Argentina wins gold again in Men's Football

(BEIJING, August 23) -- In a rematch of the Men's Football Final of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0 in today's final to win its second consecutive gold medal in Olympic football.

Argentina was the better side in the early part of the first half but Nigeria began to threaten the South American team in the latter part. Nigeria actually defeated Argentina 3-2 in the final of Atlanta 1996.

Nigeria carried out the first attack on goal when Peter Odemwingie fancied his chances and attempted a long-range shot in the sixth minute. The ball skidded through Argentina's defensive wall, but the Argentine goalkeeper, Sergio Romero, was equal to the task. Four minutes later, Argentine captain Juan Riquelme received a free kick from near the arc, but the ball sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Nigeria focused on defending against Argentine playmakers Lionel Messi and Riquelme, ensuring that Argentina had no chance to launch an attack on goal in the opening minutes of the first half. Argentina appealed for a penalty when Messi was felled in the box 21 minutes into the game, but the referee let it go.

Nigeria looked threatening in the 35th minute when Odemwingie whipped the ball across the face of the box, but the ball bounced off the unprepared Nigerian captain Promise Isaac.
Argentina also tried hard to break the deadlock but it was to no avail. Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago chipped the ball to Sergio Aguero in the 37th minute, but Aguero's tame header was easily stopped by Nigerian goalkeeper Ambruse Vanzekin.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Argentine midfielder Angel Di Maria unleashed a great long-range shot that forced Vanzekin to make a diving leap to his right and tip the ball behind the line.

Messi started well in the second half, squeezing a shot towards goal but Vanzekin punched the ball away.

The winning goal came only eight minutes later when Messi found an unmarked Di Maria who calmly chipped the ball over the fast-approaching Vanzekin and into the back of the net.
Nigeria almost snatched an equalizer when the ball bounced off Isaac's toes in front of goal. However, Romero quickly cleared the ball from danger.

Nigeria had another chance to equalize when Victor Anichebe, who came on in the 64th minute, almost scored a goal with his first touch of the game. Romero, however, forced the Nigerian forward's shot to dribble past the post.

Messi had a chance to double Argentina's lead in the 77th minute, but he was stopped by the Nigerian defense. Anchibe again had a great chance to score for Nigeria but a great diving save from Romero averted a disaster.

Argentina retain Olympic title

Argentina claimed back-to-back Olympic football titles as Angel Di Maria's second-half goal edged a tight final against Nigeria.

The 1-0 victory provided the South Americans with revenge for their defeat in the 1996 Atlanta final to the same opponents and it was Barcelona starlet Lionel Messi who did much to decide the contest.

Messi regularly teased and tormented the Nigerian backline and it was he who laid on the opportunity for Di Maria to settle the match on 58 minutes.

The Nigerians had made the brighter start of what proved a cagey first-half, Lokomotiv Moscow forward Peter Odemwingie with a couple of early efforts on goal.

Messi always looked dangerous on the ball and saw a penalty appeal turned down by Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai as he tumbled in the box under challenge from Chibuzor Okonkwo.

The best effort of the half came at its conclusion as Di Maria's low skidding shot was well turned behind by Nigerian keeper Ambruse Vanzekin.

Messi underlined his threat five minutes after the break as he skipped past a tackle and curled in a shot which Vanzekin again did well to parry.

Slick Nigeria crush sorry Belgium

They will now face Argentina after the reigning champions beat Brazil in the other semi.

Olubayo Adefemi gave Nigeria an early lead, with Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi getting the second after half-time.

Obasi scored his second and Chibuzor Okonkwo hit the fourth before Laurent Ciman claimed a late consolation goal.

Nigeria had been given an ultimatum over their lax approach to the tournament by coach Samson Siasia and the team responded in style.

The so-called "Dream Team" are hoping to match the achievement of their compatriots who won gold in 1996 in Atlanta.

They started with a bang as Peter Odemwingie forced a save from the Belgian keeper in the opening minute of the game.

Adefemi opened the scoring on 16 minutes with a low drive from the edge of the box, which Logan Bailly in the Belgian goal got a hand to but could not keep out.

The score at half-time was 1-0 but in the second period Nigeria cut loose.

Just after coming on as a substitute, Anichebe created the second with a perfect pass for Obasi to fire home.

He missed a glorious chance of his own a few minutes after that, but with 20 minutes to go a huge strike from distance from Obasi put the game beyond Belgium.

Okonkwo grabbed the fourth with an even longer-distance shot, and despite Belgium's late goal from Ciman the Nigerians went through in style.

