Susijeng’s World Cup performances have been disappointing, but France’s failure was a fiasco of another magnitude. Tuomas Iisalo, head coach of Paris Basketball, revealed that half of his team had completely sold their country.
On Thursday, Susigengi will play against Cape Verde in the follow-up series of the World Cup. The match starts at 10:30 Finnish time. follows the events in this article.
France went to the basketball World Cup as a strong medal candidate. However, the chances of further progress crumbled after only two games, when the French lost humiliatingly to Canada by no less than 30 points, and then barely 13 points to Latvia, who overcame a losing position.
Like Finland, France was also drawn in a really tough group. Canada has a big bunch of NBA players, and it is even estimated by many papers to be the final team of the World Cup. Latvia is also a tough basketball country, but will play in the games without its superstar, who is suffering from a leg injury Kristaps Porzingis.
French star player, representing the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA Nicolas Batum was really gloomy after the fateful defeat against Latvia.
– I have never been ashamed of wearing this shirt before, but now I am ashamed, Batum said According to L’Equipe.
The French media talked about a fiasco and a historic failure. The country is used to success in prestigious basketball competitions. France won the World Championship in 2013, and in the last four years they have captured European and Olympic silver and World Championship bronze. Next summer, the Paris Olympics are ahead.
– We cannot succeed at this level if we do not have the humility to fight, stated Coached the French national team since 2009 Vincent Collett.
In the final game of the preliminary group against Lebanon, France rose from a loss to a six-point victory in the final quarter. Lebanon had previously received a 55-point beating from Canada, and Latvia also knocked it down with 29 points.
The victory in Lebanon did not save France, but the games continue like Finland in the lower continuation group.
Gloomy expressions in Kisakallio
Moved to the French league as the head coach of Paris Basketball in the summer Tuomas Iisalo has been camping in Lohja, Kisakallio with his new team since last Thursday.
Iisalo, who was selected as coach of the year in the Champions League and Bundesliga, says that the group watched the World Cup together.
– After the game in Finland, there were a couple of quite disappointed people here, and after the game in France, half of the team had completely sold their country.
The disappointment of the French is understandable, because the country has not been in the habit of staying in the first group. In the last two World Cups, France won bronze.
– France is consistently successful and participates in the Games with a reasonably strong team. It was truly a disaster of the highest order.
Iisalo does not see Finland’s relegation from the playoffs as nearly as dramatic an incident. Australia and Germany are rock-hard basketball countries, and Japan is not the slouch that many people think they are either.
– Shawn Huff and Petteri Koponen after finishing, there may be a small experience and leadership vacuum in the team, which is completely normal. There were also challenges in preparation, and practically no practice matches were played with the rotation used in the Games. This and Lauri Markkanen the army, there is a long list of things, Iisalo enumerates.
A year ago, Susijengi progressed from the initial group to the next round and all the way to the quarterfinals in the European Championships. Then Finland lost its opening match, but the tournament format was kinder, as five matches were played in the first group.
In the World Cup, there were only three preliminary group games, which emphasized the importance of the matches.
– One thing that is often underestimated in sports is the importance of luck in individual matches. Especially in value competitions, where the sample size is minimal.
Before moving to France, Iisalo coached for several years in Germany, which has started the World Cup convincingly. Germany won Finland’s group with a clean game.
– They are doing very well, and I am happy about that. There are a lot of familiar players, and the head coach of Germany Gordon Herbert is my old coach. They have opportunities for the brightest medals.
The World Cup games of Finland and France continue in the lower extension groups on Thursday. The upper extension blocks start on Friday.
On Thursday, Susigengi will play against Cape Verde in the follow-up series of the World Cup. The match starts at 10:30 Finnish time. follows the events in this article.