A men's USA water polo team heavy with Los Angeles connections fell to defending champion Hungary, 11-6, in the last game of the prelims. It was the second straight loss for the Americans who finish tied with Hungary in Group B with six points but would be in second place due to the tiebreaker.
The USA trailed 4-0 before finally getting on the board after Long Beach native Tony Azevedo successfully converted a penalty into a goal. Former UCLA Bruin, John Mann, made it 5-2 late in quarter two. The USA never really threatened the Hungarians, even trailing 10-3 at one point.
Hungary's defense was the difference in the game as it stopped 18 of the Americans 24 shots on goal and won even with the Americans have five more possessions of the ball.
This was a matchup between the two countries with the most water polo medals in Olympic history as Hungary stands at 15, including nine gold medals, while the USA has 12 medals with only one gold.
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