(CNN) -- Brazil's men's football team are one win away from an historic first Olympic title after a 3-0 defeat of South Korea in Tuesday's semifinal at London 2012.
The five-time world champions, who have also won the South American championship on eight occasions, will play Mexico at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in the gold medal match.
A brace from striker Leandro Damiao, his fifth and sixth goals of the tournament, followed a first-half effort from defensive midfielder Romulo as Brazil proved too much for spirited South Korea.
Mexico booked a place in the weekend showpiece courtesy of a similarly comfortable 3-1 win over Japan, who will contest the bronze medal against their Asian rivals in Cardiff on Friday.
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After a bright opening from South Korea, bidding for a first Olympic football medal, Brazil took control and Romulo gave Mano Menezes' team the lead after 38 minutes with a calm sidefoot finish.
The Koreans were furious when a penalty was not awarded for Sandro's trip on Kim Bokyoung early in the second half, then Damiao took control of the contest.
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After doubling Brazil's lead on 57 minutes, the Internacional star made the result safe with a smart prodded finish seven minutes later.
Earlier in the day, Mexico, also looking for a first Games medal, had to come from behind after 12 minutes when Yuki Otsu gave Japan the lead.
Marco Fabian leveled with 30 minutes played, before Oribe Peralta found the net to give Mexico a 2-1 lead just after the hour mark.
As Japan poured forward looking for an equalizer, Javier Cortes broke free in the final seconds to seal victory.
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Rich Schuil of Netherlands looks dejected as Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann of Germany celebrate match point during the men's beach volleyball semifinal match between Germany and the Netherlands.
Estonia's Gerd Kanter competes in the men's discus throw final.
Tobias Hauke of Germany and Phillip Burrows of New Zealand challenge for the ball during the men's hockey match between Germany and New Zealand.
Lolo Jones of the United States competes in the women's 100-meter hurdles semifinals.
Emilie Gomis, No.11 of France, puts up a shot over Ilona Burgrova, No. 8 of Czech Republic, in the women's basketball quaterfinal.
Alexis Vastine of France looks dejected after defeat to Taras Shelestyuk of Ukraine during the men's welter boxing.
South Korea's players celebrate their victory in the women's quarterfinal volleyball match between Italy and South Korea.
Sally Pearson of Australia leads Nevin Yanit of Turkey and Kellie Wells of the United States during the women's 100-meter hurdles final.
Robert Grabarz of Great Britain competes in the men's high jump final.
Foluke Akinradewo, left, of the United States spikes during the women's quarterfinal volleyball match between the USA and the Dominican Republic.
A cyclist prepares to take the start of a race of the London 2012 Olympic Games cycling event.
Jorge Enriquez of Mexico beats Kensuki Nagai, Maya Yoshida and Hiroki Sakai of Japan during the men's football semifinal match between Mexico and Japan.
Brazil midfielder Oscar, left, and Brazil forward Neymar, right, congratulate goal scorer Brazil defender Romulo, second right, during the London 2012 Olympic men's football semifinal match between Brazil and South Korea.
Daniel Corral Barron of Mexico competes in the men's parallel bars final.
Andrew Osagie of Great Britain competes in the men's 800-meter semifinals.
Xi Zhang of China dives for the ball during the women's beach volleyball semifinal match between United States and China.
Iran's Ghasem Gholamreza Rezaei, left, celebrates with his coach, center, after defeating Russia's Rustam Totrov, right, in their 96 kilogram Greco Roman wrestling final fight.
Ona Meseguer Flaque of Spain defends in the women's water polo semifinal match between Spain and Hungary.
Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria wins the gold in the men's 1500-meter final.
Nicholas Willis of New Zealand reacts after competing in the men's 1500-meter final.
Robert Harting of Germany celebrates winning gold in the men's discus throw final.
Dawn Harper of the United States leads Shermaine Williams of Jamaica in the women's 100-meter hurdles semifinals.
Guo Yue, left, and Xiaoxia Li of China celebrate their 3-1 victory against Kasumi Ishikawa and Sayaka Hirano of Japan and winning the women's team table tennis gold medal match on Tuesday.
Im Jeong Choi, No. 19 of Korea, shoots over Olga Chernoivanenko, No. 29 of Russia, during the women's quarterfinal match between Russia and Korea on Tuesday.
Felix Denayer, left, of Belgium dribbles past Birendra Lakra of India during the field hockey preliminary round match between India and Belgium.
Matthias Steiner of Germany lies on the floor after failing to lift in the men's +105 kilogram weightlifting final.
