Iraq wins respect, Argentina a long-awaited gold

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Gold medalist Argentina gave a glimpse of a possible World Cup winner two years from now and striker Carlos Tevez showed why he's the hottest property around.

Yet maybe the real stars of the Olympic soccer tournament didn't even win a medal.

While Marcelo Bielsa's shutout machine won the title without conceding a goal in six games and Tevez contributed eight of his team's 17, Iraq won the hearts of the soccer world by reaching the medal rounds.

Iraq's players arrived in Greece as one of the no hopers. Unable to play a single game on home turf because of the war and subsequent daily bombings and shootings that have torn the country apart, Iraq's players were expected to go out early.

A 4-2 beating of medal contender Portugal in their opening game changed that and Adnan Hamad's men went all the way to the semifinal.

Within sight of a final appearance in the Olympic Stadium, Iraq went down 3-1 to Paraguay, however, and then lost the bronze medal match 1-0 to Claudio Gentile's Italy.

With nothing in terms of a medal to show for their performance, Hamad considered his mission "to put smiles on the faces of our people" a failure. He was wrong.

Quite apart from showing that his team has every right to be playing powerhouse nations such as Argentina and Italy, Hamad sent out a message that even the horrors of warfare can't kill off the spirit of a sports team.

"We hope no one else has what we have now, that's the country destroyed and occupied," Hamad told reporters after Alberto Gilardino's first half goal for Italy in Thessaloniki ended his team's dream of winning a medal.

"I believe that the Olympic spirit and the sport in general and especially football brings the people together," he said. "We are part of the world family and even under the circumstances of the war, and so on, we are ambassadors for our country to celebrate this big event.

"We come here as ambassadors for peace and to tell people all around we are with you to put our hand in your hand."

The Iraq-Italy bronze medal game on Friday took place hours after militant extremists in Iraq had killed an Italian journalist. Top Olympic officials from both teams joined FIFA president Sepp Blatter in condemning the killing and expressing condolences to the family of Enzo Baldoni, but accepted the game should go ahead.

Iraq served notice that it may make it to a final some time in the near future.

Argentina gave a big hint that it has the talent to win its third World Cup at Germany 2006.

Like the other 15 teams in the Olympic competition, Argentina's squad was restricted to players aged 23 years or under, with three players over that age allowed.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa, who also is in charge of the senior team, was under pressure from the media and the fans to deliver the gold medal after Argentina's 2002 World Cup flop and failing to win the Copa America last month.

His team responded with a 6-0 win over Serbia-Montenegro in its first game. A 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Saturday's final at the Olympic Stadium, with Tevez scoring the only goal, captured a long overdue gold medal.

It was Argentina's first Olympic soccer title and that is something neighbor and big rival Brazil has never achieved. Argentina had twice been runner up, the last time in 1996. Even in defeat, Paraguay gained a major prize too, the country's first Olympic medal.

The team that knocked Brazil out in the South American qualifying phase, also beat Italy in a group game. The Italians, with AC Milan star Andrea Pirlo acting as midfield playmaker, beat Iraq 1-0 for a bronze medal they scarcely deserved after some listless performances.

Gentile said his team, which was outplayed 3-0 in the semifinal by Argentina, had no time to prepare, whereas the South American teams had the ideal warmup in the form of the Copa America, which finished a month earlier.

Parma striker Gilardino was one of the most impressive strikers of the tournament with four goals. Paraguay's Jose Cardozo scored five and Fredy Bareiro four. But they were well outscored by Tevez.

Several big European clubs are watching the 20-year-old, 1.68-meter (5-foot-6) Boca Juniors striker who increased his value even more with his workrate and ability to run at defenders as well as his scoring rate.

Although Boca wants to hang on to him for as long as possible, the club may not be able to resist a big transfer bid. But Bielsa will want him to play a major part in his team's bid to reach the 2006 World Cup and go all the way to winning the title.

His young team has talent throughout the lineup, makes good use of the flanks and opens up defenses with slick, first-time passes. Unlike Argentina teams of the past, it also has a good disciplinary record with only nine yellow cards in six games and just one in the final.

Bielsa'a team is the new generation and it could add the World Cup to its long-awaited Olympic triumph.