Men’s water polo: USA gets first win

SYDNEY - Coach John Vargas gave his players an early wake-up call

and captain Chris Oeding scored a goal to help the United States men’s

water polo team keep its Olympic medal hopes alive with a 12-8 victory

over the Netherlands Monday at the Ryde Aquatic Center.

The victory, the Americans’ first after pool-play losses to Croatia

(10-7 Saturday) and Yugoslavia (8-5 Sunday), put them in position to be

one of four teams who advance from Group B to the competition for medals,

which begins Friday.

Vargas, who coaches the boys and girls teams at Corona del Mar High,

will lead his team against reigning world champion Hungary today. Team

USA then finishes off pool play against Greece Wednesday.

Vargas, hoping to stir his charges after their first two defeats,

initiated a 4:50 a.m. wake-up call for Monday’s 9:30 a.m. contest.

It worked, apparently, as veteran Chris Humbert posted three of his

team-high four goals in the first quarter. His early scoring heroics put

the Americans up, 3-2, and 18-year-old Tony Azevedo, who tormented CdM

and Newport Harbor high schools as a four-year standout at Long Beach

Wilson, made it 4-2 near the end of the first period.

Azevedo finished with three goals, while the single tally from Oeding,

a former CdM High star and the American’s primary playmaker, helped give

Team USA some much-needed momentum.

Wolf Wigo also scored and set up Humbert’s first goal with a dump

pass. Kyle Kopp added two goals for the Americans, while goalie Dan

Hackett made 10 saves.

Dutchman Harry Van der Meer kept his team close with three six-on-five

goals.

Humbert, whom many consider the world’s best shooter from the

two-meter position, restrained a tendon in his right forearm, but said he

would be ready for today’s battle with Hungary, which owns the most men’s

Olympic gold medals in the sport (six).

Vargas said his team will rise early once again, in an attempt to rise

to the occasion for the 9:30 a.m. showdown with Hungary.