Germany answered back with a disciplined Both of those teams made up for it in the quarterfinals however, as Poland swept the Nederlands Vets 4-0 and France made easy business of Switzerland, defeating them 4-2.
But the young Belgians would trounce Poland in the finals to earn their way to a podium match. France then stepped up and bested Team USA in a tight 3-2.
The Veterans League final between Belgium and France was a battle for the ages. But in the end, France came out on top with a 4-3 win and a sigh of relief.
U19 Division
Three teams rose above the others, going undefeated in the prelims: Teams France, USA, and Norway. These squads quickly established themselves as the clear standout squads, and it carried through the two-day event. But a surprise was in store for these teams.
In the semifinals, Team France could not unlock the defense of Team Poland, and in a long, disciplined match, Poland shocked the favorites with a 1-0 win to move forward. Team USA met the Norwegians, and although the Norse fans let the Americans feel the thunder, the Americans would walk away with a 3-1 win.
France would go on to annihilate Norway in a quick 4-0 mercy for the bronze medal, and Team USA made quick business of the upstart Poland team, defeating them 3-1.
U16 Division
While the spotlight always shines on the Pro division, the most exciting paintball at this event is hidden in the U16 Division. This is where the future of paintball is growing and maturing, and the energy level would not be outmatched.
U16 Division was played as a Race-to format, and it was heated competition from the start. The prelims for the youth league were neck-and-neck-and-neck with the top-tier teams shaping up as they did in U19 with Teams USA, Norway, and France at the top of the pack.
When Norway met the USA in the prelims, a tone was set that carried across the entire event at every level. It started with a slow, drawn-out point that felt like the two squads taking one another’ s temperature, and it evolved into a crowd-thrilling back-andforth match. Tied at 2 each, with less than two minutes remaining, the pressure was turned on, and the nervous energy rising was palpable. With an impressive display of patience, discipline, and time awareness, the young Niko Podesta of Team USA caught the last-second snake rundown and a leap at the buzzer to secure the 3-2 win as time expired.
The Swiss, a team that ended up placing 8th overall in a field of 10 teams, surprised France in their prelim match, which ended in a 2-2 tie, and denied France of the number one seed going into finals.
In the Semifinals, Team USA heavily outmatched Finland, swiftly defeating them 2-0. Norway would then take a 2-0 win over France, relegating them to a bronze medal.
Finland would advance to face Team USA in the finals, but Team USA walked away with a 2-0 victory for gold.
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