Argentina's Carlos Tevez (L), Cristian Gonzalez (C) and Cesar Delgado dance in celebration after Tevez scored a goal against Italy during the first half of their semifinal soccer match in Athens, August 24, 2004, for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. (Reuters)

Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 in the men's Olympic soccer semifinals Tuesday and will play for its first gold medal in South America's favorite sport. Budding star Carlos Tevez scored his seventh goal in five matches to give Argentina the lead in the 16th minute.

River Plate's Luis Gonzalez doubled the tally in the 69th and second-half substitute Mariano Gonzalez put the game out of reach six minutes from the end.

The South Americans, who have now outscored the opposition 16-0 in five matches, forced the play from start to finish, while the Italians resorted to their now familiar defensive tactics and occasional counterattacks.

Sentimental favorite Iraq lost to Paraguay 1-3 in the other semifinal later Tuesday, with the winner to meet Argentina in Saturday morning's final at the main Olympic Stadium. Italy meets Iraq in the bronze medal match.

Andres D'Alessandro and Luis Gonzalez combined to start the play that led to Argentina's first goal.

Tevez, the 20-year-old Boca Juniors centerforward, then used an acrobatic maneuver to knock in a bouncing ball from 12 meters (yards). There was nothing Italy and AS Roma goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli could do as the ball rocketed into the corner of the net.

Afterward, Tevez and his two teammates on the play broke out into a dancing celebration, arm in arm.

Tevez, whose transfer value is rising with each goal at these games, is rumored to be heading toward Germany's Bayern Munich.

Luis Gonzalez, a midfielder, scored on a second-half counterattack, launching a long, rising shot from just inside the area that Pelizzoli also had no chance on.

Mariano Gonzalez, who plays for Italy's Palermo, converted a close-range shot off a cross from Tevez in the 84th.

Argentina nearly went ahead after only eight minutes, when Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze headed just wide. And Tevez almost scored again off a close-range rebound in the 37th.

Italy's best chances all came on free kicks by AC Milan star and Olympic captain Andrea Pirlo.

A set play three minutes in resulted in a cross that the team's leading goalscorer, Alberto Gilardino, couldn't reach. Pirlo's free kick was deflected just wide by a teammate in the 26th and another of his attempts sailed wide after going over an Argentine wall in the 40th from 30 meters (yards).

While Iraq's presence garnered extra attention to its match, Italy vs. Argentina needed no special buildup.

The Italians have won three World Cups to Argentina's two and Italy beat Diego Maradona's team 2-1 en route to their 1982 World Cup victory. Italy coach Claudio Gentile played in that match, which marks the last major victory for the "Azzurri" in international competition.

After winning the World Cup in 1986, Argentina got its revenge in 1990, eliminating Italy from its home World Cup in a penalty shootout at the home of Maradona's club team - Naples.

Four players on Argentina's Olympic squad play for Italian clubs: Kily Gonzalez and Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), Fabricio Coloccini (AC Milan) and Mariano Gonzalez (Palermo).

Despite all their success on soccer's biggest stage, however, neither team has achieved much in the Olympics.

Italy's last gold medal in soccer came at the 1936 Berlin Games. Argentina has never won, managing only two runner-up finishes. 

(Agencies)

budding : （初露頭角的）

outscore: （得分超過）

counterattack: to deliver a return attack or make a return attack against（反擊）

maneuver: to use stratagems in gaining an end（花招）

deflect: to turn aside or cause to turn aside; bend or deviate（使偏斜）