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U.S. women’s water polo team go home empty-handed after bronze medal loss in Paris
In a matter of days, the U.S. women’s water polo team went from the pursuit of a historic gold medal to going home empty-handed.
It was quite a fall.
On Sunday, the U.S. lost 11-10 to the Netherlands on Sabrina van der Sloot’s goal in the final second of the bronze-medal game at the Paris Olympics. The U.S. had been the only program to medal in each women’s water polo tournament at the Olympics since it started in 2000.
“We’ve talked about just trying to learn from our mistakes and getting better,” U.S. captain Maggie Steffens said. “And I feel today we struggled to continually learn from our mistakes.”
The U.S. arrived at the Paris Games in search of an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal, while continually downplaying the significance of the streak. Steffens was the only holdover from the 2012 team, and one of six returning players from Tokyo.
No team — men’s or women’s — has won four straight water polo titles at the Olympics. The rough finish in France only served to underline the difficulty of the program’s long run on top of the sport.
“Everyone on the outside has no idea what this is like,” U.S. coach Adam Krikorian said. “And they have no idea how difficult this is, how hard it is to win. We made it look easy, but it was anything but that for those three Olympic Games.”
Luca Bruno / AP
The first signs of trouble surfaced during a 13-11 loss to Spain on July 29, but the Americans responded with runaway victories over Italy and France.
The Americans then needed 17 saves by Ashleigh Johnson to slip by Hungary in a 5-4 victory in the quarterfinals. They led 5-2 at halftime and 8-6 early in the fourth quarter in their semifinal against Australia on Thursday, only to fall 14-13 in a penalty shootout.
It was more of the same against the Netherlands, which trailed 7-3 at halftime. The U.S was outscored 5-1 in the fourth quarter.
“I just think that we lost focus in some key moments,” Johnson said, “and that can take the whole game away. That can give the other team a lot of momentum. And it did. … We relaxed a little bit, which is unfortunate.”
Looking ahead to the Los Angeles Games
Coach Krikorian’s future was among the biggest questions for the U.S. program in the aftermath of the Paris Games. Jamie Davis takes over as CEO of USA Water Polo on Oct. 1, so there likely won’t be a decision on the coaching front for months.
Luca Bruno / AP
Krikorian nearly left his position after the U.S. won gold in Tokyo, and he openly wondered after the fourth-place finish in Paris if it might be time for a change.
“There’s moments in which I feel like new leadership may be good,” he said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, so your message sometimes gets a little stale in moments.”
It also remains to be seen what Steffens, Johnson and the rest of the U.S. veterans decide to do. The 2028 Olympics are in Los Angeles — the epicenter of American water polo — handing an automatic berth to the U.S. program that provides more flexibility for the players’ training schedule.
But competing for the national team remains a daunting challenge, and some of the decorated American stars could decide this is a good time to move on with their lives.
“Right now, we need to be present. We need to be with our teammates,” said Steffens, the highest-scoring woman in Olympics history with 64 goals. “We need to feel the feels, and moving forward, we’ll see.”
Flavor Flav stands behind “my girls”
Legendary rapper Flavor Flav became the official hype man of the U.S. water polo teams in the lead up to the Summer Games. He signed a five-year sponsorship deal that includes multiple poolside appearances at competitions, social media collaboration, and made a financial contribution to the women’s Olympic team.
“These women are out here busting their butts, making the United States look good, chasing gold,” he told “CBS Mornings” ahead of the competition. “They’ve won three back-to-back gold medals. My manager showed me their story, and my heart went out to these hardworking women.”
On Saturday, showed his support for the team, saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that “Playing Water Polo is not for the weak,,, but neither is watching it.”
After the game, he posted: “I love my girls,,, and imma so proud of them. We introduced Water Polo to a new audience and we just getting started,,, We headed to LA28.”
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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.