"We were never very consistent mentally during the Olympics," said Vargas, whose team lost in very typical fashion to Italy, 10-8, and took sixth at the Sydney Games. "I don't know what it was that made us that way."
No one does. The Americans were full of veterans such as 30-year-olds Chris Humbert, Chris Oeding and goalie Dan Hackett. But the group would space out at key moments in the pool.
Against Italy, the Americans trailed 7-3, tied 8-8 in the last three minutes, then let in two goals down the stretch.
Check any U.S. game, it was pretty much the same.
The Americans (2-5-1) led Hungary three times in the second half before falling 10-9. They came from three goals down to lead Russia in the quarterfinals, but lost 11-10.
"There's no way to figure out why," said Wolf Wigo, who had 16 goals in the tournament. "We tried to stay solid and focused, but we couldn't sometimes."
And now, U.S. men's water polo is left with a lot of questions to answer.
Will Humbert, the U.S. team's top scorer and low-post presence, be around for Athens in 2004? Can Hackett, their goalie, hang on four more years to the next Olympics? And is there anyone else on the West Coast like young Tony Azevedo, who emerged as the U.S. team's next star?
Those can wait. "It's going to take a while go get over this," Wigo said.
The Americans trailed Italy by four goals, then rallied for an 8-8 tie on Ryan Bailey's inside goal with 3:34 to go.
But Fabio Bencivenga scored his fifth goal with a 1:51 remaining as Italy retook the lead. Francesco Postiglione sealed it with an outside blast less than a minute later.
The Italians (6-1-1) were without their flamboyant coach, Ratko Rudic, and the Calcaterra brothers, Alessandro and Roberto, two of their leading scorers. All were suspended by FINA, the sport's governing body, for arguing after Italy's 8-5 quarterfinal loss to Hungary.
None of it mattered early for Italy, which had won gold and bronze the past two Olympics.
The Italians needed only 11 shots to lead 7-3 at halftime.
It didn't look like a red-white-and-blue day when Wigo had a penalty shot blocked by reserve goalie Stefano Tempesti.
Italian fans at the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Center got into it after that, spurring on their team with the borrowed cheer, "Italia, Italia, Italia, Oi, Oi, Oi."
As they have all tournament, the Americans rallied. Goals by Wigo, Gavin Arroyo and Bailey tied it up and gave hopes for a second straight victory.
But the Italian goals closed a tournament most Americans would like to forget.
They came here one of the world's best teams, winning the 1997 FINA World Cup. But the United States opened with difficult group losses to Croatia and Yugoslavia, and never found their way.
"It's not what we wanted when we came here," American Brad Schumacher said. "We have to decide how we're going to improve."
After the loss to Russia, Azevedo was a mix of tears and anger, questioning his teammates' effort in what he called the biggest game of their lives.
But there were moments to savor and build on: Humbert's game-winner over Croatia on Saturday that guaranteed a finish higher than the seventh America took in Atlanta; Hackett's performance in shutting out Greece for three quarters of a 9-3 victory; and the play of 18-year-old Azevedo, the youngest ever to represent the United States in water polo.
Humbert and Azevedo hooked up on the game's prettiest play in the first half. Azevedo faked a shot and dinked it low to Humbert, who zipped in a backhand shot.
Humbert finished with three goals, tying Wigo for the team lead with 16.
Humbert's not sure if he'll return. "I don't think we'll lose too many," Wigo said. "Then we'll be back."
Olympic Waterpolo
