US Bounce Back from Opening Loss, Rout Iran
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ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021 SPORTS 14 US bounce back from opening loss, rout Iran Australia now 2-0 in men’s basketball, top Italy 86-83 Canada roll past South Africa SAITAMA, Japan, July 28, (AP): The U.S. basketball US women’s water polo team team got back to winning - and winning easily. handed rare loss at Olympics Damian Lillard scored 21 points and the Americans rebounded from TOKYO, July 28, (AP): Maggie Stef- an opening loss with their fi rst vic- fens and the United States have domi- tory of these Olympics, romping nated women’s water polo since the past Iran 120-66 on Wednesday. country won its fi rst gold medal in the Devin Booker scored 16 points and sport at the 2012 London Olympics. Jayson Tatum had 14 for the Ameri- The world is pushing back at the cans, who had their 25-game Olympic Tokyo Games, and it remains to be winning streak snapped with an 83-76 seen how Steffens and company re- loss to France on Sunday. spond. The U.S. not only bounced back The Americans were handed their with a win but did it in a Dream fi rst loss at the Olympics since 2008 Team-type performance against an when they fell 10-9 to Rebecca overmatched opponent, racing out for Parkes and Hungary in group play on transition dunks and stepping back to Wednesday. The team had been 19-0 knock down 3-pointers. this year, including fi ve victories over The U.S. made 19 3-pointers and 23 Hungary by a combined 66-37 score. of its 37 shots (62%) inside the arc. “The game just doesn’t know who It was a loud statement that might you are. The game doesn’t know United States’ Margaret Steffens quiet some of the criticisms the team where you come from,” U.S. goal- plays against Hungary during a pre- has heard right from the start of its tender Ashleigh Johnson said. “So liminary round women’s water polo summer, when it dropped its fi rst two every time you need to be ready. As match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, exhibition games. the U.S. team, as the Hungarian team, on July 28, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP) Those came against a different ca- you need to be ready for each team to against the ROC in its Tokyo opener. liber opponent. The Americans had bring their best, and Hungary brought played some of basketball’s best, with “We’ve had many tough games with games against Spain, Australia and Italy’s Michele Vitali (31) is fouled by Australia’s Matisse Thybulle (10) during a men’s basketball preliminary round their best today.” USA in the past and we knew there The United States was a big fa- Argentina - the Nos. 2-4 teams in the game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 28, in Saitama, Japan. (AP) was always a chance that we could beat men’s rankings - before facing the vorite to win its third straight gold them,” said Magyari, who carried her seventh-ranked French in the Olympic medal coming into Tokyo, but it was lucky teddy bear around the pool deck opener. pushed hard by China during a rugged after the win. “Today, we’re very hap- But Iran presented none of the Japan rally to beat DR in Olympic opener 12-7 victory Monday. Steffens had her py we managed to do that.” problems of those contenders, a team nose broken by an inadvertent elbow, It was the United States’ fi rst loss that only earned its spot in the fi eld in FUKUSHIMA, Japan, July 28, (AP): pan who could have a stateside future. since Jan. 16, 2020, at Australia. It Tokyo by being the highest-fi nishing Hayato Sakamoto hit a game-ending, He delivered six scoreless innings, OLYMPICS dropped to 130-4 since it won gold at Asian team at the 2019 Basketball bases-loaded single that capped a striking out seven with one walk, two the 2016 Games. World Cup. The Iranians are ranked three-run, ninth-inning rally, lifting hits and 88 pitches in his fi rst high-pro- It was its fi rst loss at the Olympics 23rd, ahead of only host Japan - which host Japan over the Dominican Repub- fi le international appearance. and the captain sported a black eye since the 2008 fi nal against the Neth- qualifi ed for the Games automatically lic 4-3 in the Olympic baseball opener Mercedes was every bit as good and a small bandage during the match erlands. It had a draw in London, but as the host country - in this 12-team Wednesday. against a loaded lineup. The 