France wins gold in blind football at Paralympics under Eiffel Tower lights

PARIS -- France defeated Argentina 3-2 on penalties under the lights of the Eiffel Tower for the gold medal in blind football on the penultimate day of the Paralympic Games.

Frederic Villeroux scored the decisive spot kick to get the partisan home fans’ party underway after the teams drew 1-1 in normal time on Saturday.

"It felt like the script of a film," said Villeroux, who also made the breakthrough in the 12th minute when he rifled a shot inside the left post.

Argentine star forward Maximiliano Espinillo replied from close range straight away after the French defenders failed to clear the ball.

“You have to take the good and accept the bad, but we are still very proud," Espinillo said.

France is the first team other than Brazil to win blind football at a Paralympics. Brazil won all five previous golds since it was first played at the 2004 Athens Games.

The five-time defending champion, which had never lost a match before Thursday's penalty loss to Argentina in the semifinals, was consoled by the bronze medal after a 1-0 win over Colombia thanks to a fierce strike from Jefinho in the 24th minute.

Known as the “Paralympic Pelé” because of speed and skill, Jefinho scored in off the left post despite facing two defenders, setting off a roar of appreciation around the Eiffel Tower Stadium.

“Today we left all disappointments behind and were able to win,” Jefinho said.

Blind football is an adaptation of soccer for teams of five players with an audible ball of rattles. The four outfield players must be classified as completely blind, while the goalkeeper is sighted and instructs his teammates where to go. A guide behind the opposition goal also instructs the attacking players.

Though the four outfield Argentine players couldn’t have seen the sea of French flags around the stadium, they would have heard the fevered rendition of the French anthem around them, and chants of “Allez les Bleus” from the home crowd. The fans were quiet when the ball was in play so the players could hear their guides’ instructions.

As fulltime approached, the supporters started a boisterous Mexican wave during a break in play. It continued silently when play resumed – so the players would not be disturbed.

On another solid day for United States athletes, Jake Williams scored 26 points as the men won the wheelchair basketball gold by beating Britain 73-69.

That made it three from three for the U.S. in Games basketball after the men and women won thrilling finals against France at the Olympics last month, also at Bercy Arena.

Fans at Bercy are used to hearing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and they will listen to it again if the women's team wins its final against the Netherlands on Sunday.

Earlier, Germany's men won the bronze-medal match against Canada 75-62.

Meanwhile, the U.S. sitting volleyball team made it three golds straight by defeating China 3-1 in the women's final. The Americans have won every title since 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

The U.S. equestrian team won three more medals in Paralympics dressage, and Fiona Howard and Rebecca Hart clinched their third gold medals of the Paris Games.

The Paralympic debutant Howard won the Grade II individual freestyle and the veteran Hart won it in Grade III. Earlier, teammate Kate Shoemaker claimed bronze in Grade IV.

Riders compete in five grades, with Grade I for the most severely impaired riders.

Howard and Hart previously won individual golds this week and helped the U.S. win the team event on Friday.

American swimmer Jessica Long extended her mammoth Paralympics medal collection to 31 with gold in the S8 100-meter butterfly.

She won in 1 minute, 10.59 seconds at La Défense Arena, finishing one second clear of Viktoriia Ishchiulova. Britain's Alice Tai was third.

The 32-year-old Long also won the women's 400 freestyle on Wednesday.

Her Paralympic career started when she was 12 and won three golds at the 2004 Athens Games.

S8 is for swimmers with the absence of limbs. Long is a double amputee.

The last medals of the Games are up for grabs on Sunday.

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AP Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games