BY SCOTT FRENCH IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA The U.S. men’s soccer team’s golden dreams came to a finish Tuesday night, victim to weary legs and a first-class performance by Spain in a 3-1 Olympic semifinal decision in the rain at the Sydney Football Stadium. AC Milan’s Jose Mari carved up the American defense, creating goals from Tamudo and Angulo in the first 25 minutes, then finishing off the victory with an 87th-minute strike. The Spaniards advance to Saturday afternoon’s gold-medal match against Cameroon at Stadium Australia — the chief Olympic stadium — and the Americans will meet Chile for the bronze Friday night at the Sydney Football Stadium. “We played a very good team tonight,” U.S. coach Clive Charles said after Spain limited his side to one shot on target, a 42nd-minute penalty kick by Peter Vagenas. “We were just a yard off — I think the effect of the last game [a penalty-kick triumph over Japan in the quarterfinals] took its toll on us. The guys had to work hard every game we’ve played, and I think it caught up with us tonight.” Josh Wolff caused some danger in the first half, but the Yanks were spent the last 45 minutes after chasing the quick, gifted Spaniards most of the first half. With Ben Olsen sidelined after reinjuring his left ankle against Japan, Ramiro Corrales got his first Olympic start, on the left wing, but lasted only 38 minutes. He and Chris Albright were removed for Landon Donovan and Sasha Victorine just before halftime, but neither made the impact that was hoped for. Danny Califf, the Americans’ top defender over the first four games, was burned on both of Spain’s first-half goals. Jose Mari streaked past him on the right wing and sent a cross to the far post, where Tamudo, unmarked, first-timed it into the ceiling of the goal in the 16th minute. Replays suggested Tamudo might have been offside, but Ugandan linesman Mulumba Ali Tomusange kept his flag down. Nine minutes later, it was 2-0 after Califf slipped on the wet turf while retreating with Jose Mari for an Amaya long ball. The Spanish striker, who appeared to bring the ball down with his arm, stepped past Califf an thread the ball through a twisting Frankie Hejduk’s legs to Angulo, who slipped it past U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel as Califf took him down from behind. The Americans cut the deficit after a poor cross from Conor Casey on the left wing found its way to the right side of the Spanish box, which was empty. Hejduk raced in to take possession, then went down when he was clipped by Angulo. Vagenas’ PK was his third of the tournament, his fourth including the spot kick during the tiebreaker with Japan. Spain retreated into its end most of the second half, denying the Yanks space to create anything, and Jose Mari fired home a rebound after Friedel parried Tamudo’s shot off a Spanish counter. Acting captain Chad McCarty picked up his third yellow card of the tournament, and his second of the knockout phase, for grabbing Tamudo just after halftime. He will miss the bronze-medal match, enabling captain Brian Dunseth to see his first action of the tournament. In the other semifinal: Chile 1 Cameroon 2: Arsenal’s Lauren Etame Mayer converted an 89th-minute penalty kick as the Indomitable Lions kept alive Africa’s hopes for a second successive gold medal by overcoming a late deficit to win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Lauren was brought down by Chilean defender Pablo Contreras, then sent goalkeeper Nelson Tapia the wrong way with his spot kick to send Cameroon, runner-up to the United States in Group C, to Saturday’s final. “The gold medal has always been our objective,” said Lions coach Jean-Paul Akono. “Nigeria paved the way four years ago for African football. Cameroon is heading for the same achievement.” Goalkeeper Carlos Idriss Kameni, just 16, was another hero for the Lions, who made stunning saves to deny David Pizarro and Reinaldo Navia before the Chileans grabbed a lead in the 78th minute on an own goal. Kameni blocked Sebastian Gonzalez, but the ball ricocheted off defender Patrice Abanda and into the net. Cameroon rallied with two goals in the final minutes. Patrick Mboma scored the first, in the 84th minute, out of goalmouth scramble following a Lauren corner kick. The Lions applied heavy pressure over the next five minutes before Contreras’ foul ended Chile’s gold-medal hopes. Lauren U.S. GAME SUMMARY — TUESDAY, SEPT. 26 AT THE SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM USA 1 Spain 3. Goals: Vagenas 42 (pen.); Tamudo 16, Angulo 25, Jose Mari 87. USA — Friedel; Hejduk, Califf, McCarty, Agoos; Albright (Victorine, 39), Vagenas, O’Brien, Corrales (Donovan, 39); Casey, Wolff. Spain — Aranzubia; Lacruz, Amaya, Marchena, Puyol; Albelda, Xavi, Valamazan (Gabri, 75); Angulo (Ferron, 75), Jose Mari (Unai, 88), Tamudo. Yellow cards — Albright 8, Marchena 9, McCarty 47, Amaya 65, Califf 78, Ferron 88. Referee — Mourad Daami (Tunisia). Att. — 39,800. Other semifinal result Chile 1 Cameroon 2. Goals: own goal Abanda 78; Mboma 84, Lauren 89 (pen.) Friday’s match Bronze: USA vs. Chile at Sydney Saturday’s match Gold: Cameroon vs. Spain at Sydney Thursday’s women’s matches at Sydney Gold: United States vs. Norway Bronze: Brazil vs. Germany