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Saturday, September 30
U.S. drops to sixth with loss vs. Italy
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- The U.S. finish says it all -- not too
good, not too bad, sixth place.
The American men's water polo team ended its Olympics with a
10-8 loss to Italy and a lot of questions about its future.
|  | | Ryan Bailey's inside goal in the second half wasn't enough for the Americans. |
Will 30-year-old Chris Humbert, the U.S. team's top scorer and
low-post presence, be around for Athens in 2004? Can 30-year-old
Dan Hackett, their goalie, hang on four more years to the next
Olympics? And is there anyone else on the West Coast like young
Tony Azevedo, who emerged as the U.S. team's next star?
They Americans (2-5-1) have four years to find those answers.
Against Italy, the finish Sunday (Saturday night ET) was
typical United States -- fall in a hole, climb out late, then falter
at the end.
The Americans trailed by four goals, then rallied for an 8-all
tie on Ryan Bailey's inside goal with 3:34 to go.
But Fabio Bencivenga scored his fifth goal with a 1:51 remaining
as Italy retook the lead. Francesco Postiglione sealed it with an
outside blast less than a minute later.
The Italians (6-1-1) were without their flamboyant coach Ratko
Rudic and the Calcaterra brothers, Alessandro and Roberto, two of
their leading scorers. All were suspended by FINA, the sport's
governing body, for arguing after Italy's 8-5 quarterfinal loss to
Hungary.
None of it mattered here early for Italy, which had won gold and
bronze the past two Olympics.
The Italians needed only 11 shots to lead 7-3 at halftime.
It didn't look like a red-white-and-blue day when Wolf Wigo, the
U.S. team's leading scorer, had a penalty shot blocked by reserve
goalie Stefano Tempesti.
Italian fans at the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Center got into it
after that, spurring on their team with the borrowed cheer,
"Italia, Italia, Italia, Oi, Oi, Oi."
As they have all tournament, the American's rallied. Goals by
Wolf Wigo, Gavin Arroyo and Bailey tied it up and gave hopes for a
second-straight victory.
But the Italian goals closed a tournament most Americans would
like to forget.
They came here one of the world's best teams, winning the 1997
FINA World Cup. But the United States opened with difficult group
losses to Croatia and Yugoslavia, led Hungary three times in the
second half before falling 10-9 and had a late lead, yet lost by a
goal, to Russia in the quarterfinals.
Azevedo was a mix of tears and anger after that one, questioning
his teammates' effort in what he called the biggest game of their
lives.
But there were moments to savor and build on: Humbert's
game-winner over Croatia on Saturday that guaranteed a finish
higher than the seventh American took in Atlanta; Hackett's
performance in shutting out Greece for three quarters of a 9-3
victory; and the play of 18-year-old Azevedo, the youngest to ever
represent the United States in water polo.
Humbert and Azevedo hooked up on the game's prettiest play in
the first half. Azevedo faked a shot and dinked it low to Humbert,
who zipped in his patented backhand shot.
Humbert finished with three goals, tying Wigo for the team lead
with 16.
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