The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 159

FOOTBALL WATER POLO smh.com.au Thursday, September 21, 2000 Norwegian triumph could deliver coach a glorious farewell yet duced its best performance of the Games to beat China 2-1 last night. The result carried Norway into Sunday's semi-finals at China's expense and Hogmo, who is leaving after the Olympics to take charge of the national under-2i men's team, will now be able to depart with dignity. Norway, who will play Germany at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday, had started the tournament as highly fancied favourites to win a medal, but gave indifferent performances in their opening two matches. The United States, as expected, also advanced to the semi-finals with a regulation 3-1 victory over a Nigerian team that gave its more illustrious rivals more trouble than they might have expected. Norway, however, showed how they had managed to beat Germany, China and the US in a pre-Olympic tournament in July.

"It is great to have made the semi-finals here," Hogmo said. "I think we have improved a lot as a team in the past two years. We did not have a-great World Cup last year, but we had many injured players then." It is hard to recall two more contrasting halves of football. The first was an absorbing tactical battle of methods and minds without many glittering moments. Although Bente Nordby was brought smartly off her line several times, the first 45 minutes produced only two chances a glancing header by Jin Yan that flashed past the near post, and a speculative, long-range strike from Solveig Gulbrandsen that was comfortably gathered by Goa Hong.

How different things were after the break when Norway emerged with far greater purpose. Hege Riise delivered a teasing in-swinger from the left-hand byline, and Marianne Pettersen nipped in front of her defender to glance the ball past Gao Hong. China's equaliser arrived from the penalty spot with only 16 minutes remaining. Norway's captain, Goeril Kringen, was judged to have handled deliberately when a rasping drive from the edge of the area struck her hand and Sun Wen converted. Four minutes later, Margunn Haugenes conjured a breath-taking winner from nothing.

Taking the ball to the edge of the box on the left, the Norwegian substitute defied a tight angle and curled a delicate chip just inside the top right-hand corner. The US took the lead against Nigeria, the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, in the 26th minute. Mia Hamm took a corner from the left that floated to the far post, where captain 'Julie Foudy headed back across the face of goal. Defender Brandi Chastain, who had come up for the corner, found herself unmarked close to goal and gleefully volleyed the ball home. At the 35th minute, the US doubled its advantage.

Goalkeeper Chiejine looked to have a shot from Lilley covered but the ball deflected off Perpetua Nkwocha and spun inside her left post. Chiejine managed to get a hand to the ball but could not prevent it crossing the line. Nigeria breathed new life into the match soon after the restart when the impressive Akide, released by Rita Nwadike, smashed a shot past Mullinix from inside the area in the 48th minute. The Americans looked nervous but restored their two-goal cushion within seven minutes after striker Milbrett was brought down on the edge of the area by Chiejine. There was a delay of several minutes as both players were treated.

Once play resumed, a resulting free kick from Shannon MacMillan slammed a drive over the wall. WOMEN Norway 2d China 1. Bruce Stadium United States 3 Nigeria 1.MCG FOOTBALL WOMEN'S PRELIMINARIES James Nicholson and Michael Lynch Per-Mathias Hogmo may yet be granted a glorious farewell from his job as the coach of Norway women's team after his side pro 16 Spain leave it late but make the last eight Alex nods in and Brazil head into the quarter-finals MEN Hidetoshi Nakata, who was sitting the game out after picking up two yellow cards. Japan came closest in the 18th minute when, from a free kick about 30 metres out, Shunsuke Nakamura unleashed a rocket-like shot that dipped and curled all the way to goal and forced keeper Helton to leap high to his right to punch over the bar. But while Alex, Edu, Geovanni and Ronaldinho took charge in the latter part of the first half, in the next 45 minutes Brazil was on the back foot almost constantly.

Japan hit the post from a corner in the 53rd minute and always looked dangerous oh the break. Midfielder Junichi Inamoto, who scored in their last match, found room in the box to put the wind up the Brazilians several times. Suddenly the silky skills of the Brazilians seemed to have deserted them. Ronaldinho, in particular, disappeared so far from view that it came as no surprise when coach Wanderley Luxemburgo substituted him after 65 minutes and brought on Lucas. With 15 minutes to go, the frustrations of the Brazilians began to boil over and Edu 'and Geovanni received yellow cards.

Then Nakamura unleashed another of his scorching left-foot free-kicks that swept just past the top right-hand corner of the net. It must be said, though, that although the Japanese were the better team in the second half, the increasingly brutal Brazilian defence made sure they never truly troubled the keeper. Despite almost constant pressure and. the help of the hugely vocal Japanese crowd and their booming chants, they never found a way through. It was fitting to hear, at the end of the game, that Slovakia's shock defeat of South Africa had allowed Japan through to the next round.

You would expect a vice-president of soccer's world governing body, FIFA, to be passionate about the game. But would you expect him to turn up at an Olympic preliminary match soon after having an operation to have a heart pacemaker inserted? That is exactly what Lennart Johansson did on Tuesday night, less than 24 hours after an hour-long operation at Royal Adelaide Hospital. Johansson watched Nigeria and Italy's 1-1 draw at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide. MEN'S PRELIMINARIES Keith Austin It was the same team but a different Brazil that came out of the tunnel at the Gabba for the third time last night to fight for their Olympic lives against the Japanese. And in front of a record crowd of 36,608 they did just that; battling all the way to a quarter-final berth against Cameroon on Saturday.

