Returning Humbert Leads U.S. to Narrow Victory

He cleared customs, collected his bags and raced to the pool Tuesday. Then he was told to take the day off.

Chris Humbert could only watch as the U.S. water polo team struggled in a tie with Australia in the opening game of the UPS International Cup. On Wednesday, he got his feet wet.

Humbert, one of the keys to the U.S. team’s success in the Olympics, scored five goals, including the game winner and clincher, in a 11-9 victory over Croatia at the Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Center.

“I’m tired,” Humbert said. “I still have a little jet lag. It’s 5 a.m. in Greece.”

Humbert helped Ethnikos to a fourth-place finish in Greece’s professional league. Monday, he got on a plane to return in time to see the U.S. rally for a 7-7 tie with Australia on Tuesday.

“I was surprised,” Humbert said. “[Coach John] Vargas was being a nice guy and giving me a day off. I got a good night’s sleep and rested a little bit.”

It showed Wednesday in a competitive game against Croatia, the U.S. team’s opening-game opponent in the Olympics. Neither side led by more than a goal through three periods.

Croatia’s Ratko Stritof scored to tie it at 9-9 with 6:03 left in the game. Humbert responded about a minute later, with a rolling backhand shot that seemed to surprise goalie Goran Volarevic.

“I had no idea how I did that,” Humbert said. “I had the ball and just got it to the cage somehow. It must have been luck because I had nothing on that shot.”

Goalie Dan Hackett made two point-blank saves to preserve the lead before Humbert gave the U.S. a 11-9 lead with 1:25 left.

In other games, Italy defeated Australia, 10-5, and Yugoslavia defeated the U.S. B team, 12-6.