France beats the invincible American basketball players
For their first group match of the Tokyo Games, the Blues created the feat by beating the United States, big favorites of the competition, on the score of 83 to 76. It is the first American Olympic defeat since 2004, underlines the foreign press.
France signs one of the big shots of the start of the 2021 Olympic Games. Sunday July 25, the basketball players of coach Vincent Collet defeated the American “Dream Team”, reigning Olympic champion and big favorite to his own succession, in Saitama, in the suburbs of Tokyo.
“France punched the Americans with a brilliant end to the match to snatch the 83-76 victory in the opening of the JO”, writes Brian Windhorst, for the American sports media ESPN. According to the journalist, “The path to a fourth consecutive gold medal is already strewn with pitfalls” for Americans.
“Sensation! France inflicts on the Dream Team its first Olympic defeat in 17 years ”, exclaims for his part Marca, reference of sports news in Spain. The United States had not lost an Olympic match since the Athens Games in 2004 and a loss to Argentina.
The Blues repeat their feat of 2019 in China, where they triumphed against the Americans in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Evan Fournier’s “coup de grace”
This Sunday, the teammates of the superstars of NBA (the American basketball championship) Kevin Durant and Damian Lilliard had started the game well, leading after the first period.
But the machine got stuck from the third quarter. “The American team, filled with attacking talent and designed to be the best in shooting in the tournament, didn’t put in a basket in the last four and a half minutes,” report ESPN.
The coup de grace came from Evan Fournier, who scored a three-point basket with one minute remaining to put the French ahead for good. ”
The French player of the Boston Celtics, author of 28 points, undoubtedly achieved on Sunday “One of the best matches of his career”, believes the American media.
The New York Times Explain this American defeat by “A series of upheavals”, between injuries and the late arrival in Japan of several key players. The New York daily recognizes that “The team did not perform well on the field” but that “The United States nevertheless remain the big favorites to win the tournament and take the 16e gold medal in their history. ”
For its part, France is starting its Olympic tournament perfectly. Sunday was a successful day for the French team as swordsman Romain Canonne won the French delegation’s first gold medal in fencing.
Valentin scholz
