PARIS — Judging strictly from the sights and sounds Saturday at Parc des Princes — the famous soccer stadium tucked in the southwest sector of this radiant city — one might not have the slightest idea Olympic men’s soccer barely registers on the sport’s vast landscape.
Never mind most of the players are 23 and under, almost all the stars of the game are in preseason camp with their clubs, and the gold medal is a quaint souvenir compared to the World Cup trophy.
This was an occasion transcending the tournament’s narrow parameters. Titans of the sport and incubators of exceptional talent crossed paths for an evening of extraordinary drama, culminating with two extra-time goals by substitute Sergio Camello that lifted Spain over France, 5-3, for its first gold medal in 32 years.