Hamilton Sabot of France competes on the parallel bars during the gymnastics men's parallel bars final.
Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan competes against Ning Ding of China during the women's team table tennis gold medal match.
Jordyn Wieber of the United States competes during the gymnastics women's floor exercise final.
Misty May-Treanor of the United States celebrates after the women's beach volleyball semifinal match between United States and China.
Song Gao, No.12 of China, shoots over Lauren Jackson, No. 15 of Australia, during the women's basketball quaterfinal.
Silver medallist Nick Dempsey of Great Britain celebrates with his children Thomas-Flynn, left, and Oscar after the men's RS:X sailing.
Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor of the United States collide during the women's beach volleyball semifinal match between United States and China.
Sally Pearson of Australia leads Tiffany Porter of Great Britain and Jessica Zelinka of Canada in the women's 100-meter hurdles semifinals.
Dawn Harper of the United States competes in the women's 100-meter hurdles semifinals.
Georgia's Manucher Tskhadaia, left, wrestles Hungary's Tamas Lorincz during the 96-kilogram Greco-Roman semifinal on Tuesday.
Great Britain's Alistair Brownlee, left, and Italy's Alessandro Fabian compete in the men's triathlon.
Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa returns the ball to China's Ding Ning during the women's team table tennis gold medal match.
Japan's players celebrate their victory in the women's quarterfinal volleyball match against China.
Alexandra Raisman of the United States competes in the women's balance beam final.
Britain's Alistair Brownlee runs over Olympic rings on his way to a win in the men's triathlon.
Facundo Callioni of Argentina, right, scores a goal against South Africa during the field hockey preliminary round match.
Mary Killman and Mariya Koroleva of the United States compete in the women's duets synchronized swimming free routine final.
The men's triathlon begins in London.
Netherlands' Epke Zonderland catches air during the men's horizontal bar final.
Belarus' Yauheni Zharnasek lifts during the men's +105-kilogram Group B weightlifting event.
United States water polo coach Adam Krikorian talks with his players during the women's semifinal match against Australia.
Dancers perform during the women's quarterfinal basketball match between Australia and China.
Australia's Damon Kelly competes during the men's +105-kilogram Group B weightlifting event.
Goalkeeper Jun Yang of China makes a save against Italy during the women's water polo semifinal match.
American gymnast Gabrielle Douglas falls off the beam during the women's beam final.
U.S. guard Angel McCoughtry, left, competes against Canadian forward Tamara Tatham during the women's quarterfinal basketball game.
Chinese water polo player Sun Yujun prepares to shoot a goal against Italy during the women's water polo classification match.
Chinese gymnast Zhe Feng competes on the parallel bars during the finals.
Croatian goalkeeper Ivana Jelcic attempts to block a goal during the women's quarterfinal handball match against Spain. Spain won 25-22.
Argentine hockey player Juan Martin Lopez, left, and Lloyd Norris-Jones of South Africa spar for the ball during a field hockey preliminary match.
Chinese gymnast Sui Lu performs on the balance beam during the women's gymnastics event.
The Spanish handball team's defenders attempt to block the ball during the women's quarterfinal handball match against Croatia.
Italian kayaker Josefa Idem races in the women's kayak single 500-meter sprint semifinals.
Chinese volleyball player Wang Yimei reacts as the Japanese team celebrates after it won the third set women's quarterfinal match. Japan won in five sets.
U.S. forward LeBron James, front, and guard Kobe Bryant attend the U.S. women's quarterfinal basketball game against Canada.
U.S. coach Geno Auriemma talks to his players during the women's quarterfinal basketball game against Canada. U.S. defeated Canada 91-48.
French gymnast Hamilton Sabot prepares to compete during the parallel bars final.
British sailor Nick Dempsey swims to the spectator area to greet friends and family after winning silver in the men's RS:X.
Croatia's right back Andrea Penezic reacts after a fall during the women's quarterfinal handball match against Spain.
Left to right: Selim Nurudeen of Nigeria, Gregory Sedoc of Netherlands and Andrew Turner of Great Britain compete in the men's 110-meter hurdles round 1 heat on Tuesday, August 7.
Shafqat Easool of Pakistan, left, fouls Matthew Butturini of Australia during a men's hockey preliminary match.
Felipe van de Wyngard of Chile, left, and Brendan Sexton of Australia swim in the men's triathlon at Hyde Park in London.
Norway's Goril Snorroeggen shoots during the women's quarterfinal handball match against Brazil. Norway won 21-19.
Usain Bolt of Jamaica waits in the starter block prior to the men's 200-meter round 1 heats.
