Review: Classy Argentina to the rescue

ATHENS, Aug 29 (Reuters) -- At the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 football was cancelled due to lack of interest.

Passionate, imaginative and totally ruthless, Argentina have given it a long-overdue shot in the arm on its return to Athens.

Olympic soccer has often failed to set the pulses racing since its eventual introduction in 1900 with Europe not bothering to send their top players due to club commitments.

However, Argentina bucked that trend and won the men's tournament in pulsating style to end the country's 52-year gold medal drought.

Fittingly, the tournament's best player Carlos Tevez scored the winner as Argentina beat regional neighbours Paraguay 1-0 to give Latin America a first Olympic soccer gold since 1928.

Iraq, distracted by news of escalating violence back home, battled into the semi-finals, only to run into political controversy.

Meanwhile, the United States won the women's tournament, giving Hall of Famer Mia Hamm the perfect end to a glittering career.

Led by Boca Juniors forward Tevez, a Maradona clone who finished with eight goals, Argentina won all six games, scoring 17 times and conceding none to win their first Olympic title since a rowing gold at the Helsinki Games.

FEEL-GOOD FACTOR

A crowd of 44,000 watched the final -- in contrast to the earlier rounds when the locals stayed away, despite the feel-good factor generated by Greece's shock Euro 2004 triumph.

However, Argentina and Portugal took the tournament seriously, both angering Manchester United by taking Gabriel Heinze and Cristiano Ronaldo respectively.

While United manager Alex Ferguson stewed, Heinze told his new boss he was putting his country first, a decision not often taken by the modern footballer.

As long as clubs hold so much power over the players, the Olympics will continue to struggle for credibility.

Iraq, who train alongside grazing sheep in Baghdad, defied the odds to reach the semi-finals where they were beaten by Paraguay.

Their fairytale run ended in controversy, however, after U.S. President Bush used the Iraqi Olympic team in a campaign ad in his bid for re-election.

The ad provoked a furious response from the players, who accused Bush of "slaughtering" innocent Iraqi citizens as the tournament threatened to come to an undignified end.

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.