Greece def. the United States, 14-5
Greece charged out of the gate in Monday's final preliminary match victory against the United States, with Dimitri Skoumpakis scoring less than a minute into the match. The Europeans' aggressive play had them up 4-1 by the end of the first quarter -- and clearly illustrated why the team had yet to lose at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with a record of three wins and one draw.
Following their clash with the United States, make that four wins. Greece all but destroyed Team USA, clinching the top Group A spot in the process.
Though the United States would remain fourth in Group A no matter what -- having already secured a spot in the quarterfinals -- the team suffered an especially tough loss ahead of their first knockout round match.
After that first quarter blowout, the Americans allowed Greece to score twice more during the second quarter. Team USA's Benjamin Stevenson and Alex Obert each put up a point in an attempt to stop the bleeding, the score 6-3 at the halfway point. As the third quarter began, the United States bolstered their defense and crawled back up the scoreboard with Max Irving's goal at 5:55.
Greece's response: three goals in three minutes.
The final quarter further demonstrated Team USA's lacking defense, as Greece flexed their muscles with four final goals. The United States was simply lost in the water.
Next up for Team USA: a quarterfinal match against either Spain or Croatia.
