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	*NEWS*

Hungary 8, Yugoslavia 7

By PETE IACBOELLI AP Sports Writer SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Spain's Manuel Estiarte won't end his extraordinary Olympic career in style. Instead two former water polo powers, Russia and Hungary, will play for gold at the Sydney Games. A day after dousing the Americans' medal hopes, Russia finished off Estiarte's try at a second straight Spanish gold with a thrilling 8-7 sudden death victory in the Olympic men's water polo semifinals Saturday. Dmitri Gorchkov scored from five meters out with 9:55 gone in the sudden death session. The teams played almost 18 scoreless minutes after finishing regulation at 7-all. The Russians will face Hungary, which defeated Yugoslavia 8-7, in Sunday's final. Hungary had lost a round-robin game, 10-9, to Yugoslavia on a last-second shot. Yugoslavia meets Spain in the bronze-medal game. The gold-medal game will be a return to center pool for two of the sports' long-time powers. Russia last won gold as the Soviet Union in Moscow 20 years ago. It's last water polo medal was a bronze in Barcelona as the Unified Team. But the breakup of the Soviet Union left some of the nation's best talent playing for former Soviet states with teams of their own. Hungary holds the Olympic record with six golds. But it has not won a tournament since 1976 or a medal since its bronze in 1980. Hungary's Gergely Kiss scored the game-winner with 5:34 remaining and reserve goalie Zoltan Szecsi made it stand up down the stretch. To get to the finals, Russia overcame Spain's aggressive style and Estiarte's flair. The Spanish star had one of his team's best overtime chances, but his soft lob shot glanced off the cross bar a minute in. Both teams were lagging as the game lengthened. Gorchkov's goal was a simple, straight-ahead shot that goalie Jesus Rollan could not get to. The Russians poured into the water after the shot went in, while Estiarte and his teammates swam to the sidelines at the Sydney International Aquatic Center. ``I wasn't thinking anything,'' Gorchkov said of his shot. ``I knew we had to win and I had to put it through for us to win.'' Estiarte was an 18-year-old at those Moscow Games. Through six Olympics, he has grown into the Games' all-time leading scorer with 125 goals. His life was complete four years ago in Atlanta when he accepted the gold medal from fellow Barcelona native and International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch. But Estiarte, who'll turn 39 on Oct. 26, was persuaded to lead Spain through one final games and a possible second gold medal. Russia did not let that happen. Estiarte said nothing on his way from the pool, filled almost to its capacity of 17,500 who chanted, sighed and cheered during the sudden-death period. All game Estiarte was marked, defenders swimming at him each time he touched the ball. He was limited to one shot in regulation that was easily caught by goalie Nikolai Maximov. Russia went ahead 7-6 in the fourth quarter on Gorchkov's outside shot with 5:22 remaining. Spain's Ivan Moro tied the game with his fourth goal two minutes later. By the end, each team had three players foul out. Head coach Juan Jane Giralt and Antonio Francisco Aparicio Sunen were both ejected after red cards. ``It will be very tough for us to prepare psychologically'' for the final, Gorchkov said. ``We'll be playing the same tomorrow. It's not possible to play better.'' In the contest for ninth through 12th places, Eelco Uri's goal with three seconds left capped the Netherlands' comeback, tying Greece at 6-6. Also, Kazakstan defeated Slovakia 11-8. Slovakia finishes its first Olympics against Greece on Sunday. Kazakstan plays the Netherlands.