Brazil vs. Mexico: What It Would Mean for Brazil to Win Olympic Gold at Wembley

Brazil will take on Mexico in the gold medal match at the men's football—a fixture that has so much at stake for both nations.

Neither have won Olympic gold—in fact, Mexico have never even reached the final before—and thus both have the opportunity to etch their name into the history books forever.

It's a game of the utmost significance, but especially for Brazil. They are, after all, the favorites to win the entire competition and clinch the gold medal. Victory at Wembley at the 2012 London Olympics would mean so much for the South American nation.

As mentioned before, it would be their maiden Olympic victory—a fact that seems so strange for a country with the illustrious footballing history as Brazil does. They have made the final several times, but have never managed to clinch gold.

Victory at Wembley would mean the world to the Brazilian team. It would be a chance to rectify the near-misses they've had at the Olympic Games before and set the record straight that they are one of the toughest international teams to beat.

For many of the players, it would also provide them with their first tournament victory of some importance—a fact aided by the fact that the Olympic competition is an under-23 competition with the exception of three over-age selections.

Thus for several of the Brazilian squad, a gold medal would be the first major competition that they have won. It will give them great confidence and belief that when they go back to their domestic clubs and tournaments, that they can succeed there too.

But as wonderful as both of those facts are, winning a gold medal matters so much more for an entirely different reason. It is a reason that from the outset of the tournament, they were discussing as the drive behind their shot at success.

Gold at the Olympics would give them bragging rights over Argentina.

It would give them bragging rights and a victory over their fiercest South American rivals and arguably their biggest competitor on the international stage throughout history.

It would give them a shot to redeem the gold medal that Argentina won in the 2008 Beijing Olympics—a medal that they won by beating Brazil in the semifinals.

They wouldn't have done it by beating their rivals, but through their failure to even qualify for the Olympics, Argentina have given Brazil the opportunity for the sweetest revenge and success possible.

So for Brazil, winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics means everything. For a nation built on the pride of its football team, it gives them the final victory—the one tournament success they have been missing for so long. It gives their players the confidence to perform for their clubs, and for their success to continue throughout their career.

But most importantly, it gives them the chance to attain bragging rights over Argentina and prove that, once again, they are the greatest football nation in South America.

Period.

Will Brazil take out gold at the 2012 London Olympics?

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