TOKYO.– From the debacle against Slovenia to a change of image in the defeat against Spain by 81-71. Until now, the Argentine basketball he did not smile at all in the course of Tokyo 2020 Y you can say goodbye much earlier than you thought, but have a hope: this Sunday, at 1.40 of our country, the team headed by Sergio Hernández will play its last match in group C, against Japan, seeking to rank as one of the best third parties. The chances are not remote compared to the selected one he directs Julius lamas, former Albiceleste coach: a win by 12 points will suffice, or less depending on the result of another match.
The day after the fall before the black beast in the Saitama Arena served to rearm, but brought other bad news: Patricio garino has a injury of the biceps femoris in its middle third, as revealed by the MRI on the right thigh. While waiting for its evolution, the certainty is that the national team will face Japan with all the other results defined, so when you step on the pitch you will already know what you will need in pursuit of the passage to the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games. Obviously, the Golden Generation remained as a beautiful memory and the world runner-up in China 2019 is a record that has little to do with the moment of the team. Now it is pick and shovel, blood and sweat, with no margin to go beyond the furious present time.
That image of Facundo Campazzo against Spain breaking his shirt after the fifth foul (automatic expulsion), a symbol of the impotence caused by the rival. But little by little, back to concentration, the anger was diluted and a certain optimism was reborn. Like that of Luis Scola, who certainly does not give smiles or fantasize about scenarios that do not exist. “We played a good game against Spain and an upward line is clearly visible. Against Japan we need to play well ”, mentioned the captain.
In these days of loosening the muscles before the closure of the C zone, the intention has been to think about how to improve and find resources that will leverage this selection towards another dimension. Scola himself assures that today Argentina is below the top candidates in the Olympic tournament, but takes as a reference the performance against Spain to believe that all is not lost. The No. 4 aspires to reach the decisive crosses and “compete”, a trait that has characterized this team for so many years in which he was a central protagonist.
However, there remains a team issue that Scola does not negotiate with and that definitely makes noise. He was concerned about some individual attitudes that are not consistent with the DNA that this team knew how to generate itself. “We are taking some habits that are not so good for a team that wants to win. Over there we become too protesters. We had too much flopping [término que en la NBA alude a simulación de faltas] and for some of these protests did not come down to defend. Those are habits of small teams, of bad teams, that we had eliminated and now we have again.”He said after the second consecutive fall in Tokyo.
According to Scola, there are no kinks: “You can win or lose and one of the things will happen in the next game against Japan; that will put us in a place that we still don’t know where it will be. The reality is that there is a level of behavior and of respect this profession that we instill. We work it for many years and we can’t lose it”. The future of the selection was limited to the numbers, but also to a rise in performance.
The situation in numbers
The 12 men’s basketball teams are divided into three groups of four. Eight of them will access the quarterfinals: the first two from each zone and two of the three third parties, who will contrast their points and their differences of so many to determine the eliminated.
Argentina, 3rd in group C, lost both commitments and has a balance of -28 in so many. Germany, 3rd in B, got a triumph in three meetings and presents -16. Y Czech Republic, who occupies the same position in A, obtained a victory and register -14.
Australia, who won zone A, gave a good hand this morning, defeating the Germans by 89 to 76. Now, to overcome the Germans in the comparison of tables Argentines must beat Japan by 13 points.
The other alternative for the world runner-up is to receive a collaboration from the United States, which will face the Czechs starting at 9am in Buenos Aires this Saturday. If the logic of a comfortable North American victory is given, that -14 of the Europeans will worsen and will be compared with what for now is -28 of Argentina, a balance that will improve if Scola, Campazzo and company beat the Japanese. In other words, between the eventual Czech missteps and Argentine success There must be a cumulative margin of 15 points for the albiceleste team to qualify.