Not for the Brazilians the offhand, almost cocky build-ups of previous games. Instead they came out of the blocks flying, steaming down the field and forcing a corner in the first 12 seconds. It came to nothing but certainly served to put the Japanese on notice that the Brazilians, at long last in this competition, were not going to mess about. As if to underline this, Brazil scored after five minutes, and for the first time in the evening the 8000 or so noisy Japanese fans were drowned out by South American drums. Fabio Aufelio took the ball down Japan's left wing and sent over another soaring cross.

It passed over the defenders and keeper and found his captain, Alex, on the far right of the goal mouth. The defenders could only look on in surprise as Alex's looping header went back across the face of goal and dropped into the left-hand corner. For the next 40 minutes we were treated to a display of world-class soccer as the Brazilians took the Japanese defence apart seemingly at will. They still seem to have problems finding the goal, with attackers of the calibre of Geovanni whacking the ball over the bar when under little or no pressure. For the first time in Brazil's stop-start tournament, Ronaldinho showed us why he is so renowned.

His flicks over the head of defenders at one point leaving four of them for dead and his pinpoint passing was a joy to watch. It was probably his skills, which meant he usually had three or four Japanese minders, that led to Geovanni being left with so much room to work in on the right-hand side. Several times long balls down the middle split the defence and Geovanni beat everyone for pace. The Brazilians were very much in charge of midfield, and their opponents were obviously missing the skills of Italian Serie A player Photo: Reuters Atsushi Yanaqisawa wronqfoots Brazil's Fabio Bilica at the Gabba last night. Brazil won 1-0 but both teams advance.

Springboks crushed Brazil Id Japan 0, Gabba. Brisbane Spain 2 Morocco 0, MCG. Melbourne South Korea Id Chile 0, Hindmarsh Stadium. Adelaide Slovakia 2d South Africa I.Bruce Stadium. Canberra Australia 9 Canada 4 Russia 6 Netherlands 3 United States 9 Kazakhstan 6 Final MEN'S PRELIMINARIES Michael Lynch Spain powered their way into a quarter-final clash against Italy with a 2-0 victory over a crude and muscular Morocco at the MCG last night, but the Europeans were made to sweat for their victory.

The Spaniards had to win to go through and although they led from the 34th minute and dominated the game, they did not make the game safe until Gabri netted in the last minute. In an ill-tempered match of several yellow cards, Morocco once again finished with ten men after Fouzi Elbrazi was given his marching orders seconds before the final whistle. Spain took the lead through striker Jose Mari, after Toni Velazaman floated over a free-kick from the right and defender Capdevila headed down. Jose Mari pounced on the loose ball on the edge of the six-yard box and smashed it past Moroccan goalkeeper Tarik Eljarmouni. Spain should have made it 2-0, but Valencia striker Angulo mistimed his drive with only the keeper to beat.

Nine minutes after the break, bustling forward Jose Mari forced Eljarmouni to make a brilliant one-handed diving save. The Spaniards got the luck they had earned in the final minute when Tamudo completely mishit a shot which looped and bounced into the path of substitute Gabri, who headed home to ease Spanish nerves. Jonathan Cook reports: South Korea restored some lost pride but will be catching an early plane back to Seoul with mixed emotions after their best performance of the tournament at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide last night. Chile would not have been too concerned by the 1-0 loss, with a place in the quarter-finals just about delivered even before the match. Only a horrendous collapse would have prevented them from making it into the last eight, 'and they never looked likely to suffer such a loss.

A game against Nigeria in Melbourne awaits the Chileans. For South Korea, who missed out on a quarter-final place on goal difference, the result proved that with confidence in their ranks, they could play the kind of game that had been expected of them. The sending off of South Korea's young star Lee Chun Soo after just 12 minutes, for kicking out at Sebastian Gonzalez, spurred the underdogs on. They were soon rewarded with a Lee Dong Gook goal, which proved to be the winner. Photo: Reuters Slovaks danger, but spotting Baron's poor positioning, Juraj Czinege bent the ball around a two-man wall and inside the near post.

Slovakia suddenly seemed to find an extra dimension, and Michael Pancik scampered through only to be denied by the goalkeeper's legs. Slahor produced a more clinical finish 18 minutes from time. He beat David Kanemeyer for pace and drilled a crisp shot that again beat Baron on his near post. McCarthy pulled a goal back three minutes later, and Milos Krsko had to clear off his line in the final throes, but Slovakia defended stoutly and will return home, as South Africa also will, assured that they have given a good account of themselves. by spirited academic though it might have been, and for them to have finished Group without a point would have been a travesty.

