USA (CALIFORNIA) Water Polo Goes For Gold

GOLD MEDAL MATCH TO BE PLAYED ON NBC BETWEEN 12NOON and 4PM SUNDAY AUGUST 23rd PST

Why has The Plastico Brought you news of the USA Polo Team?
Every player on our team went to college in California. Every player but one (Brandon Brooks, Hawaii) was born in California. 11 of the 13 were born in Southern California (We have donated Fresno to Southern, CA for just a moment). This is California's team - these are our boys - so when you watch the gold medal match this Sunday - Cheer on CA as we take on heavy Olympic Favorite Hungary.

Ten reasons to watch the U.S. men's water polo team

Olympics' final-day action also its most intriguing By John Walters

Posted Saturday, August 23, 2008 10:09 AM ET

BEIJING -- Three men's team-sport gold-medal matches involving U.S. squads take place on Sunday, the closing day of the Beijing Olympics. And if you know the difference between Bela Karolyi and Karch Kiraly, which is to say, if you've been watching these Games, then you are likely familiar with the storylines of two of the three.

Team USA doubled up Serbia, 10-5, and will face Hungary in finals.

In men's volleyball, the resilient U.S. squad seeks to overcome both its underdog status and the tragic death of its head coach's father-in-law as they face Brazil at noon in Beijing. Twenty years after winning gold by going undefeated at an Olympics held in Asia, the U.S. men are one victory away from doing so again. And, in the process, Lloy Ball and company will provide some succor for their coach, Hugh McCutcheon, whose odyssey here in China by now you know well.

In men's basketball, which tips off at 2:30 p.m. local time, it's the Redeem Team. Another story whose plot requires little elucidation. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Coach K write the final chapter of their redemption saga versus Spain, a squad they beat by 37 points just a few nights ago.

But you probably know little about the men's water polo final set to take place at 3:40 p.m. locally. The gold medal match between heavily favored Hungary and the U.S.A. will be one of the last events of the Games (we like to get our money's worth out of Wolf Wigo). In many ways it will also be the most intriguing. In what ways, you ask? Allow me to count them:

1) The Hungarians are two-time defending gold medalists. In fact, Hungary has won more gold medals in water polo (eight) than any other nation and has earned one-third of the medals handed out.

2) The United States has won one gold medal in water polo, but it was basically an intramural ribbon. At the 1904 Games in St. Louis only three teams, all from the United States, entered the water polo competition. The Americans swept the medals (Well, I'll be!). So while America may be hungry for a gold medal, Hungary is not ... hungry ... for a gold medal.

3) If you were paying close attention to that first factoid, you noticed that eight is one-third of 24. Beijing is only the 26th Summer Games held. Except for the inaugural Olympics held in Athens in 1896, water polo has been part of every Summer program. It is the oldest continuously contested team sport in the Olympics. So, like the Games themselves, it has tradition on its side.

4) The U.S.A. has not won a medal (it was silver) since 1988. The captain of that team was Terry Schroeder, who is now the coach.

5) If Schroeder's face -- and arms, legs and torso -- looks familiar to you, it should. Schroeder was the model for the nude male statue that stands at the entrance of the Los Angeles Coliseum. That's confidence.

6) Gergely Kiss, besides sounding like something you experienced at your first girl-boy party, is the leader of the Hungarian squad. In the gold-medal matches in 2000 and 2004 Kiss was Hungary's leading scorer. And when the 6-6 lefty takes to the pool, he is one big, wet Gergely Kiss.

7) Before you ask where the horses are -- as I did -- here's an explanation behind the sport's name. Water polo, invented in England in the late 19th century, was first contested with players riding small wooden barrels made to resemble horses and swinging at the ball with a mallet.

8) At 6-1, U.S. captain Tony Azevedo is the second-shortest player on the team but inarguably the best. Azevedo, 26, was a four-time winner of the Peter J. Cutino Award (water polo's Heisman) while at Stanford, and Beijing marks his third Olympic Games.

