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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Most Brazilian players were already back in the locker room when Neymar rushed across the field at Maracana Stadium to celebrate with the fans. Nike VaporMax Country Pack .Shirtless, Neymar raised his arms toward the stands. He pumped his fists as the crowd chanted his name. He pointed back at the fans, as if thanking them, drawing even louder cheers.The Olympic host nation is once again embracing its most talented son.Neymar had just scored two goals Wednesday -- including the fastest one in Olympic history, just 15 seconds into the game -- to lead Brazil to a 6-0 rout of Honduras in the semifinals and keep alive its hopes of winning Olympic soccer gold for the first time.The 24-year-old striker is vital for Brazil at the Rio Olympics and has regained the trust of the fans after a struggling start. Neymars brilliant display against Honduras helped Brazil reach Saturdays final against Germany. Besides the early goal, he converted a penalty kick in injury time after controlling the Brazilian offense throughout the game.This is the Neymar that we like to see on the field, said 38-year-old Brazilian fan Andre Gustavo Correa, speaking outside the Maracana. We need him to have a chance to win this gold! Without him playing the way he is playing, I dont think this team would have been in the final.Brazilian fans had jeered and mocked Neymar after disappointing performances in the first two Olympic games -- scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq.But his recent level of play -- victories over Denmark in the group stage, Colombia in the quarterfinals, and Honduras in the semis -- has been more than enough to bring the fans back to his side.I would say, in the good sense, that Neymar is a monster, Brazil coach Rogerio Micale said. He has a gift for playing football. He delights absolutely everyone with his talent. There are external factors that influence the way players develop and I think it is an opportunity to study what happened to him to see if we can replicate that with other players.His coach thinks Neymar is a disrupting force for other teams.Hes the kind of player that when he is on a team, he kind of upsets the balance in a positive way, Micale said. I think he is very happy on the team. The team has embraced him. He is living through a positive period as opposed to a week ago, when there was a lot of demands and pressure on him. I think we need to respect him and have him on our side.Neymar arrived as one of the biggest stars of the Rio de Janeiro Games after skipping the Copa America to take on the responsibility of leading Brazil at its home Olympics. The Barcelona player was on the 2012 team that lost the Olympic final to Mexico in London.He was also on the national team eliminated by Germanys senior squad after an embarrassing 7-1 loss in World Cup semifinals two years ago, although he didnt play because of a back injury sustained in the quarterfinals against Colombia.That humiliating loss to Germany has scarred the Brazilian psyche. With Neymar on the field this time, everyone is hoping for a different outcome Saturday when the same two nations meet at the Maracana.For the time being, we have only the silver achieved, Micale said. But I still believe in Brazilian football. And when you have a star like Neymar, you have to be grateful, because he is the type of player that pushes Brazil to a higher level.---AP Sports Writer Anne M. Peterson contributed to this report.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/tales-azzoni Nike Air Vapormax Off White . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. Off White Vapormax 2018 . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. http://www.vapormaxoffwhite.it/34-vp-nike-vapormax-flyknit-moc/ . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. RIO DE JANEIRO -- From the top step of the podium, Justin Rose bowed his head as the Olympic gold medal was placed around his neck, and he stared at it for the longest time.Even for a major champion, this was more than he ever imagined.Its a moment youve seen in many other sports, Rose said. The medal ceremony is what its all about, really.This was why the 36-year-old Englishman circled the Rio Games on his calendar all along, even as some of the biggest names in golf began pulling out. Rose came to Rio to watch, and to win.And when his turn came Sunday, he delivered a gold-medal performance worthy of a 112-year wait.The final round was so tense that no one led by more than one shot until Rose hit a 40-yard pitch to 3 feet, a shot every bit as significant as the 4-iron from 229 yards on the 18th hole at Merion when he won the 2013 U.S. Open.The birdie gave him a 4-under 67 and a two-shot victory over Henrik Stenson to win golfs first gold medal since 1904 in St. Louis.Matt Kuchar of the United States closed with a 63 to win the bronze.How big was golf in the Olympics?Ive never been so happy with a third-place finish in my life, Kuchar said.And then there was Rose.As the final putt fell into the cup, he thrust his fist into the air and popped the British crest on his shirt before turning to embrace Stenson. He raised both arms, pumped his fist again and took a bow.The reality is incredible. The reality hasnt sunk in, Rose said. The whole week, Ive been so focused. Ive been so into it. Ive been up for it. Ive been just so determined, I suppose, to represent Team GB as best as I could. And it was just the most magical week.Stenson already faced one duel this summer at Royal Troon to win the British Open with the lowest score in major championship history. Deep in the round, the Swede said his spine locked up on him. He was stretching on all fours on the 13th and a physiotherapist worked on him at the 14th, where a poor chip cost him the lead. Stenson kept firing away, however, tying Rose with a pitch to 4 feet for birdie on the 16th.They were tied coming to the final hole, fans lining both sides of the fairway, exactly the moment and atmosphere golf needed to make a good impression on the International Olympic Committee.Stenssons pitch from 50 yards came up short, just over 20 feet away, and then Rose delivered what amounted to the winner. Nike VaporMax Anti-fur. Knowing that Rose was in tight for birdie, Stenson rammed his birdie putt some 7 feet by the cup and missed the par putt, giving him a 3-under 68.He made a birdie and I didnt, and thats why hes got a gold medal and I got a silver, Stenson said.Its not nearly as valuable as his silver claret jug from Royal Troon, but still special.We said that all along in the Olympics, youve got some pretty good consolation prizes, Stenson said.Rose is the first gold medalist in golf since George Lyon of Canada won against a field of mostly Americans.Golf organizations lobbied hard to get the sport back into the Olympics, only for some of the biggest stars -- including the top four in the world -- to withdraw in the month leading up to the Rio Games for reasons that ranged from fears over the Zika virus to security.Padraig Harrington referred to them as sheep for following each other out of Olympics. The 60 players who came, dressed in their country colors and team bags -- and three medals at the end of the week -- showed what the absentees were missing.This is one of the greatest golf trips Ive ever been on, said Bubba Watson, who had planned to stay in private housing until moving into the Olympic Village on Tuesday because he didnt want to miss out on the experience.Even better was seeing a teammate make his way to the medal stand.Were asked to play for our country and he pulled us through today, Watson said. Im so proud he got the bronze.The lasting memory of golfs return was Rose and Stenson going toe-to-toe for more than five hours before a sellout crowd (capped at 12,000 tickets), neither with more than a one-stroke advantage until it was over. And there was Rose at the end, wildly pumping fists as British fans waved the Union Jack around the 18th green.He won the U.S. Open at Merion three years ago. Rose said he always wanted his career to be remembered for multiple majors.But lets just call it major champion and Olympic gold medalist, Rose said. Id be a very, very happy man. ' ' '