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Old 08-26-2023, 11:07 AM   #12
octothorp
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No real surprises on day two... maybe just the extent that Brazil dominated Iran (likely punching their ticket to the second round where they'll be in the same group as Canada), and Serbia looking like they're still a powerhouse even without Jokic. US got off to a really slow start against NZ and Edwards insisting that he needed to be a starter looks like a mistake... They've still got the talent to cruise and should meet a stiff test until the quarterfinals, so they've got time to gel and figure things out.

Canada plays Lebanon tomorrow at 3am, but Australia/Germany is the biggest matchup of the night. Franz Wagner had injured his ankle in their first game and is a maybe to play.

From a Canadian perspective, the Italy / Dominican game has some implications. While a loss doesn't knock DR out of the tournament, it gives them a very tough path to reach the quarterfinals, which would mean that Canada can likely earn an Olympic bid by advancing out of the group stages into the quarterfinals. (We get an Olympic bid by being one of the top-two ranked Americas teams, and with the US likely getting one of those spots, the Dominicans are our main threat for the other spot).
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