PARIS – No matter how well it played, USA Wheelchair Rugby knew it could not advance past the preliminary round by itself. Still needing help from Japan, the U.S. focused in on what they could control and took down Germany 57-47.

“We did our job today, which was to come out and have a good win against Germany,” leading scorer Chuck Aoki said. “They made it tough on us for three and a half quarters, but that’s all we could do. We can only focus on our jobs.”

That sentiment was similar throughout the USA’s unit.

“Our team talks a lot about being present in the moment, we can’t control anything outside of that moment. If we’re communicating, making the right reads, making the right passes, that’s all we can do,” remarked Mason Symons.

The Germans looked to confuse the USA with a defensive scheme that mixed and matched approaches. Sometimes, USA throw-ins were met with a swarm of German defenders, and often a double team springing toward Aoki. On others, especially those thrown in at half-court, Germany would sag back on defense, forming a wall near the goal line.

Neither did much to disrupt the USA’s offensive continuity, as is often the case; this was in large part due to Chuck Aoki. The four time Paralympian had 34 tries, only six less than he’d had in the first and second games combined. When met with a double or even triple team, Aoki would find teammates open down the court for easy tries.

“You’ve gotta kinda be ready for anything that the team throws, you know,” proclaimed Aoki. “We know how to play against physical teams, and we know how to play against teams that lay back.”

In the first quarter, Sarah Adam was often the beneficiary of these great passes. She tied Aoki with a team-leading 7 tries in the frame. When the defense played back on its heels, Aoki used sharp turns to navigate his way through the coagulated painted area and through the goal-line.

The Germans still managed to hang around early. Down 13-10, two strong attacks from Josco Wilke and Marco Herbst, sandwiched around a US turnover, cut the deficit to one. At the end of the first quarter, it was just a two-try game.

Still, even though the lead was at multiple tries throughout most of the game, the Germans’ toughness was hard on the U.S.. The USA was only +1 in turnover margin during the games first 16 minutes.

“We just weren’t quite ready for the physicality early on, I don’t think, and it showed,” remarked Aoki. “I’m proud of the team for the way we just kind of kept our heads down and got it done in the end.”

The half ended in a three-try deficit for Germany, but it easily could have been closer. With the half clock winding, and a 26-24 lead in tow, Chuck Aoki was pressured by multiple German defenders. The ball was poked away from him, but in an instant, he scooped it from his feet and found Mason Symons near the goal-line to take a three-try lead into the half.

The third quarter featured a few key opportunities that the Germans simply couldn’t capitalize on. With the U.S. up 31-29, Sarah Adam threw into double coverage. This led to a Mason Symons turnover and Josco Wilke passing the end line, making it a one-try game. It was one of the very few moments where there was visible frustration between teammates on the U.S. side. 

The Germans would get within one two more times in the next minute but could never bridge the gap and tie the game.

It was a 17-10 fourth quarter where the U.S. truly began to show its might as a world power in the sport, and secured the win. The U.S. forced four turnovers and used a multitude of long passes to stretch the lead to a very comfortable ten. The USA played a much more calm, in-control version of wheelchair rugby.

“Without their (teammates) hustle down the court, it wouldn’t be a good pass,” said Symons. “That’s why we practice these things, honestly, practice is more stressful than this sometimes.”

Update: Thanks to Japan’s 50-46 win over Canada, the U.S. has qualified for the semifinals, against a yet to be determined opponent. The game will be played on Day four of the games, at 7:30 p.m. French time.