The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are taking place in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but thanks to live streaming, there are more ways to watch free
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Baseball tournament TV schedule, live stream, Team USA start times, group standings
The Olympic baseball competition begins with the group stage involving two groups of three teams each. Within those groups, each team will play a round-robin schedule — i.e., each team in a group plays each of the other two teams in that same group for a total of six games across both groups. Teams are then ranked based on the results of the group stage, and then the knockout stage begins.
In the knockout stage, teams play under a double-elimination format. The top two seeds from the group stage in essence get a “bye” to the one quarterfinal. Meantime, the two seeds and three seeds will play each other, and the winners of those two games will advance to the other quarterfinal. The losers of those games will go to the loser’s bracket and remain in the running for a spot in the semifinals. The winner of each quarterfinal goes to one semifinal, while the other semifinal is populated by the two teams emerging from the loser’s bracket.
The winner of each quarter final meets in the first semifinal game, and the winner of that contest advances to the gold medal game. The loser will be placed in the second semifinal and face a team advancing from the loser’s bracket. The winner of that game will advance to the gold medal game, while the loser will play for the bronze medal.
For further clarity, here’s a visual explainer of the format above and the full standings and schedule below. Games on NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA and the Olympic Channel can be streamed via fuboTV (Try for free).
Group stage schedule
(All times U.S./Eastern)
Tuesday, July 27
Group A: Dominican Republic vs. Japan, 11 p.m.
Thursday, July 29
Group B: Israel vs. South Korea, 6 a.m.
Group A: Mexico vs. Dominican Republic, 11 p.m.
Friday, July 30
Group B: United States vs. Israel, 6 a.m.
Group A: Japan vs. Mexico, 11 p.m.
Saturday, July 31
Group B: South Korea vs. United States, 6 a.m. (NBCSN)
Knockout stage
Saturday, July 31
Game 1: A3 vs. B3, 11 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 1
Game 2: A2 vs. B2, 6 a.m.
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 11 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 2
Game 4: A1 vs. B1, 6 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 3
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6 a.m.
Game 6: Game 5 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 11 p.m.
Semifinal
Wednesday, Aug. 4
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 5
Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 6 a.m.
Bronze Medal Game
Friday, Aug. 6
Game 12 loser vs. Game 14 loser, 11 p.m. (CNBC)
Gold Medal Game
Saturday, Aug. 7
Semifinal winner vs. Semifinal winner, 6 a.m.
2021 Tokyo Olympics: First COVID-19 case found in the Olympic Village one week ahead of the Games
For the past year and a half, the cloud of COVID-19 has loomed over the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Games have already been postponed a year, a majority of Japanese citizens do not want the Olympics to go on as scheduled and a state of emergency in Tokyo has forced organizers to ban spectators from all events. Now the virus has directly touched the Games as the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was found in the Olympic Village, just one week before the opening ceremonies are set to take place.
According to international news agency AFP, Tokyo organizing committee spokesman Masa Takaya confirmed the case, saying “That was the very first case in the village that was reported during the screening test.”
Athletes from all over the world have already started arriving in Tokyo ahead of the Summer Games which are scheduled to open on July 23 and run through August 8 as Tokyo reported a six-month high in cases.
While organizers have repeatedly pushed for the Games to go on, there have been challenging hurdles during the global pandemic. After initially saying that a limited number of spectators from Japan would be allowed at the events, Olympic organizers reversed course earlier in July, saying no fans will be allowed amid concerns of a growing spread of the virus in and around Tokyo that has led to a state of emergency being extended.
Also, in the walk-up to the Games this month, it was announced that athletes who are on a medal podium will place their own medals around their necks, rather than the tradition of an official presenting the medals to the winners.
Earlier this year, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach expressed his belief that the Games would be able to be held as long as protocols and efforts to curb the spread of the virus were enforced and followed.
“The IOC is fully committed to the successful and safe delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Bach said.
Nationally, Japan has had more than 832,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 15,000 people have died from the virus in the country. According to the AP, about 21 percent of the Japanese population is fully vaccinated.
