Argentina wins gold with 1-0 victory over Paraguay

Carlos Tevez scored his eighth goal at Athens as Argentina captured its first gold medal since 1952 by beating Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday in an all-South American final.

Carlos Tevez scored his eighth goal of the Olympic soccer tournament and Argentina captured its first gold medal since 1952 by beating Paraguay 1-0 Saturday in an all-South American final.

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A day after Argentina's basketball team scored a stunning victory to oust the United States in the Olympic semifinal, its soccer players grabbed the spotlight.

Tevez, a 20-year-old Boca Juniors striker who is likely transfer target for Europe's top clubs, beat two Paraguayan defenders to a cross from Mauro Rosales to score in the 18th minute before 41,116 fans at the Olympic Stadium.

The win made up for two second-place finishes in 1928 and 1996 for a nation that craves success in team sports.

After the victory over the Americans on Friday night, guard Manu Ginobili said golds in soccer and basketball would be "the happiest time ever for us."

That joy was evident following the Saturday morning soccer match, as Argentina's players held hands and danced in a circle. Although Paraguay came close to scoring, Marcelo Bielsa's team was an overwhelming favourite to win the title and take the gold medal back to South America for the first time since Uruguay beat Argentina 76 years ago in Amsterdam.