Top seed Rosner is out as Hammamy halts Waters
By MATT COLES – Squash Mad Correspondent in Nantes

France’s Gregoire Marche is through to the semi finals of the Open de France – Nantes 2019 presented by Tailor Capital after a spectacular victory over Germany’s top seed Simon Rösner at the glorious Chateau des ducs de Bretagne. In the sem-finals, Marche meets Joel Makin, who fought back from one game down to overcome Egyptian Fares Dessouky.

World No.16 Marche came out of the blocks firing, allowing the German to score just three points in the first game. The pair then produced some enthralling squash in the second game, which the ‘Tree Chopper’ took 11-9 to take the match into a third.

The three-time champion of the Open International de Squash de Nantes then took control of the third game, with some wonderful line drives, as he overpowered the World No.5.

Marche will advance to the semi-finals on Friday evening, where he will face Wales’ Joel Makin, who overcame Egypt’s Fares Dessouky in the first men’s quarter-final clash of the evening.

“There are no words to describe the feeling I have. I said earlier that this is the only place that I have ever had goosebumps on court. That was two years ago when I beat Mazen [Hesham] in the semis and that time, it was a big win for me,” Marche admitted.

“Today, to beat Simon, the No.1 seed, on that court and in these conditions, as well as it being the first time I have beaten Simon on the Tour, it is unreal. I just feel great and I am definitely going to enjoy my rest day tomorrow and then get ready for Friday.

“It was a tough battle mentally, so it is good to have a day off tomorrow. Joel is a really strong player. He had a really good season last year. I lost twice [to him]. He is really strong, he is tough to beat because he is really patient and he has good structure to his game. I will have to find some solutions to make him work differently.

“It is going to be best-of-five so it will be a different feeling, but there are no words for this crowd. For our sport, this is big, and it is the only time you can find it during the season, for us in France, and the audience are just spectacular.”

After losing the first game, Welshman Joel Makin battled back to take the victory over Fares Dessouky to reach the semi finals.

The World No.12 ran out into a big lead in the first, but Dessouky reeled off nine points out of 11 to come back from 9-3 down to win it 12-10.

However, Makin would not be denied the victory, as he fought back to take the second game 11-5. As the match got scrappy towards the end, the Welshman showed his mental strength to take the win in the third, booking his spot in the last four.

“I knew I had to take the middle back away from him because towards the end of the first game, he made himself big and he played a lot of flat kills which were effective, making me work around him,” Makin admitted.

“I enjoyed it three years ago when I last came and it has just got bigger. There are a lot of good players here, which is great. All the players enjoyed it from the very start, especially with a good crowd and a great atmosphere.”

There was more home glory, as Camille Serme made it through to the semi-finals after a convincing victory over England’s Millie Tomlinson, which took just 19 minutes.

The World No.3, and top seed of the tournament, wasted no time in sealing the first game, as she restricted Tomlinson to just three points. The second game was tighter, with the Englishwoman holding an early lead. However, Serme came fighting back to take the game, and the match, to the delight of the partisan crowd.

The Frenchwoman will play Hania El Hammamy in the semi finals at the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne on Friday evening, after the Egyptian overcame England’s Alison Waters in the first match of the night.

“I am happy and relieved because when you are the No.1 seeded, you want to go all the way through to the final but obviously, you have tough opponents before that,” Serme said.

“I am just happy that this is another step closer. We have had some good matches together and she has had some good matches against Raneem [El Welily] and Laura [Massaro] before so I always take her seriously because she is very talented.

“I use the pressure as more of a boost. I am more nervous about being No.1 seed rather than playing at home. That is an advantage for me because they are very supportive, so it is very positive for me.”

Young Egyptian Hammamy showed complete control throughout the match against Waters, and completed her victory in less than 20 minutes.

Hammamy, the World No.15, ran out into a big lead in the first game, one she would not relinquish as she took the first 11-3. She then took the second game 11-6 to secure a first victory over the Englishwoman on the PSA World Tour.

“Last two times we played, we played at a fast pace, and I was trying to match her but she is much better at it, so this time, I tried to keep the rallies at a mid pace, find my lines and not rush for volleys,” El Hammamy explained.

“I was a bit worried to have to play during daylight, but it didn’t bother me one bit today.”

“During summer training, I worked a lot with my coaches Haitham Effat and Ahmed AbdelKhalek on my back of court game, and they gave me a lot of confidence, and I find now that I can play better shots at the front.

