Thanks to the victory in the first match against Belarus, the Polish national team has a chance to advance to the European Championship! To do this, you have to beat the team led by Natalie Trofimoa for the second time, and the point difference will also matter in this case.
In the first match, the Polish women imposed their own rhythms from the start, leading to an 11-point lead after 20 minutes. After the two teams switched, the opponents began to attack, Marija Papua and Tatsiana Lekhtalovi بدأ started to play better. This resulted in only one “eye” in the team advantage led by Marus Kovacic in the 32nd minute. However, since that moment, a very active and effective game gave the Polish women their first, but very important, victory in this qualifying campaign.
Group F table:
1. Great Britain 2/2
2. Belarus 2/1
3. Poland 1/2
The winners of the first group and five teams from second place will be promoted to the final tournament. To determine the top five teams from the runner-up, the results of teams from the last places will not be taken into account.
We were not broken when Belarus reached us with two eyes or three. All this showed our acting potential. In the end, we win with the team from the top of the FIBA ranking. Bravo team, girls clap Elena Kuprin, who is currently the general manager of the national team, said after the match.
The style that we showed in the first match was not comfortable for Belarus. They don’t like basketball as there is a lot of connection or little to the power game. They like to play 5 against 5, and a lot of passes and three-pointers. And what we played in the first game is not their game. So, we want to repeat the method we played, because that might cause them a lot of trouble again – Marus Kovacik’s words.
The next day, the Belarusians faced Great Britain, where they were also unable to dictate the rhythm of their game. From the start, opponents broke through their opponents’ basket, which heralded another few minutes. That was the case, but until only 35 minutes. At the time, Belarus “fired” with effective throws from behind the 6.75 streak, and finally defeated the biggest surprise in the last European League.
So the last team match will also be a match for promotion to the final tournament. To do this, you need to win 28 points. Coach Kovacic is handling the matter more carefully. – It is not an upgrade game because we need to win 28 points. Of course, it can be done, but we’re not going to the dance floor with one thought to “chase” the teams. The most important thing is to repeat what we played in the first match and win that match. Alternatively, you could think of a big advantage, which you’ll be able to do at the end of the third quarter, depending on the situation on the field of course. It is important here not to play for EuroBasket, but for the sake of the following qualifications – He adds.
On the one hand, in this second match we want to play as we did in the first game – that is, fast in attack and strong in defense. Every match is 100% different, we’ll try to reuse all our strengths, that is, aggressiveness and speed. I think we will not change much regarding the first match, but we have to make more effort and play better to repeat the outcome of the first match.
The meeting with Belarus will begin on Saturday at 12:30. The broadcast will be available at www.sport.tvp.pl
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Taking into account the health of the players, coaches, referees and everyone who participated in the preparation for matches, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) changed the organization of qualification for the European Championship in the windows of representation. Matches are played in “bubbles” (closed tournaments), as opposed to the traditional home and away match format.
