Posted on: Sunday, August 22, 2004

U.S. men's water polo team falls to Russia

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ATHENS, Greece — They wrestled above and below the rough waters, locking arms and legs, dunking each other, pulling off caps, tugging at suits and kneeing each other just to get in position to take a shot.

Ultimately, the 10th-ranked Russian men's water polo team won the arms race, beating the sixth-ranked United States, 9-7, in a preliminary match last night at the Olympic Aquatic Centre.

The United States (2-2) must now beat third-ranked Serbia-Montenegro by a two-goal differential tomorrow to advance beyond pool play.

"Their offense really worked for them, and our defense, well, we weren't making them take the shots we wanted them to take," said U.S. goalie Brandon Brooks, a Punahou graduate.

Brooks, often screened by his own players or left to defend the goal at close range, made five saves on 19 shots by a Russian team stocked with 11 holdovers from the 2000 Olympic silver-medal squad.

Center Revaz Chomakhidze and driver Alexander Eryshov each had three goals. Chomakhidze's first came 20 seconds into the match.

Russia took a 3-0 advantage when driver Irek Zinnurov, treading in the left wing, took a dry no-look pass from Eryshov and bounced a shot off the water's surface and over Brooks' right arm.

American driver Tony Azevedo, taking a pass from the top and firing near the left post, narrowed the gap to 3-1, with three seconds left in the first quarter. That was the first of five goals the Americans scored in their eight extra-player opportunities.

"We were playing catch-up all game," said Azevedo, who had two goals on five shots.

The U.S. team had a 6-on-5 player advantage when two-meter defenseman Layne Beaubein fired from the top, beating a largely unchallenged Russian goalie Nikolay Maksimov (seven saves) to bring the Americans within two, 6-4, going into halftime.

But the powerful Russians, who battered the Americans with their set offense, went ahead 8-4 on consecutive goals by Eryshov, the latter being an undefended shot from 12 meters.

In the fourth quarter, center Andrey Rekechinsky widened the Russian lead to 9-4, drawing Brooks toward him on the left side and then, while submerged by an American defender, rifling the ball right into the goal.

The Americans got two goals off the fast break and another extra-player score with 40 seconds left to close to 9-7 before running out of time.

"It's disappointing because we've played three really good games and, in a crucial game, we lose to Russia," said Team USA captain Wolf Wigo.

TRACK

Nakanelua doesn't qualify in 100 meters

Kane'ohe's Kelsey Naka-nelua , a 1984 Kamehameha Schools graduate, took seventh in his 100-meter heat yesterday. It was the beginning and end of his second Olympics for American Samoa.

Nakanelua finished Heat 7 in 11.25, beating out Cambodia's Sopheak Phouk (11.56). Jamaica's Asafa Powell won the heat in 10.06.

Powell, one of four men to run under 10 seconds this year, is 21 and Phouk 20. At 37, Nakanelua was the oldest in all 10 heats of the 100.

Athens2004.com contributed to this report