“I think I have played some good squash over the past few weeks, and I’m over the moon with that victory over somebody as experienced as Alison, who beat me twice last year. It was nice to take my revenge, and I’m very happy with my performance tonight.”
 
Open de France – Nantes, Chateau de Ducs de Bretagne, Nantes, France.

Men’s Quarter Finals (Top Half):
[3] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [5] Fares Dessouky (EGY) 2-1: 10-12, 11-5, 11-8 (57m)
[6] Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [1] Simon Rösner (GER) 2-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-3 (47m)

Women’s Quarter Finals (Top Half): 
[5] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [4] Alison Waters (ENG) 2-0: 11-3, 11-6 (19m)
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [8] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 2-0: 11-3, 11-6 (19m)

Men’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half, Thursday September 12):
[4] Zahed Salem (EGY) v [8] James Willstrop (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)
Men’s Semi Finals: Open de France – Nantes (Friday September 13):
[6] Gregoire Marche (FRA) v [3] Joel Makin (WAL)

Women’s Quarter Finals (Bottom Half, Thursday September 12):
[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [7] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
Emily Whitlock (ENG) v [2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Women’s Semi Finals: (Friday September 13):
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) v [5] Hania el Hammamy (EGY)
 

Report by MATT COLES (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

A trio of supporter groups, along with the Independent Supporters Council, will meet with MLS officials in Las Vegas on Sept. 19 in a bid to find common ground as it relates to the league's ban on political signage, and in particular the prohibition on the Iron Front symbol.

The Timbers Army, which supports the Portland Timbers, alongside Seattle Sounders counterparts The Emerald City Supporters (ECS) and Gorilla FC, have been at odds with the league since the start of the season when MLS announced changes to its Fan Code of Conduct. The changes included a ban on signs in stadiums that MLS deems to be political.

- Carlisle: What's this feud over political signage at MLS games about?

The ISC announced via Twitter earlier on Wednesday that the meeting would take place on Sept. 19. In a separate statement, the Board of Directors of the 107ist, the organizational arm of the Timbers Army, revealed that it had met with members of the Timbers front office, as well as community leaders in a bid to state their case.

"In the meeting, the community representatives provided input on the Iron Front imagery, its history, what it represents today, what it means to them personally as often targeted members of the community, and offered suggestions for going forward," the statement read. "The Timbers Front Office was very receptive to the discussion and the input from the community members."

The club released a statement saying: "We are pleased with the progress taking place and to have been able to facilitate our supporters and MLS getting together regarding the Fan Code of Conduct next week. We look forward to continued healthy, productive discussions with one another."

The Iron Front symbol dates back to an anti-Nazi paramilitary organization from the 1930s, and has been flown by the Timbers Army at Providence Park since at least 2017. But the symbol is used by antifa (anti-fascists) and because MLS deems antifa to be a political organization, the display of the Iron Front symbol on flags or banners is prohibited in the league's venues. Antifa and far-right groups have engaged in protests and counter-protests in the Pacific Northwest that have in some cases become violent.

The three groups joined forces at a league match between the Timbers and the Sounders back on Aug. 23 in which they staged a silent protest for 33 minutes over the ban on political displays. Once the game clock struck 33:00, not only did both sets of supports begin cheering, but they unveiled numerous Iron Front banners.

The Timbers decided not to sanction any fans over the incident, instead opting to give the Timbers Army a "general warning." But when the flags appeared again a week later at a match between the Timbers and Real Salt Lake, MLS and the Timbers front office took the step of banning "a handful" of Timbers Army members for three games.

The ISC statement also revealed that the Timbers Army as well as representatives of the ECS and Gorilla FC would participate at the aforementioned meeting, set to take place in Las Vegas.

The statement added: "The Timbers Army/107IST sincerely hopes that these meetings will move the league closer to revising the code of conduct in a way that makes it truly inclusive for all by consulting with impacted groups and human rights experts."

Nicolas Mezquida scored on a penalty kick in the 85th minute and the Colorado Rapids earned a 2-1 victory Wednesday over the Los Angeles Galaxy at Commerce City, Colo., to remain undefeated under new head coach Robin Fraser.

The defeat was a blow to the Galaxy's playoff chances as they entered in eighth place in the Western Conference and just outside of postseason eligibility. A victory could have moved the Galaxy all the way into third place in the jammed-packed conference.