27-year- against Hungary. it went 6-0 on the way to the title in fi eld. The Dominicans led 3-1 entering the old - in his fi fth season with the Pacifi c Even with the loss, the Americans Rio de Janeiro. Lillard struggled and then stumbled ninth after starter Cristopher Mercedes League’s Yomiuri Giants - cruised into remain in good position to advance to “Wish we would have fi nished off in his Olympic debut, going 3 for 10 dominated a lineup he knows well from the seventh leading 2-0. He struck out the knockout round. The team faces the game, but we’ll learn from this and from the fi eld before a costly fall and his years in Nippon Professional Base- seven and walked one over six innings, the ROC on Friday. move on,” United States coach Adam foul with 17 seconds left. ball. Outfi elder Johan Mieses threw out no surprise to fans who have watched “For us, we’re fortunate that this is Krikorian said. a runner at home in the eighth inning to But he came out aggressively look- him go 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA for the Gi- just tournament one,” Steffens said. Beyond having some trouble with ing for his shot, a player known for his preserve the lead. ants this year. “This is bracket play, and so we’re go- Jairo Asencio (0-1) got the fi rst out Manager Hector Borg sent Mercedes the physicality of China and Hun- deep 3-pointers in the NBA having it ing to have a lot to work on, a lot to gary, the U.S. also is struggling with easy while shooting behind the closer of the ninth, then forgot to cover fi rst get better if we want to be the team we on Yuki Yanagita’s grounder to fi rst, Japan’s Tetsuto Yamada, (bottom), its shooting. It made 25 of 40 shots international line. is tagged out by Dominican Repub- OLYMPICS want to be at the end of this, for sure.” in its opening victory against Japan, letting him reach for Japan’s fi fth hit Hungary trailed 9-8 with 2:28 left, of the game. He allowed two more hits lic catcher Charlie Valerio while try- and then shot 36% (12 for 33) against OLYMPICS before Kai Takuya scored the tying run ing to score on a double hit by Ma- back out for the seventh with his pitch but captain Rita Keszthelyi scored China and 29% (9 for 31) in the loss with a sacrifi ce bunt. sataka Yoshida in the eighth inning count at 96, but Mercedes was pulled from deep and Parkes got the game- to Hungary. of a baseball game at the 2020 after leadoff hits from Hideto Asamura winner when she connected for a “At the end of the day, similar to the He had six of the Americans’ 13 After Tetsuto Yamada singled to Summer Olympics, on July 28, in load the bases, Jhan Martinez replaced and Yuki Yanagita. beautiful no-look goal with 45 sec- China game, we had a really diffi cult 3-pointers in the fi rst half. All 11 U.S. Fukushima, Japan. (AP) onds left. Parkes fi nished with a team- players who played in the fi rst half Asencio. Sakamoto, the 2019 Central While Major League Baseball play- Luis Castillo allowed a fi elder’s time just putting the ball in the back high three goals. of the net,” Krikorian said. “I don’t scored - late roster addition Keldon League MVP, then drove a ball to the ers aren’t at these Olympics, Japan’s choice RBI groundout to Munetaka Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs warning track in center to earn the Murakami but preserved a 2-1 lead. The U.S. had the ball in the fi nal know why that is. I think we’re a little professional league suspended its sea- seconds, but it turned it over. rushed. I think we need to settle down didn’t play until the second half. hosts a walk-off victory. son to accomodate the Games. Man- Prized Seattle Mariners prospect Julio Former NBA center Hamed Haddadi Just the way Japan wanted to open Rodríguez made a running catch in “It was a huge thing to beat the world a little bit. A little anxious.” the tournament. ager Astunori Inaba has many of his right fi eld for the fi nal out of the in- champions, but we mustn’t believe that After Hungary closed out its vic- scored 15 points for Iran (0-2). country’s best on the roster, includ- France 97, Czechs 77 The Olympics host nation is pursu- ning. we are better than anyone else,” Hun- tory, Canada rolled to a 21-1 win over Evan Fournier scored 21 points and ing its fi rst gold medal in baseball after ing former Yankees starter Masahiro Mieses kept it that way with his bul- gary goaltender Alda Magyari said South Africa.