In the second semi-final, the reigning champions Argentina beat their South American rivals Brazil 3-0.

Sergio Aguero scored twice in the second-half within the space of seven minutes to put them ahead.

He then set up a 76th-minute penalty kick that was converted by Juan Riquelme.

It means the final in Beijng on Saturday will be a repeat of the final in 1996, which Nigeria won.

Argentina knock out rivals Brazil

Sergio Aguero put Argentina ahead on 53 minutes when he chested in a low cross before his glanced shot added a second.

Ronaldinho's free-kick hit the post for Brazil and Alexandre Pato was dubiously ruled offside when he touched in a Marcelo cross in the aftermath.

Juan Riquelme's penalty finished off a Brazil side who had Lucas Leiva and Thiago Neves sent off late on.

Lucas was sent off on 81 minutes for a foul on Liverpool team-mate Javier Mascherano, who was also the victim of a challenge which saw Neves see red minutes later.

The tackles were a signal of Brazil's frustration towards the end of a match in which they only came to life after conceding the opening goal early in the second half.

Up to then, Argentina had shaded a tight affair as both sides lacked a clinical edge in the final third.

But Aguero changed that when he guided home a powerfully struck Angel di Maria cross off his chest from six yards.

Almost immediately, Rafael Sobis hit the post with a well-struck shot as Brazil finally threatened the Argentine goal.

Brazil left themselves exposed searching for an equaliser and Lionel Messi's run across the box started an attack which saw Ezequiel Garay drive in a low cross and Aguero touch in for his side's second just before the hour mark.

Ronaldinho then saw his 25-yard set piece curler come back off the post as the woodwork again denied Brazil and, even though Pato seemed level when he sidefooted in Marcelo's cross, he was ruled offside.

Brazil's misery was only compounded when Riquelme stroked in a penalty after Breno's foul on Aguero and by their late dismissals.

Argentina emerged deserved winners and they will now go on to defend their Olympic title from Athens four years ago.

Ronaldinho leads Brazil to bronze

Manchester City striker Jo scored twice after Diego netted the the opener as Brazil bounced back from their 3-0 semi-final loss to Argentina.

Diego converted Rafinha's cross into the net on 27 minutes, before Jo headed the second before half-time.

Jo then nutmegged Belgium goalkeeper Logan Bailly in injury-time to complete the scoring.

Brazil have won two silver medals in 1984, 1988 and another bronze at Atlanta in 1996, but again the one prize they are yet to claim, an Olympic gold medal, has eluded the five-times World Cup winners.

Brazil captain Ronaldinho said: "The bronze medal may not be important from a Brazilian's point of view but in the future we will be proud.

"We deserve respect as a group of players because we took some criticism after the defeat to Argentina.

"Everyone came to China for a medal and we got one. It's not what we were expecting at the beginning but it's one of the most important awards."

Ronaldinho created numerous opportunities through the first half, starting with a header that just sailed over the bar in the opening minutes.

Belgium were able to absorb the pressure for the first quarter of the game, assisted by a lack of precision when it counted by Brazil, before Diego found the net to open the scoring.

Belgium fought to level the score and chances in quick succession by Maarten Martens and Thomas Vermaelen went dangerously close before Brazil came back through Jo.

Argentina brave heat to take gold

Benfica striker Angel di Maria's neat chip after 58 minutes was enough to give the Argentines victory.

Nigeria had their fair share of chances, but were unable to beat goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

Play was stopped twice to allow players to take on water to deal with the searing 42C (107F) heat.

Striker Lionel Messi put di Maria through on goal, after freeing himself from some tight Nigerian marking.

Nigeria were attempting to repeat their 1996 Olympic victory over Argentina, but despite some early solid defending could not keep Messi at bay.

"Maybe the heat was a factor," said Argentina coach Sergio Batista. "I think it the game had been played in another part of the day it would have been very different.

"We tried to make sure that we didn't get uptight, just to play our own game. We wanted to play with intelligence and move the ball around and not run around so much. We wanted the ball to do the work."

And Nigeria coach Samson Siasia was critical of the decision to play the game in the middle of the day.

"No team has actually played at noon since we started this tournament," said Siasia. "It affected both countries and most players didn't perform to their level because of the heat.

"But we didn't make the rules. They said play the game at noon which I don't think wasn't a good idea.

"We had a lot of chances on goal, but you have to score goals to win gold medals. After gold, I think silver is not bad. Look at Brazil, they came third."

Brazil took the bronze medal on Friday, strolling to a 3-0 win over Belgium.