Venezuela are champions, and the final was a good reminder that paper lineups do not win anything.
The United States looked overwhelming before the game. In the game, they looked tight. Venezuela got up 2 to 0 and controlled the night while Team USA did almost nothing with it for most of the game.
Bryce Harper’s two-run blast in the eighth finally cracked the game open, or at least made it feel that way. Venezuela answered immediately. That was the final. Not the homer. The response.
That is the part worth keeping. Team USA looked better on paper. Venezuela played better baseball. The American lineup never looked loose, never made its advantage feel real for long enough, and never turned talent into control.
Venezuela won the tournament the hard way too. Japan. Italy. United States. No soft path, no cheap title, no argument left.
Now bring on the MLB season.