- Stream a replay of this match on ESPN+
- Supporters groups, MLS to talk political signs
- Marshall: Alvarez, Galaxy's breakout star, is Zlatan's 'cub'

All three goals were scored in a busy six-minute stretch late in the game. The Rapids took a 1-0 lead in the 79th minute on a header from Cole Bassett off a free kick, his second of the season, while the Galaxy tied it 1-1 three minutes later on a header from Giancarlo Gonzalez, his first.

Mezquida scored his fourth of the season after Andre Shinyashiki was fouled in the penalty area by the Galaxy's Emil Cuello.

The Rapids have now defeated the New York Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders and the Galaxy under Fraser. They have outscored their opponents 6-1 in that three-game stretch.

Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was held in check until a perfect feed to Rolf Feltscher in the eighth minute of stoppage time, but Feltscher's potential game-tying header was wide left. Ibrahimovic had three shots.

The Galaxy are now winless over the last four games and have won just once in its last eight games. While victories have been hard to come by, goals have not. Los Angeles entered with eight goals in its previous three games, while going 0-1-2.

Yet the game was scoreless at halftime as the Rapids had nine shots to the Galaxy's seven and had a 7-4 advantage with shots on target. Colorado finished with a 19-13 advantage on shots and a 12-7 advantage on shots on target, and led 11-5 on corner kicks.

The Galaxy played without midfielders Jonathan Dos Santos and Sebastian Lleget, who had national team duty Tuesday.

The Rapids were without goalkeeper Tim Howard, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Howard's replacement, Clint Irwin, had six saves. Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham had 10 saves.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi said that he isn't sure if the club did everything to bring back Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain but assured he is happy with the current state of the Catalan squad.

Messi told Spanish publication Sport that he would have enjoyed having Neymar back at Camp Nou but understood the difficulties of the transfer window.

- Hunter: Barca great Eto'o retires as one the world's greats

"I would have liked for Neymar to have returned," the Argentina captain said. "Honestly, I'm not sure if Barca did all they could to sign him but I know it is difficult to negotiate with PSG.

"I am not disappointed. We have a spectacular squad that can challenge for all, even without Ney."

Neymar was subject to a months-long saga that saw Barcelona and PSG meet several times to bring the Brazilian back to La Liga. He had signed for a world record €222 million to join the French club two seasons ago, but made it apparent he wanted to return back to Barca.

"Neymar is one of the best in the world. With his level and sponsors, it would have been a big gain for the club," Messi added.

Messi has yet to play for Barcelona this season due to a calf injury in August and is a major doubt for next week's Champions League opener at Borussia Dortmund, sources have told ESPN FC. He missed the club's tour of the United States and hasn't featured in any of their opening three league games.

Messi's own future at Barcelona has received headlines when a report last week revealed there's a clause in his contract which allows him to leave at the end of each season if he so wishes. The Argentina international would just have to communicate his desire to move on before the end of May.

"Barcelona is my home and I don't want to leave, but I want to win. I want to win the Champions League, it's been a long time since we won it," Messi said.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is already working on Messi's next new deal, which could be his last with the club -- he will turn 33 next summer and will be 34 when his current terms expire in 2022, the year of the next World Cup in Qatar.

Barbados Tridents 186 for 2 (Boucher 64*, Charles 52, Duminy 43*) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 168 for 9 (Evans 64, Drakes 34*, Lamichhane 3-22, Walsh Jr. 2-33, Holder 2-37) by 18 runs

Barbados Tridents completed their first win of CPL 2019 after youngsters Leniko Boucher and Sandeep Lamichhane contributed with bat and ball respectively to hand the visitors a 18-run win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. In the first innings, Boucher was assisted by JP Duminy's 18-ball 43 to lift Tridents to 186, while Lamichhane was ably supported by captain Jason Holder and USA's Hayden Walsh Jr. in the second.

Patriots' Laurie Evans struck a quickfire 64 to keep the hosts in the hunt till the 12th over, but the team fell away after they lost four middle-order wickets in fifteen deliveries. Barring Evans, the Patriots batting performance was so poor that their second-highest run-scorer was their No. 11. Patriots eventually finished well short, for their third defeat of the season.

A wicketkeeper-batsman with a familiar surname

Playing only his second T20 game, right-handed batsman Boucher walked in after opener Alex Hales' dismissal in the fifth over. Trying to guide a Rayad Emrit delivery to third man, Hales could only find the keeper. Early signs showed that the pitch was similar to the one where 483 runs were scored on Wednesday.

