Since they met in the bronze medal match of the Beijing Olympics for 13 years, baseball Olympic When the United States and Japan met in Yokohama on Saturday, the medal was once again at stake. However, this time, the competing medals were of different metals, and both teams won the gold medal by one win.
The meeting of the two baseball superpowers is usually a big storyline in itself, but there are some additional conspiracies that should make the gold medal game fascinating.
Since defeating Cuba 4-0 in Sydney 21 years ago, the United States hopes to win its first Olympic gold medal, and for Japan to seek its first Olympic champion, there is no more appropriate ending than winning a gold medal at home.
The gold medal of the Japanese team will complete the perfect doubles for the host country. Beat the American team on the podium in a softball game, And will prove that the organizer’s decision is correct These two sports have been included in the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008.
Japan narrowly wins U.S. team The two teams remained unbeaten 7-6 in the second round, and this defeat is the only time the US team has lost in the Olympics so far.
Despite being composed of potential players and retired veterans, the U.S. team continued to strengthen throughout the game, defeating the defending champion South Korea 7-2 on Thursday, and won a seat in the gold medal game for the second time in history.
“Bottom line: Our jersey says Team USA. These people are fighting for the gold medal this weekend,” said Mike Scioscia, the head coach of the USA team. National Broadcasting Corporation After the game.
“There is nothing better than this.”
Reaching the finals is particularly important for Eddie Alvarez. After winning the silver medal in Sochi in 2014 as a member of the U.S. quadruple short track team, he will become the third U.S. to win medals at the Summer and Winter Olympics. people.
At the same time, the Japanese team entered the final after beating South Korea 5-2 on Wednesday. Thanks to Tetsuo Yamada’s three-game winning streak, they were out twice at the bottom of the eighth game.
Unlike the United States, Japan suspended the major league season to allow its best players to participate in the Olympics. Whether this is enough to win the first Olympic gold medal remains to be seen.
Here is all the information you need to know before the baseball Olympic finals.
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When does the United States face Japan?
The baseball gold medal match is scheduled for Saturday, July 7. The game starts at 7 PM local time (6 AM Eastern Time, 3 AM Pacific Time).
Where are the United States and Japan?
The baseball gold medal match will be held at the Yokohama Baseball Stadium, which will host the semi-finals and Japan 7-6 against the United States on August 2.
How to watch the U.S. vs. Japan game on TV and the Internet
The baseball gold medal game is broadcast by the United States on Saturday, and the live broadcast can be passed through Peacock, NBC Sports app and NBCOlympics.com. The game will also be available through available streaming services such as fuboTV, gourd Plus live TV and YouTube TV, they all come with the NBC network series.
