BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 14 : Brazil Makes Headway Against U.S. : Men’s volleyball: Americans’ goal of three consecutive gold medals ends with four-game semifinal collapse.

After losing their hair to start the tournament, players of the U.S. men’s volleyball team finally lost their heads Friday, and with it a chance at their third consecutive gold medal.

Reduced to bickering among themselves and making two costly errors in the fourth game, the United States lost its semifinal match to Brazil, 12-15, 15-8, 15-9, 15-12, at Palau Sant Jordi.

Brazil will face the Netherlands in Sunday’s final that will be one championship matchup few expected. The Netherlands, which finished pool play with a 2-3 record but upset favorite Italy in the quarterfinals, shocked Cuba, 15-11, 15-13, 15-9, to advance.

The Netherlands is coached by Arie Selinger, the controversial coach of the 1984 U.S. women’s team that won a silver medal.

The United States will play Cuba, a team it has yet to defeat in eight matches this year, for the bronze. But that provides little inspiration to a team that had the nucleus of its 1988 gold-medal winning squad at Barcelona.

“I don’t think anybody on this team is going to be satisfied with anything less than the gold,” Bob Ctvrtlik said. “I guess that we just have to realize that the bronze is better than nothing.”

Considering the commotion this team made by shaving its heads after officials reversed its victory over Japan early in the tournament, the Americans no doubt will leave with a void.

“When we shaved our heads, we put a lot on the line,” Ctvrtlik said. “I didn’t realize how much we had put on the line until I called home the next day and it was all my mother was talking about. We risked it all by doing that.”

The loss came in an uncharacteristic manner for the veteran Americans. The players spent most of the decisive fourth game arguing with each other over how to slow the Brazilians, then, after narrowing the gap to 14-12, committed two costly errors.

First, with the U.S. team serving, outside hitter Scott Fortune, positioned at the back line, was struck in the chest by a Brazilian spike for a sideout.

“I thought it was out and I was trying to get out of the way,” said Fortune, one of five U.S. players from the ’88 team. “I guess, when a match is this close, you have to play it . . . “

Then, at match point, U.S. middle blocker Bryan Ivie buried a spike through the middle of the Brazilian defense but was called for a line violation.

“We didn’t go down swinging,” Fortune said. “We went down with a couple of errors.”

In truth, the U.S. team was kept largely off balance by a talented Brazilian team given to vast swings in quality of play. Thursday night, Brazil was mostly on.

Still, the United States won the first game and led in the second, 5-3, before the collapse. “We had a chance to put them away,” U.S. setter Jeff Stork said. “They’re an emotional team. They play much better when they’re leading.”

As the U.S. players started to crumble, their frustration mounted. They had prepared well for the Brazilians, whom they have played often.

“We knew exactly what they were going to do,” Ctvrtlik said. “We just didn’t cover our blocking positions. They’re big jumpers, and it’s one thing if they hit over us. But it’s the blocks that went through us that hurt.”

Fortune said: “There was a lot of yelling among our players, and toward the end, it wasn’t constructive. They frustrated us. We would wind up talking about the last play, instead of the next one.”

So, the Americans will play for third place, which represents little to this group. Fortune, Stork, Ctvrtlik and Eric Sato competed at Seoul; Steve Timmons played in 1984 and ’88. Their goal was simple: Win another gold and retire from the national team.

Instead, they get Cuba for the bronze.

“The dream’s over,” Timmons said. “I haven’t been playing in many third-place matches in my life.”

There also is a sense that U.S. volleyball is pointed toward change. Timmons is 33, Stork 32, Ctvrtlik 29 and Fortune 26. By the next Olympics, they would be past their primes. Karch Kiraly, who played with Timmons in 1984 and ‘88, took the first step by skipping Barcelona for the lucrative world of beach volleyball.