OLYMPICS REPORT / 26 DAYS TO THE GAMES : South Africa Ties U.S. in Soccer, 2-2

South Africa’s under-23 national team scored two goals in the second half to tie the U.S. Olympic team, 2-2, in an exhibition in front of 7,522 at Richmond, Va. It was the first time national teams from the two countries had met.

The game also marked the first time all three U.S. wild-card players--goaltender Kasey Keller, defender Alexi Lalas and midfielder Claudio Reyna--played on the Olympic team.

Reyna scored the first U.S. goal on a penalty kick in the 10th minute. Jovan Kirovski scored the other U.S. goal two minutes into the second half.

The United States and South Africa play the second game of a three-game series Monday night.

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Lori Harrigan threw a perfect game and Michelle Smith a no-hitter as the U.S. Olympic softball team defeated a group of New England all-stars, 16-0 and 5-0, at Worcester, Mass.

The Olympic team, now 48-1 during a 21-city tour, beat another group of all-stars Friday night, 8-0 and 9-0.

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Defending Olympic champion Italy defeated the U.S. national water polo team, 8-6, at an international tournament in Rome. Rick McNair of San Francisco scored two goals for the United States, and Chris Kredell of Seal Beach, Chris Oeding of Newport Beach and Alex Rousseau of Santa Monica were among those with one apiece. U.S. players Chris Humbert and Kyle Kopp did not play because of injuries. The U.S. roster will be announced Monday.

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Vlado Kozomara, an Ohio University swimmer from the former Yugoslavia, says politics probably will keep him out of the Olympic Games.

He said Yugoslav government officials mistakenly believed he had become a U.S. citizen and did not change their minds about including him on the team after he explained he had not.

“It’s a bummer,” said Kozomara, 22. “But you can’t do too much about it.”