29 August 2004	Sunday	12 Rajab 1425

ATHENS, Aug 28: Argentina won their first Olympic gold medal in 52 years on Saturday with a 1-0 win over nine-man Paraguay in their soccer final.

Argentina dominated the ill-tempered South American clash before 44,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium. For Paraguay, it was the country's first-ever Olympic medal.

Defender Gabrial Heinze, who played despite a pelvic injury, kissed his gold medal and pointed to the sky in a tribute to his father Jorge, who died in June.

"I just wanted this medal to be for him," said the new Manchester United player, who travels with the Argentina squad to Lima for a World Cup qualifier against Peru next weekend.

Argentina totally outclassed Paraguay in the sweltering heat and could have won by four or five goals, with several players coming close to scoring in the second half.

Carlos Tevez tucked in a Mauro Rosales cross with a clinical finish in the 18th minute.

It was the Boca Juniors playmaker's eighth goal in the Games, where Argentina finished with a perfect record of six wins out of six and scored 17 goals without reply.

Argentina, runners-up to Nigeria in Atlanta in 1996, was the first Latin American soccer team to take gold since 1928. It was Argentina's first gold since the men's double sculls at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

Paraguay's first Olympic medal was tarnished slightly by six yellow cards in addition to the two dismissals.

Defender Emilio Martinez was sent off in the 66th minute for elbowing Andres D'Alessandro in the face and Diego Figueredo was dismissed for a second bookable offence seven minutes from time with Argentina content to run down the clock.

Their coach Carlos Jara dedicated the silver medal to the victims of a supermarket blaze that killed more than 400 people in Asuncion earlier this month.-Agencies