Not for the first time, South Africa were left to rue their inability to convert possession into goals. Delron Buckley, Benedict McCarthy and Nkosinathi Nhleko all illuminated the game with some dazzling flicks and touches, with intelligent running off the ball and turns of pace. Buckley's 15th-minute effort was disallowed by the linesman, but other than that they barely threatened. Nor did Slovakia enjoy much opportunity until Jan Slahor won a free kick wide on the left only two minutes into the second half. There appeared to be little MEN'S PRELIMINARIES James Nicholson South Africa reached their zenith four days ago with an astounding victory over Brazil, but last night they were spectacularly toppled by a spirited Slovakian side who are every bit as good as their 2-1 victory at Bruce Stadium in Canberra suggests.

As the South Africans discovered, even four days can seem like an age in soccer. The result ensured Japan joined Brazil in the quarter-finals on Saturday. For South Africa, though, as enterprising and adventurous as any side here, the Olympics are over. Poorer sides than them have qualified for the knockout stages, but a team of very high calibre were showdown with US looms in the pool always going to miss out, such was the quality and the evenness of the group. It was shattering for South Africa but it was one from which they could take away some pride.

"The boys are very sombre, very down, and it pains me to see South Africans cry after a game, but I feel we have done our nation proud in all three games against very good opposition," coach Ephraim Mashaba said. Doubtless South Africa missed the wizardry in midfield of the suspended Quinton Fortune, for he has been their heartbeat. Perhaps they might have been better off starting with the partly fit Siyabonga Nomvethe up front rather than giving him a belated appearance from the substitutes bench. But Slovakia deserved victory, their two major rivals the US or the Netherlands to take the gold. This, of course, assumes that they overcome the rugged Russians no mean feat.

The Americans beat Kazakhstan, the tournament easybeats, 9-6 in the final preliminary round match last night. The Dutch have shown a mercurial streak in their five matches thus far. They have put on some substandard performances balanced by their victories over the Australians and the Canadians. Last night, it was the off-key version of the Dutch that turned up to play at the Ryde Aquatic Centre. Perhaps the fact that they had already secured a semi-final berth reduced their desperation.

In any event, the Russians played with greater tenacity and purpose. In Sofia Konoukh, they had an offensive weapon to play through and she scored their first three goals. The Australians beat Russia 6-3 last Sunday in a match they described as "very The Australians had to replace 10 pairs of their new high-tech swimsuits in the course of the match. Konoukh, however, said last night that the semi-final would be "a totally different" match to Sunday's encounter, branded "The Battle of Wounded Woodhouse the opportunity to complete a full game in place of regular goalie Liz Weekes. Yesterday's match was a dead rubber for the Australians, in the sense that they did not have to win to reach the semi-finals, although a victory would secure a higher ranking and perhaps an easier assignment in the first playoff.

Thus, Weekes was rested. Woodhouse, 31, in only her second game of the tournament, seized the moment. She saved nine of the Canadians' 13 shots at goal, including several lunging stops that bordered on spectacular. Her reflexes were remarkable; at one stage, she saved two rockets from Waneek Horn-Miller in the space of several seconds. Weekes, the highest-profile member of the team, is no slouch in goal, but her numbers and form at the Games have not been of the standard that Woodhouse showed yesterday.

Weekes saved only two of seven shots against the Dutch, four of 10 against the US and, in her best game, stopped five of eight shots from the Russians. In Woodhouse's other game, she came on and saved both of two shots from the hapless Kazakhstanis. Suddenly, Gorgenyi has a tough decision. "I am very pleased I have two great goalies. Probably, it will be a big headache to decide the goalie, but give me some time to recover," he said.

He laughed and we were left wondering if he might, indeed, demote Weekes for Woodhouse, who happens to be the sister of the team's skipper and leading player, Bridgette Gusterson. Weekes, incidentally, turns 28 tomorrow, the day of the semifinals. The Australians could scarcely have been more impressive in disposing of Canada, showing more flair with a number of crowd-pleasing goals which required huge amounts of skill than they have in earlier matches. They have shrugged off their dependence on Gusterson and Yvette Higgins.with Simone Hankin scoring a hat-trick yesterday. Russia upset the Netherlands 6-3 last night to grab the fourth and final spot in the final four, eliminating Canada from the six-team field.

By defeating the Dutch, they also gave the Australians top spot at the completion of the round-robin. In a turn of events that enhances the Australians' gold medal prospects, the Netherlands' defeat means they will play the US in the other semi-final. That means Australia will have to beat only one of WATER POLO JakeNiall Australia will take on Russia in one of the women's semi-finals tomorrow, setting up a potential gold-medal showdown with the United States on Saturday night. This followed the home team's 9-4 flogging of Canada in their most complete and flamboyant performance to date. There had been significant contributions from most players and, as they prepared to play in the tournament's final four, the coach of the Australian team had every reason to dream of podiums and his adopted national anthem.

Yet, Istvan Gorgenyi has what he termed "a big In American football, coaches have "quarterback controversies" over who starts in the game's most important position. Gorgenyi faces the water polo equivalent a goalie controversy. Yesterday, as his team put the Canadians away, Gorgenyi gave substitute goalkeeper Danielle V7t Australia's Gall Miller, right, in a tussle with Canada's Marie-Claude Deslieres..