Argentina win soccer gold

Print article

email story

Athens - Now Argentina has something Brazil doesn't have: an Olympic soccer gold medal.

For decades in the shadows of the five-time World Cup winners and a loser to the Brazilians at last month's Copa America, Argentina were tied with Brazil as a two-time runner up at the Olympics.

Now they will be showing off their prize from the Athens Olympics when they get home.

Carlos Tevez scored his eighth goal of the tournament as Argentina captured its first gold medal in any sport since 1952 by beating Paraguay 1-0 in Saturday's all-South American final.

"To be champion of the Olympic Games is quite an achievement and I'm obviously very happy," Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa said.

"There are other elements that fit in professional football, the feelings of instability and constant analysis. But what has just happened, it is something that fills me with happiness."

The win made up for two second-place finishes, in 1928 and 1996, for a nation that craves success in team sports.