The other opener Johnson Charles, however, having a difficult time rotating the strike at that point, and it was the 21-year old Boucher who sunk anchor in the post-Powerplay period. The first signs of Boucher's dominance came in the seventh over, when he confidently skipped down the ground to lift Emrit over his head. Boucher then made the most of a dropped chance to the keeper in the ninth over by upping the tempo off left-arm spinner Fabian Allen. He began the 13th over with a six and a four off Allen, and in Charles' company lifted Tridents into triple figures.

Charles, sluggish right up that point, moved from 38 off 39 balls to 51 in 41 on the back of two sixes as they got past hundred. It was legspinner Usama Mir who bore the brunt, but he took revenge two balls later when Charles holed out to deep midwicket.

That brought in JP Duminy at No. 4, and the South African swiftly found his timing by pulling his second ball over long-on. Two balls later, Boucher moved to 48 with a six over long-on to end the 16th over. Off the next ball, he brought up his fifty in 40 deliveries.

Tridents' triple-over blitz

A tidy three-run 17th over from Emrit seemed to have stifled Tridents' run-scoring, but the last three overs was where the batting team displayed the advantage of having so many wickets in hand. With a license to smash, Duminy and Boucher struck 51 runs in the last 18 balls to take Tridents to 186 for 2. The unbeaten stand of 73 in 36 balls saw Boucher finish on 62 and Duminy on an 18-ball 43.

After Tridents finished the first innings with such a flurry, Emrit - standing in as captain while Brathwaite was off the field nursing a knock - called the Patriots in for a huddle before walking off the field, perhaps to instill the same beliefs they had the night before when they chased 243.

Evans sizzles, others not so much

The chase began with Duminy's spin, and Patriots opener Evin Lewis enjoyed the ball coming into him from around the wicket. He swept Duminy twice for fours in the first over to give the hosts early momentum, but Tridents negated that advantage when the other opener Devon Thomas edged Holder to Boucher next over. Lewis ended the second over with a square cut for four, but Holder dismissed him next over when he sliced an attempted drive to cover.

At 28 for 2, Patriots were in trouble, but Evans' shot-making didn't make it appear so. He found his footing by driving left-arm seamer Josh Lalor for four and following it up with a punched shot over midwicket two balls later. Entering the game, Evans had gone past thirty in seven of his last eight T20 games, and he proceeded to do the same once more by making full use of a dropped chance on 21. Evans was especially brutal towards the on-side, taking on Walsh Jr. for consecutive fours, before reaching his 21st T20 fifty in the tenth over. By then, No. 4 Jason Mohammad was already out and Evans was building a partnership with No. 5 Shamarh Brooks, and with eight overs to go, Patriots needed 90 off 48 with seven wickets in hand.

Lamichhane triggers Patriots' downward spiral

But the final eight overs began poorly for Patriots. Brooks tried to take Lamichhane on the first ball of the 13th over, but he sliced a catch to Nurse at extra cover, who had to run back and put in a dive to complete a catch. Five balls later came the bigger blow when Evans looked to paddle-sweep the legspinner away, only to top-edge one to short fine leg. Evans fell for a 41-ball 64, but his dismissal meant there were two new batsmen at the crease with the run-rate continuously rising.

Walsh Jr. then prised out the dangerous Allen after the batsman failed to pick a slider that was aimed for the stumps, and when Lamichhane returned for his final over of the night, he trapped Brathwaite with a googly to send Patriots reeling at 106 for 7. Two balls later, the skies opened up, and the teams went off for close to 45 minutes with Patriots still needing 80 off 5.1 overs.

When the teams returned, Walsh Jr. claimed his second wicket by removing Usama Mir. No. 9 Emrit briefly entertained, but he too fell trying to clear the long-on boundary in the 17th over. No. 11 Dominic Drakes brought some respectability to the Patriots total by striking three sixes and three fours to score the highest-ever T20 score for a No. 11 batsman, a 34 off 14 balls. His last-wicket partnership of 49 with No. 10 Alzarri Joseph ensured Patriots' net run-rate took a much lesser hit than it could've at one point.

Justify failed a drug test one month before the 2018 Kentucky Derby, and the California Horse Racing Board decided to dismiss the case after the colt went on to win the Triple Crown, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, Justify tested positive for scopolamine after winning the Santa Anita Derby -- and qualifying for the Kentucky Derby in the process -- on April 7, 2018. Scopolamine is a banned substance that can enhance performance, according to the Times.

Such a result should have resulted in a disqualification, purse forfeiture and the removal of his Kentucky Derby entry. However, the Times said California regulators waited until April 26, nine days before the Kentucky Derby, to inform Bob Baffert, Justify's Hall of Fame trainer.

