Dongguan (China) (AFP)

Thunderclap in Dongguan! The United States, double world champions and triple Olympic champions in title, were eliminated by France 89-79, Wednesday, in the quarter-finals of the World Cup-2019, whose last square is trusteed by outsiders.

The French, the bronze medalists of the last World Cup in 2014, will face Argentina in the semifinal on Friday (14.00 French, 12.00 GMT), which also created the surprise Tuesday beating (97-87) Serbia , vice-champion of the world and reigning Olympic vice-champion.

The other semi-final will face Friday (10:00, 08:00 GMT) Australia, victorious last quarter against the Czech Republic (82-10), to Spain, the only team of the last square to have been world champion in 2006 .

That year, the United States had dropped in the semifinal against Greece (101-95). Since then, they have won all the titles at the World Championships and at the Olympics.

But this year, they had to play without their NBA superstars (LeBron James, Steph Curry or Kawhi Leonard absent) and had suffered their first defeat for 13 years at the end of August in a warm-up match, ahead of Australia (98-94). .

In the first round, they were also shoved in the first round by Turkey (93-92), beaten by one point because of a series of missed shots in the final seconds.

Despite 29 points and 6 rebounds by Donovan Mitchell, the back of Utah Jazz, the Americans of the legendary coach Gregg Popovich failed to keep up the pace imposed by France, which featured four players playing last season in the NBA.

These are also the "Frenchies" who have led the Blues, the pivot of Jazz Rudy Gobert (21 points, 16 rebounds) and the back of the Magic Evan Fournier (22 points, 4 assists) in mind.

The French team can now dream of a first world title, she has never played in the world finals and played only one Olympic final, lost in 2000 against the United States. But his old folks are wary of the semi-final against Argentina, orphaned by Manu Ginobili but dreaded offensively as she showed in quarters.

The Blues keep through the throat the defeat in half of the World Cup-2014 after having managed the feat of eliminating Spain home quarter.

The other semifinal is open between the Spaniards Ricky Rubio, Hernangomez brothers and the experienced Rudy Fernandez and Australians, who reach for the first time the last square in the world. The Boomers, led by their indomitable leader Patty Mills, still run after a first planetary medal, they who failed four times at the foot of the Olympic podium (4th in 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2016).

Spain and France have already achieved a first goal: only two European nations qualified for the last four, they have validated their ticket for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

© 2019 AFP