 Argentina, Nigeria in the final
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-20 08:35
Nigeria will face Argentina in the men's football finals Saturday, the former trouncing Belgium and the later putting the boot to Brazil. Nigeria, Africa's best team and winner of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, had an easy time with Belgium, which has never made it this far. Argentina surprised by routing Brazil 3-0 in a match more one-sided than it should have been. Aguero stars Sergio Aguero scored two second-half goals in 7 minutes and set up another to lead Argentina to its 3-0 win over Brazil and into its second straight Olympic final. Aguero opened the scoring for the defending champions by chesting in a left-side cross in the 52nd minute, then scored again from 2m on a cross from the right in the 58th. Aguero also set up a 76th-minute penalty kick that was converted by Juan Roman Riquelme. It was the first victory for Argentina against Brazil in three years. Argentina, trying to become the first nation to win consecutive titles in 40 years, will now face Nigeria in a rematch of the 1996 final in Atlanta, when the Africans won 3-2. The match in front of a crowd of nearly 53,000 at the Workers' Stadium marked the encounter of the tournament's top stars, former FC Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho. Both players displayed their uncanny skills, but Messi threatened the most and created dangerous scoring chances for Argentina. In his first Olympics, the midfielder set up Argentina's second and third goals, while AC Milan's Ronaldinho struck the post with a free kick as he tried to put Brazil back into the match. The teams played cautiously, trying to retain possession in midfield and waiting for the right opportunities to strike. Aguero ran past defender Breno to open the scoring after Angel di Maria's cross, then easily added to the lead in front of the goal mouth after Ezequiel Garay's set-up. Messi started the play on the second goal by eluding several defenders before feeding the ball to Garay. The teams had drawn 0-0 in a World Cup qualifying earlier in June, but Brazil routed Argentina 3-0 in last year's Copa America and won by the same score in a friendly in London in 2006. Belgium out A goal in the first half and three in the second put Nigeria into the final, while Belgium's single marker came late in the game. Olubayo Adefemi opened the scoring in the 17th minute and Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi netted a brace before Chibuzor Okonkwo hammered the final nail in Belgium's coffin. Substitute Laurent Ciman pulled one back for Belgium in the dying minutes. Nigeria came out firing on all cylinders with Belgian goalkeeper Logan Bailly called into action twice in the opening minute, parrying a tricky cross then getting down low to save a shot from captain Victor Obinna. Belgium had plenty of chances but did not capitalize. The Nigerians, with the experience of six Olympics, pressed the attack and a sustained period of pressure resulted in the opener. The Belgian defense failed to clear the ball and it fell to Adefemi inside the box and he slotted it underneath the diving Bailly. The Africans got the all-important second goal after 59 minutes, but they were fortunate as Ogbuke Obasi looked to be offside when Everton's Victor Anichebe fed him the ball. He put it in the net with the outside of his left boot and Chilean referee Pablo Pozo allowed it to stand. Anichebe was playing well, causing the defence problems, but Toffees boss David Moyes won't have been impressed when he missed an open goal from three yards out. The match was put beyond doubt with 18 minutes remaining when Obinna laid off the ball to a rampaging Ogbuke Obasi who hit a powerful strike from 25 yards that gave Bailly no chance. A long-range effort from Okonkwo in the 78th minute added to Belgium's misery. Agencies (China Daily 08/20/2008 page16) |