Baffert requested a second sample be tested by an independent lab, and it confirmed the results on May 8 -- three days after Justify won the Kentucky Derby.

The racing board then diverted from its normal course of action, according to the Times, which cited emails and internal memorandums it obtained. Rather than filing a complaint and holding a hearing, nothing happened until Aug. 23, four months after the failed test and two months after Justify had completed his Triple Crown run by winning the Belmont Stakes.

The board's executive director, Rick Baedeker, took the unprecedented path of presenting the case directly to the board's commissioners, who voted unanimously to drop the case, according to the Times.

The board reportedly decided that the test results could have come from Justify eating contaminated food. However, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's former drug lab chief, Rick Sams, told the Times that the amount of scopolamine in Justify's system suggested it "has to come from intentional intervention."

In addition, the California board's medical director said of scopolamine in 2016 that the chance of "getting a positive from environmental contamination is rather low."

Scopolamine can help clear a horse's airway and optimize its heart rate to make it more efficient, Sams told the Times.

Two months after dismissing the Justify case, the California board changed the penalty for a failed scopolamine test from a disqualification to a fine and a possible suspension.

"We take seriously the integrity of horse racing in California and are committed to implementing the highest standards of safety and accountability for all horses, jockeys and participants,'' the California Horse Racing Board said in a statement.

A CHRB spokesman said the organization would have a further statement Thursday.

The Times said Baffert did not respond to requests for comment on the story.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James' attempt to trademark the term "Taco Tuesday" has been denied, but according to James' team, he still accomplished the outcome he wanted from the application in the first place.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday refused the application filed by James' company LBJ Trademarks, explaining that "Taco Tuesday" is "a commonplace term."

"The applied-for mark is a commonplace term, message, or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment message," the USPTO wrote.

A spokesman for James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that the application was filed "to ensure LeBron cannot be sued for any use of 'Taco Tuesday.'"

"Finding 'Taco Tuesday' as commonplace achieves precisely what the intended outcome was, which was getting the U.S. government to recognize that someone cannot be sued for its use," the spokesman said.

The USPTO also cited examples of restaurants that have used the term, along with several articles showing that "Taco Tuesday" is a "widely used message used by various parties to express enthusiasm for tacos by promoting and celebrating them on a dedicated weekday."

James' spokesman pointed out that the USPTO's ruling will protect not only James but anyone else from using "Taco Tuesday" for business reasons.

James began sharing videos of his family's taco nights on his Instagram account during the offseason. The videos became something of a social media sensation, with James making special "It's Taco Tuesday" T-shirts and new Lakers forward Anthony Davis even making a special guest appearance.

James had sought to monetize the videos by filing to trademark "Taco Tuesday" in August. LBJ Trademarks stated in its application that the goods and services involved with the trademark involve "advertising and marketing services provided by means of indirect methods of marketing communications, namely, social media, search engine marketing, inquiry marketing, internet marketing, mobile marketing, blogging and other forms of passive, sharable or viral communications channels."

The company also listed "podcasting services" and "online entertainment services, namely, providing a website featuring non-downloadable videos, and social media posts in the field of sports, entertainment, current events and popular culture."

France's historic FIBA World Cup victory over Team USA on Wednesday left a lot of fans wondering how a roster full of American NBA players could lose in the quarterfinals of an international basketball tournament.

While the 89-79 defeat was disappointing for the Americans, it wasn't surprising. This version of Team USA is incapable of dominating international opponents the same way previous iterations could, and the problems were fully visible down the stretch in this quarterfinal matchup in Dongguan, China. After Khris Middleton made a driving layup to give Team USA a 74-67 lead with 7:39 remaining, France finished the game on a 22-5 run, showcasing the ailment that ultimately killed this gold-medal chase: woeful offense.

In terms of offensive efficiency, this year's model of Team USA just couldn't match the firepower of its predecessors dating back to 2006:

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A post shared by Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) on Sep 11, 2019 at 5:16pm PDT

In each of its previous six international tournament appearances, Team USA posted an offensive efficiency of at least 122 points per 100 possessions. This year's team has managed to post only 111 because of two crucial shortcomings: half-court execution and shooting efficiency.

Check out these stats:

• Per Synergy Sports, Team USA's half-court offense ranks 18th in the World Cup by yielding just 88.8 points per 100 possessions (narrowly edging out Iran). France ranks first at 108.

