Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling, left, celebrates with teammate Blair Tuke. Photo / Gregory Bull
Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling, left, celebrates with teammate Blair Tuke. Photo / Gregory Bull
Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill tried to talk up a comeback after falling back 6-1 to Emirates Team New Zealand today, but the world media aren't buying it.
Peter Burling and his crew were near flawless today to claim victories in race seven and eight to move to withinmatch point of lifting the America's Cup.
Team New Zealand were famously in a similar position in San Francisco four years ago before Spithill led Oracle to a come from behind victory from 8-1 to beat Dean Barker's Team New Zealand 9-8.
After today's two defeats, Spithill said Oracle Team USA will be taking it one race at a time as they attempt to win six in a row to reclaim the Auld Mug.
"He said it, but this time he didn't mean it," writes Dilworth oin response to Spithill's press conference comments that Oracle Team USA have been in this position before.
"He led the USA's miraculous revival in San Francisco four years ago, when his team came back from 8-1 down to beat New Zealand 9-8 in one of sport's greatest ever turnarounds," Dilworth writes for the Telegraph.
"But this year they have no Ben Ainslie to go to, and not even a glimmer of hope. It is a matter of when now, not if."
Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press writes all of Team New Zealand fans will be on the edge seat after experiencing that comeback defeat in 2013.
"New Zealand, a small, sailing-mad island nation, will no doubt be holding its breath," Wilson writes.
"The Kiwis need to avoid the kind of soul-crushing collapse that kept them from winning the oldest trophy in international sports four years ago."
"Underfunded Team New Zealand almost folded after that debacle, but has bounced back with a remarkably fast boat design that includes a radical cycling grinding system."
