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Indomitable! Surprising Cameroon beats Chile to make it to final
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Arsenal midfielder Lauren fired Cameroon into the Olympic soccer final with a penalty two minutes from time on Tuesday as the Indomitable Lions came back from a goal down to beat fancied Chile 2-1. After Chile went ahead through an own goal by Patrice Abanda in the 78th minute, Patrick Mboma leveled in the 83rd and then Lauren drove in the spot kick after Chile defender Pablo Contreras had downed Mboma. It was another dramatic triumph for the Africans who had beaten Brazil 2-1 in extra time of the quarterfinal while down to nine men. And it meant that an African nation has made the final for the second time in a row. Four years ago Nigeria triumphed after victories over two South American teams, Brazil in the semifinal and Argentina in the final. "The gold medal has always been our objective, like it was with Nigeria," said Cameroon coach Jean-Paul Akono. "Nigeria paved the way four years ago for African football and Cameroon is heading for the same achievement. "Both teams went out to attack. Chile's goal was the result of an accident from my team but, instead of lowering our morale, it made us stronger."
"I had enough character and confidence to take it," he said. "I had a similar experience in the African Nations Cup when we won on penalties and drew a lot from that experience." Chile coach Nelson Acosta said his team wasted many chances. "Most of it was our fault," he said. "We did not know how to turn our chances into goals and we just had to try and hang on." Akono had threatened he had certain surprise tactics to thwart the eight goal strikeforce of Ivan Zamorano and Reinaldo Navia and it appeared to be a rigidly enforced offside trap. It clearly worked for the first 30 minutes of a generally sterile game and the Africans went closer to scoring. Abanda fired a 30-meter free kick just over the bar and Samuel Eto'o fired across the face of the Chile goal from a cross by Clement Beaud. Beaud was making his first appearance in the tournament with Cameroon forced to make two changes because of suspensions to Real Madrid midfielder Geremi and defender Aaron Nguimbat. When Chile for once beat the offside trap with the help of a dubious call by the linesman, Navia got in a 15-meter shot from a pass by Rodrigo Tello but defender Serge Mimpo got back to block with his legs. Five minutes before half time the Chileans broke clear again when David Pizzaro burst through on the right but his well-struck shot was brilliantly blocked by 16-year-old goalkeeper Carlos Kameni. Four minutes into the second half, Cameroon captain Eto'o cleverly turned a defender but his shot was deflected over the bar by a Spanish leg and then 33-year-old Zamorano moved into a great shooting position from Tello's left wing cross but fired tamely over the top. The Inter star was finding more openings by now and, when he collected a through ball, he shrugged off a defender and fired a low shot that the young keeper saved well with his right hand. But Cameroon went close to breaking the deadlock two minutes later when Chilean goalkeeper Nelson Tapia -- 18 years older than his opposite number and the oldest player in the tournament -- blocked but failed to hold a 25-meter shot from Mboma and Eto, following up, fired the rebound over the bar. Chile had a golden chance to go ahead when they fullback Cristian Alvarez broke the offside trap and found he had three unmarked teammates to aim at with his cross. Joint top scorers Zamorano and Navia were two of them but the ball went to goal-less Claudio Maldonado whose header wasn't even on target from six meters. Maldonado had another glorious opportunity when he again beat the offside trap with a well-timed run, waited and waited to shoot and again Kameni saved with two Chile colleagues waiting But the breakthrough arrived in the 78th minute when the Cameroon defense again got caught out by a long ball from deep, substitute Sebastian Gonzalez got clear only for Kameni to block the shot but the ball struck Abanda facing his own goal and rebounded in. The lead lasted five minutes before Chile failed to clear a corner from Arsenal's Mayer Lauren and Mboma fired home left footed from level with the penalty spot. Lineups: Chile -- Nelson Tapia; Cristian Alvarez, Pablo Contreras, Pedro Reyes, Rafael Olarra; Claudio Maldonado, David Pizzaro, Patricio Ormazabal (sub: David Henrique, 84th), Rodrigo Tello; Ivan Zamorano, Reinaldo Navia (Sebastian Gonzelez, 70th). Cameroon -- Carlos Kameni; Nicolas Alnoudji, Serge Mimpo, Serge Branco (Daniel Ngom Kome, 82nd); Clement Baud, Patrice Abanda, Pierre Wome, Lauren; Modeste Mbami (Joel Epalle, 66th) Samuel Eto'o (Patrick Suffo 90th), Patrick Mbomba. Referee -- Stephane Bre, France.
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