BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 12 : Same Play Beat the U.S. Men in Seoul

This is the play that wrecked American basketball, furnished to The Times by a Soviet defector.

He is Alexander Gomelsky, coach of the Soviet men’s team that upended the United States at Seoul in 1988, brother of Yvgeny Gomelsky, whose team from the Commonwealth of Independent States stunned the U.S. women, 79-73, Wednesday.

The play is designed to beat a U.S. full-court press, traditional weapon of choice for the quicker Americans.

It isn’t easy to read, but Alexander’s diagram seems to show two players cutting off each other at the foul line, with the in-bounds passer entering the ball and then going long down the floor.

Meanwhile, the remaining two players cut off each other at mid-court, one going deep to set up a potential fast break, the other making herself or himself available if help is needed.

Alexander used it with 7-foot-4 Arvidas Sabonis taking the entry pass to run down John Thompson’s press in 1988.

The brothers talked over the play two days ago, and Yvgeny turned it loose on the U.S. women Wednesday.

It still works.