사상 최초로 올림픽 우승을 노리는 아르헨티나는 30일 저녁 6시(한국시간  31일 오전 7시) 조지아州 애선스 샌퍼드구장에서 열린 준결승전에서  에르난  크레스포의 후반 연속골로 포르투갈을 2-0으로 물리쳤다. 

 아르헨티나는 오는 3일 브라질-나이지리아전 승자와 정상을 놓고  한판  대결을 벌인다. 

 예선리그 A조에서 나란히 1-2위를 차지했던 두 팀의 재대결에서는 초반부터  팽팽한 긴장이 계속됐다. 

 포르투갈은 마르틴스 아폰소, 알베스 파울로가 공격을 주도했으나 아르헨티나의 치밀한 수비벽을 뚫지못하고 미드필드 싸움에서도 밀려 예선리그에서 1-1로  비겼던 전적이 무색했다. 

 아르헨티나는 전반을 0-0 득점없이 비긴 뒤 후반 9분 크레스포가 첫 골을  터뜨렸다. 

 구스타보 로페스의 지원을 받은 아르헨티나는 '94미국월드컵대표 디에고 시모네도 공격에 적극 가담, 1골차로 앞서던 후반 22분 크레스포가 다시 1골을 넣어  유럽 유일의 4강진출팀 포르투갈을 일축했다. 

 아르헨티나의 결승 선착으로 이번 대회 패권은 아프리카 또는 남미대륙으로  옮겨가게 됐다. 

 한편 지난 대회에서는 개최국 스페인이 폴란드를 3-2로 꺾고 1위를 차지했다. 

 ◇전적 

  △준결승 

   아르헨티나 2(0-0 2-0)0 포르투갈 

  △득점= 크레스포(후 9분,후 22분 이상 아르헨티나) 
 
 
Argentina (ARG) earned a place in the gold medal game for men's football scoring two second half goals in a seven-minute span to pick up a well-deserved 2-0 win over Portugal (POR) in the first semi-final final match. 

Argentina will face the winner of tomorrow's Brazil-Nigeria clash in the gold medal match. Kick-off for the 3 August final game is 15:45.  

Scoring sensation Hernan CRESPO (ARG) tallied both goals for Argentina, giving him five total goals and making him the leading scorer for the tournament.  

CRESPO's first goal came in the 55th minute when he headed in Claudio LOPEZ's (ARG) cross from the right side, beating goalkeeper NUNO (POR) into the left corner from seven meters out.  

He added the clinching goal in the 62nd minute after a slick combination of passes from Javier ZANETTI (ARG) and Ariel ORTEGA (ARG) put him free on the left side of the penalty box. His bending shot from 19 meters was deflected by NUNO, but the Portuguese goalkeeper could only push the ball off the right post before it rebounded into the net.  

Portugal made a run at Argentina in the last 20 minutes as VIDIGAL (POR) hit the left goal post in the 77th minute with a shot from 18 meters out after weaving through three defenders at the top of the penalty box.  

In the 82nd minute, goalkeeper Pablo CAVALLERO (ARG) preserved the shutout, making a point-blank save of NUNO GOMEZ's (POR) five-meter shot.  

Portugal rarely threatened the Argentina net and was outshot 26-13, but forward DOMINGUEZ (POR) made several dynamic solo dribbling runs before running into a solid Argentine back line.  

An uneventful first half ended with Argentina almost taking lead when CRESPO's 45th-minute shot was blocked by NUNO, but rebounded straight to LOPEZ. with a wide open net, LOPEZ shot low, but scrambling defender Nuno AFONSO (POR) lunged to clear the ball off the goal line.  

Added to the Portugal roster just yesterday for the injured LITOS (POR), ALFONSO was forced into duty in just the 8th minute after starter BETO (POR) injured an ankle and had to be carried off the field.  
  

 사상 최초로 올림픽 우승을 노리는 나이지리아는 31일 저녁 6시(한국시간  31일 오전 7시) 조지아州 애선스 샌퍼드구장에서 열린 준결승전에서 은완커 카누의  연장전 선취골로 4-3으로 역전승, 결승에 합류했다. 

 이로써 나이지리아는 오는 3일 아르헨티나와 같은 장소에서 금메달을 다툰다. 

 플라비오 콘세이카오가 전반 2분께 첫 골을 터뜨려 순조로운 출발을 보였던  브라질은 20분께 수비수 로베르토 카를로스 자책골을 기록, 1-1 동점이 됐다. 

 그러나 브라질은 27분께 '94미국월드컵 슈퍼스타 베베토가 1골을 넣고 36분에도 콘세이카오가 다시 1골을 더해 3-1로 상대의 추격권을 벗어나는 듯 했다. 

 2골차로 뒤져 패색이 완연하던 나이지리아는 후반 36분 빅토르 이크페바가  1골을 넣고 종료 직전 네덜란드 프로리그 아약스 암스테르담에서  활약하고있는  카누가 극적인 동점골을 넣어 승부를 연장으로 몰고갔다. 

 이때부터 승세는 나이지리아로 기울었다. 나이지리아는 3분뒤 카누의 슛이 브라질의 그물을 뒤흔들었고 월드컵 우승국 브라질은 올림픽에서의 첫금메달 목표를 잃은채 포르투갈과 3-4위전을 벌이게됐다. 