• Dating back to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Team USA had averaged a monstrous eFG% of 58.7 in its previous five international tournament appearances. In China, Team USA is posting an eFG% of just 51.2, and the team's six most active shooters are all shooting below that 58.7 baseline.

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A post shared by Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) on Sep 11, 2019 at 5:17pm PDT

Shooting has become by far the most important skill in the sport, but Team USA's volume shooters aren't hitting at high efficiencies. Primary ball handlers Donovan Mitchell and Kemba Walker have been okay, but not great, while Khris Middleton and Jaylen Brown have been less effective than expected. No player, aside from maybe Joe Harris, has been a pleasant surprise. The end result is Team USA's worst eFG% in years.

Over its past five international tournaments, Team USA converted a ridiculously strong 39.7% of its 3s -- a number so high it would've been the best such mark by any team in the NBA last season. But this version of Team USA has made just 33%. That ranks 18th among World Cup teams and would've ranked 29th in the NBA last season. Only the Phoenix Suns converted a lower share of their 3s, and folks, that's not good company for a group trying to be the best national team on the planet.

While Walker and Mitchell are both competent from deep, neither really thrives in the same ways that guys like Damian Lillard, James Harden or Stephen Curry do. This team lacks a truly deadly on-ball 3-point scorer. Besides Harris, nobody else has hit more than 36.4% from 3-point range, and half of the American roster has tried at least 10 3s but failed to make more than a third of the attempts. Yuck!

But Team USA also has struggled inside the arc. Over the past five international tournaments, the senior national team had converted 58.2% of its 2-point shots. That figure has dropped to a measly 52.6% in China, which ranks 12th overall, marginally better than Tunisia.

This group's inability to put up points inside (including getting outscored 38-20 in the paint against Turkey) reveals the frontcourt wasn't ready to compete against its international peer group, which includes phenomenal talents such as Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and Marc Gasol.

Starting center Myles Turner has averaged only 7.3 points per game on 50% shooting. Lopez, the backup, has converted just 5-of-20 field goals. Against Gobert, when the bigs needed to step up, the centers combined to score two points. Coach Gregg Popovich opted to play small ball, despite the fact that Gobert was controlling the game on both ends of the court.

That didn't work in part because Gobert was the best player on the floor and he's more than capable of defending smaller players. But it also didn't work because Team USA just lacked the kinds of shooters and ball movers to even play that way.

Since the 2004 and 2006 losses, Team USA's rosters have included a hodgepodge of NBA superstars who generally out-talent other teams that may be more cohesive or more experienced units. If this tournament tells us anything, it's that the world is now full of national teams ready and able to expose disjointed American squads. If USA Basketball wants to dominate these tournaments going forward, it has to improve both roster architecture and superstar participation rates.

Though these stats and the overall performance of Team USA should trouble American hoop heads, they are more a reflection of the state of Team USA participation than the state of American basketball. If guys such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Curry and Harden participate, these stats and this result would be different. The team almost certainly wouldn't be chasing fifth place, starting with a Thursday matchup against Serbia (7 a.m. ET on ESPN+).

But not only did those guys skip this tournament, they also missed the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the era of sports science and load management, it's fair to ask whether these absences are just a blip on the radar or if they mark a larger trend. We will find out more next summer as Team USA once again tries to reassert its dominance on basketball's biggest international stage.

NEW YORK -- New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway says it is "likely" that Noah Syndergaard will pitch to catcher Wilson Ramos on Friday in his first start since Syndergaard's misgivings over Ramos' defense became public.

Callaway said Wednesday that Ramos would sit out Thursday afternoon in the series finale against Arizona, setting up New York's primary backstop to start Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The New York Post reported Monday that Syndergaard and his agents have lobbied to let the right-hander pitch to backups Tomas Nido or Rene Rivera.

Callaway said he plans to make lineups that are best for the team, and that means keeping the hot-hitting Ramos in the lineup as often as possible, including Friday.

"That's something that's a likely possibility," Callaway said. "I wouldn't just go ahead and print that he's catching that day, because anything can happen.

"But Noah obviously understands at this point that whoever is in the lineup, he's going to go ahead and compete."

Syndergaard has a 5.09 ERA in 15 starts with Ramos as his catcher and a 2.22 ERA with Nido or Rivera.

Ramos leads the National League with a .402 batting average since Aug. 1, and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and Callaway made it clear to Syndergaard that Ramos will catch most of the starts the rest of the way. The Mets began Wednesday three games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL wild card.