Tianwei Feng of Singapore competes in the women's team table tennis bronze medal match.
Belgium's Jolien D'Hoore competes in the women's omnium individual pursuit event of the cycling competition.
Franziska Weber, front, and Tina Dietze of Germany compete in the women's kayak double 500-meter sprint semifinal in Windsor.
Yuki Ebihara of Japan competes in the women's javelin qualification.
Singapore's team members celebrate a point made by Feng Tianwei against South Korea's Kim Kyungah during the women's team table tennis bronze medal match.
The bell signaling a final lap is rung during the men's keirin repechage cycling event at the velodrome in Olympic Park.
Maurice Mitchell of the United States looks on during the men's 200-meter round 1 heats.
Jonathan Silva of Brazil competes in the men's triple jump qualification.
Fernanda Silva, left, of Brazil shoots over Goril Snorroeggen of Norway during the women's quarterfinal hand ball match.
Dorian van Rijsselberge of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men's RS-X class race in Weymouth, England.
Japan's Saori Kimura, center, spikes as China's Hui Ruoqi and Ma Yunwen attempt to block during the women's quarterfinal volleyball match.
Shona Thorburn of Canada stands for the Canadian National Anthem before the women's basketball quarterfinal against the United States.
Croatia's centerback Miranda Tatari reacts after falling during the women's quarterfinal handball match against Spain.
Usain Bolt of Jamaica leads Noah Akwu of Nigeria and Isiah Young of the United States in the men's 200-meter round qualifier on day 11 of the London 2012 Olympics at Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, August 7.
Hyo Sik You of South Korea falls on top of Marcel Balkestein of Netherlands during their men's field hockey match at Riverbank Arena Hockey Center.
Goldie Sayers of Great Britain competes in the women's javelin throw qualification.
Balazs Baji, center, of Hungary leads the pack as Xiang Liu of China falls over a hurdle in the men's 110-meter hurdles round 1 heats.
Lee Nam-Yong of South Korea reacts after losing the men's field hockey preliminary round match against Netherlands.
Brazilian left back Eduarda Amorim jumps to shoot during the women's quarter-final handball match against Norway.
Kayoko Fukushi of Japan leads the pack in the women's 5,000-meter round 1 heats.
France's Matthieu Rosset competes in the men's 3-meter springboard semifinals Tuesday.
Brazil's goalkeeper Chana Masson tries to make a save during the women's quarterfinal handball match against Norway.
Andrew Pozzi of Great Britain watches after pulling out of the men's 110-meter hurdles round 1 heats.
Phillips Idowu of Great Britain competes in the men's triple jump qualification. Check out photos from Day 12 of the competition from Wednesday, August 8.
American Lolo Jones cruises through the heats of the women's 100 meter hurdles event at the Olympic Stadium.
Despite her delight after this jump, Great Britain's Holly Bleasdale could only finish joint sixth in the women's pole vault final.
Competitors leap over an obstacle in the women's 3000m steeplechase final, which was won by Russia's Yuliya Zaripova.
The U.S. pair of Mary Killman and Mariya Koroleva combine in the qualification tournament for the women's duets synchronized swimming.
Great Britain's Beth Tweddle swings her way to bronze in the women's uneven bars final.
The women's omnium, a six-event cycling competition began on Monday. Great Britiain's Laura Trott clinched her second gold medal of the Games in the discipline on Tuesday.
The U.S. go down 11-6 against Hungary in the men's water polo preliminary stage.
The race was billed as a showdown between Jamaica's reigning Olympic champion Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce (third from the right) and Team USA's Carmelita Jeter (fifth from the right).
It was Fraser-Pryce who crossed the line first, registering a time of 10.75 seconds to retain her title. Jeter was second, ahead of Fraser-Pryce's compatriot Veronica Campbell-Brown.
After the intense competition, Fraser-Pryce, draped in the Jamaican flag, was able to savor her victory.
On Sunday it was the turn of the men, as seven sprinters tried to outstrip the jet-heeled Jamaican Usain Bolt.
Bolt was bidding to become the first man since Carl Lewis to retain the men's 100m crown, but there were many who thought his fellow Jamaican, friend and training partner Yohan Blake (left) could steal gold.
From the halfway-point in the race, Bolt began to streak away. He was attempting to go below his own world-record of 9.58 seconds.
There was time for one quick look across before Bolt crossed the line to win gold ahead of Blake in second and American Justin Gatlin in third.
There was no new world record, but Bolt did smash his own Olympic record. His time of 9.63 was the second fastest ever over the distance.
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