Saturday 20 June 2015 10:46, UK
Nemanja Maksimovic scored an 118th minute goal to give Serbia an unlikely 2-1 extra-time victory over Brazil in the U20 World Cup final in Auckland on Saturday.
It was the Serbs' first international honour as an independent nation and comes 28 years after the former Yugoslavia won the title in 1987 in Chile.
Stanisa Mandic had given the Serbs the lead with 20 minutes remaining with a close-range finish but Manchester United's Andreas Pereira equalised three minutes later after a penetrating run into the area.
Serbia had been grateful to their goalkeeper and man-of-the-match Predrag Rajkovic for a series of excellent stops to keep a busy Brazilian attack at bay and Maksimovic duly delivered the classic sucker-punch as he beat the offside trap to poke home the winner.
In the third place play-off, Adama Traore produced two stunning long-range strikes to help Mali beat 10-man Senegal 3-1.
Heavy rain and strong cold winds have pounded New Zealand for the past three days and while fans were soaked during the earlier match for third place, the rain had stopped by the time the sold-out final kicked off.
Brazil had the best clear-cut chances in the first half with Jean Carlos and Gabriel producing two top-class saves from Serbia captain Rajkovic.
Serbia midfielder Sergej Milankovic went close when his header from a corner was well saved by Jean.
The Brazil goalkeeper, who had not conceded a goal since the eighth minute of their second group game against Hungary, was finally beaten when an unmarked Mandic stroked the ball home in the 70th minute to end the streak at 571 minutes.
Brazil, however, did not have to wait long for an equaliser with substitute Pereira jinking his way past three defenders to level the match three minutes later.
Rajkovic produced another fine tip over in extra time before his team-mates swept down field and Maksimovic was left one-on-one with Jean and he calmly slotted home to end Brazil's hopes of a sixth world title.
Serbia coach Veljko Paunovic said. "I can tell you we were lucky, but luck is a part of the game and you have to deserve to be lucky. At the end I believe the team that wanted to win most would win this trophy and we got it."
In the earlier match, Traore equalised with a curling left-footed free kick in the 74th minute, 10 minutes after Senegal's Ibrahima Wadji had opened the scoring.
Senegal defender Moussa Ba had been sent off in the final minute of the first half by Egyptian referee Ghead Grisha for his second yellow card.
Traore then blasted a right foot shot past Ibrahima Sy before Diadie Samassekou completed the victory when he slotted home the third in added time. Sy and his Mali counterpart Djigui Diarra both saved penalties in the final 15 minutes.
