The Israeli men and women’s teams left it all on the field, but failed to medal as both squads reached the medal round but lost their semifinal and bronze-medal matches.
Both teams lost a chance for a bronze medal in nearly identical fashion, losing to Germany. The men lost 38-33, while the women were beaten 24-12.
The semifinals did not go well for either Israeli team as each fell to the reigning European champions. The men played first and were blown out by Denmark 41-8 after losing to the same team by only four points in the opening round.
The women played Austria even until 30 seconds to go and lost 19-12. The Israeli women drove to within striking distance, but the game ended with the blue-and-white on the 20 yard line. It was a statement game for the Israeli women, who were blown out 54-0 by Austria on the tournament’s opening day.
