 30 players at this stage, delaying the announcement of the final 23.

While it is a time of excitement for many players, others are being forced to deal with the disappointment of missing out. Those who went off the boil this season (Roberto Soldado), were unable to maintain their form for longer than a couple of months (Andros Townsend, also injured) or found their progress hampered by injury (Sandro – there seems to be a pattern emerging here...) will have to make do with a summer holiday and a few hundred hours glued to their televisions.

Luiz Felipe Scolari broke his fair share of hearts upon announcing his squad last week. For every veteran like Ronaldinho who was never genuinely in the running, there were two or three whose frustration was entirely justified.

Yet as Brazilians pored over and dissected Scolari's 23 (Tom Jobim once remarked that Brazil has 150 million national team coaches), one group of players was notable by its absence from the debate.

Read this blog, on the fading hopes of Brazil's Olympic generation, here.

History Repeating: Brazil's Olympic Hoodoo Continues

A handful of thrilling prospects. The world's best centre-back. A favourable run to the final. Fifteen goals in five games. Wembley a sea of yellow, green and blue. A fifty year hoodoo begging to be brought to an end. And then... nothing.

Brazil's Olympic campaign ended in thoroughly disappointing style on Saturday, when a ruthless Mexico side upset the odds to take the gold medal.

I've written a short piece about the game and Brazil's shortcomings for When Saturday Comes. You can read the article by clicking here.

Menezes Names Olympic Squad

Mano Menezes today unveiled the 18-man squad that he hopes will guide Brazil to a maiden Olympic title in London this summer. The core of the U20 World Cup-winning side remains in place, while the three players over the age of 23 are Thiago Silva, Marcelo and Hulk.

The full squad is as follows:

Rafael (Santos)
Neto (Fiorentina)

Rafael (Manchester United)
Danilo (Porto)
Alex Sandro (Porto)
Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Thiago Silva (Milan)
Bruno Uvini (São Paulo)
Juan (Internazionale)

Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur)
Rômulo (Vasco da Gama)
Oscar (Internacional)
Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos)
Lucas (São Paulo)

Neymar (Santos)
Leandro Damião (Internacional)
Hulk (Porto)
Alexandre Pato (Milan)

With major question marks over the ability of young centre-backs Bruno Uvini and Juan, Menezes had hoped to call on David Luiz to partner Thiago Silva. The Chelsea man has been carrying an injury since the end of the European season, however, so Hulk claimed the third overage spot.

Menezes will be confident that this group of players - who impressed in the recent friendlies against Denmark, USA, Mexico and Argentina - will be strong enough to compete in London. The squad certainly boasts plenty of talent and, in Thiago, Marcelo, Hulk and Pato, a wealth of experience as well.