9) Water polo players get the girls. In Paris in 1924 Johnny Weissmuller led the U.S. to its first legitimate medal, a bronze, then went on to play Tarzan -- perhaps the only role in Hollywood at the time that did not require him to expand his wardrobe. Current U.S. team member Peter Hudnut was Cosmopolitan's "California Bachelor" of 2007.

10) As with icebergs and digestion, in water polo all the real action takes place below the surface. Remember that scene in Jaws 2 when Sheriff Brody starts yelling "Shark!" and waving his sidearm, and there's a below-water shot of the panoply of limbs and tumult? That's water polo.

Follow the game on NBC and watch live game stats courtesy of the NBC Website (Click here)

Meet the Team:

Merrill Moses (Goalkeeper) The starting goalkeeper for the U.S. water polo team since 2006, Merrill Moses uses explosive range and lateral movement to keep the ball out of his net.	Brandon Brooks (Goalkeeper) The starting goalkeeper in Athens, Hawaiian-bred Brandon Brooks is a reliable backstop when called upon.
Ryan Bailey (Center) Playing in the trenches, center Ryan Bailey gives the U.S. men's water polo team veteran leadership, strength and scoring in Beijing.	JW Krumpholz (Center) The youngest player on the team, JW Krumpholz is a surprise addition to the U.S. Olympic water polo team.
Tony Azevedo (Attacker) Team captain Tony Azevedo looks to lead the United States men's water polo team to its first Olympic medal since 1988.	Adam Wright (Attacker) One of the most experienced players on the U.S. team in Beijing, Adam Wright offers a great combination of tough defense and scoring touch.
Peter Varellas (Attacker) Attacker Peter Varellas will be called upon to provide scoring punch in his Olympic debut.	Jesse Smith (Utility) One of water polo's most gifted athletes, utility man Jesse Smith commands a lot of respect in the pool.
Jeff Powers (Utility) At six-foot-seven, Jeff Powers provides the U.S. with a dangerous offensive threat alongside Tony Azevedo.	Layne Beaubien (Defender) Two-meter defender Layne Beaubien is making his second Olympic appearance as the Americans look to improve on their 7th place finish in Athens.
Peter Hudnut (Defender) A six-year national team member competing in his first Olympics, Peter Hudnut brings size and strength to the defender position.	Rick Merlo (Defender) Two-meter defender Rick Merlo provides the U.S. men's water polo team with tough defense and a reliable release man.
Tim Hutten (Defender) Six-foot-five Tim Hutten provides the United States with important depth at two-meter defense.

Tony Azevedo	Attacker	1981	6’1’’	Long Beach, CA.	Stanford 2005	Bissolati Cremona, Jug Dubrovnik, New York Athleti
Ryan Bailey	Center	1985	6’6’’	Long Beach, CA.	UC-Irvine 1998	Panionios
Brandon Brooks	Goal Keeper	1981	6’6"	Honolulu , HI.	UCLA 2005	LAWPC
Peter Hudnut	Defender	1980	6’5’’	Encino, CA.	Stanford 2003	Los Angeles WPC
Tim Hutten	2-Meter Defense	1985	6’5”	Seal Beach, CA.	UC Irvine 2008	Newport Water Polo Foundation
JW Krumpholz	Center	1987	6’3”	Santa Ana , CA.	USC 2010	LAWPC
Rick Merlo	2-Meter Defense	1982	6’3”	Fresno , CA.	UC Irvine 2005	New York Athletic Club
Merrill Moses	Goal Keeper	1977	6’3”	Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.	Pepperdine 2000	New York Athletic Club
Jeff Powers	Defender	1980	6’7’’	San Luis Obispo, CA.	UC Irvine 2003	Padovo Plebiscito
Jesse Smith	Defender	1983	6’4’’	Coronado, CA.	Pepperdine 2005	Mladost
Peter Varellas	Left-Handed Attacker	1984	6’3’’	Moraga, CA.	Stanford 2006	Savona
Adam Wright	Attacker	1977	6’3’’	Seal Beach , CA.	UCLA 2001	New York Athletic Club, Bissolati Cremona
Layne Beaubien	Defender	1976	6’6"	Coronado, CA.	Stanford 1999	New York Athletic Club, CN Marseille

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