 ◇전적 

  △준결승 

    나이지리아 4(3-1 0-2 연장 1-0)3 브라질 

  △득점= 이케바(후 36분) 카누(후45분,연장 3분, 이상 나이지리아) 콘세이카오(전2분,전36분) 카를로스(전20분 자책, 베베토(전 27분, 이상 브라질) 
 

Nigeria (NGR) staged one of the greatest rallies in Olympic Football history, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Brazil (BRA), 4-3, as Nwankwo KANU (NGR) scored in the final minute to tie the match and then ended it with a goal four minutes into sudden death overtime, sending his team to the gold medal match.  
 
... Midfielder Jay Jay Okocha ... 

Nigeria will face Argentina for the gold medal on Saturday at 15:45, the first appearance in an Olympic Games final for Nigeria. Argentina reached the final of the 1928 Olympic Football Tournament but had to settle for Silver when they lost to Uruguay.  

In a wildly entertaining game played in front 78,587 fans at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, Brazil took a 3-1 lead into half-time and held it until the 77th minute when Daniel AHOKACHI (NGR) laid a pass to substitute Victor IKPEBA (NGR) in the left side of the penalty box. On the dead run, IKPEBA stuck his 21-meter shot into the right corner, giving his team new life.  

Nigeria spent the last 13 minutes attacking with fervour and got the dramatic equaliser seconds from the final whistle. After a goal mouth scramble, the ball popped loose to KANU, who was standing just three meters in front of the Brazil goal. In one motion, he jabbed his right toe under the ball, popped it in the air and pivoted to volley into the net past stumbling goalkeeper DIDA (BRA). KANU turned and ran all the way up the left sideline to midfield, his team-mates in tow, to celebrate the goal.  

With the game tied at 3-3 after regulation time, the teams began the first of two 15-minute sudden death overtime periods, but it didn't take long for KANU's heroics.  

The winner came in the 94th minute when a long, floated pass caught IKPEBA unaware as he ran toward the Brazil goal. The ball hit him in the back and bounced free at the top of the penalty where KANU swooped in to pick up the rebound. He rounded defender ALDAIR (BRA) to his left and cracked a left-footed rocket past the charging DIDA from 17 meters out to end the match, setting off a wild celebration that ended with goalkeeper Joseph DOSU (NGR) in tears and the Nigerian team taking a victory lap around Sanford Stadium in front of a cheering crowd.  

Early on, it had looked like Brazil's match as the South Americans scored in just the 2nd minute after forward BEBETO (BRA) was fouled at the top of the penalty box. Midfielder FLAVIO CONCEICAO (BRA) took the direct free kick and drove his shot past the wall, where it was deflected by a Nigeria defender and ricocheted past the wrong-footed DOSU into the lower right corner of the net.  

Nigeria fought back and dictated the pace of the game until it got an equaliser in the 20th minute, courtesy of Brazil defender ROBERTO CARLOS (BRA). Celestine BABAYARO collected a long cross in the left side of the penalty box, beat his defender toward the end line and fired a low, hard cross through the goal mouth. The shot beat DIDA, but was going wide before ROBERTO CARLOS tried to clear, and instead slammed the ball into the roof of his own net.  

Brazil roared back and again took the lead in the 28th minute. RONALDINHO (BRA) got behind the Nigeria defence on the right side of the penalty box and shot from 12 meters. DOSU made the save, but gave up a bad rebound, pushing the ball into the path of BEBETO, who tapped the ball into an open net from five meters out. 

Brazil went ahead 3-1 in the 37th minute as JUNINHO (BRA) took a long pass and chested it through to the sprinting FLAVIO CONCEICAO at the top of the penalty box. He got behind Nigeria's defence and chipped his shot over the onrushing DOSU and into the left corner for what seemed like an unbeatable lead. But there were still 45 minutes and KANU standing in Brazil's way.  

Brazil came out on fire in the second half, and almost put the game away, as JUNINHO's 46th-minute goal was disallowed for offside and RONALDINHO shot just wide in the 50th minute. Nigeria also managed its miracle comeback despite missing a penalty kick in the 63rd minute.  

Jay OKOCHA tried to stutter-step several times on his run up to the ball, trying to get DIDA to commit, but the big Brazilian goalkeeper held his ground, and dove to his left to save the poorly-taken kick.  

Brazil will face Portugal in the bronze medal match on Friday.  

Johannes BONFRERE (Coach of Nigeria) 
On his feelings after the match: 
"I feel very happy, if you beat Brazil in such an exhausting game."  

On missing the first-half penalty kick: 
"We had all the confidence that we could beat Brazil today."  

On going into the second half with Brazil leading: 
"It was 3-1 for Brazil at the half. It was not the fault of Brazil. We played the whole second half and created chances and that was the result today."  

On the Golden Goal rule: 
"It's a very good rule from FIFA. It's not boring anymore. It's not nervous for the team who scores the goal."  

On Argentina: 
"I had no time to see Argentina because we are practising. Now at this moment I can concentrate on Argentina."  

On the conditions since their arrival in the United States: 
"The day we arrived here, every day we have problems. I talked to the team and said, 'Forget all the problems.'"  

Mario ZAGALLO ( Coach of Brazil)  
On today's match: 
"In first half Brazil thought they would win except for a couple of errors. Nigeria never lost faith. It was an incredible game."  

On African football: 
"I've said before and I didn't lie, African football can win anytime. I was just not hoping now. From the beginning I said, there is no easy football. We began losing to Japan. There is no such thing as easy football."  

On sudden death: 
"I think it's a valid rule and I have no complaints."  

On the match between Argentina and Nigeria: 
"We are talking about Brazil and Nigeria now and Nigeria is a very strong team. It was a beautiful game."  

On the match between Brazil and Portugal: 
"Both teams lost their gold chance and have low hopes. We'll see how it turns out, but Brazil is going out for the bronze medal."