This Sunday Cuba will face a game of life or death against Puerto Rico, as part of the World Cup Window towards the 2023 Cup.
Yes, life or death, not only because they are 0-3 in the balance of wins and losses, to occupy the basement of key D, but also because they are urgent to beat the Puerto Ricans by more than ten points to keep alive their aspirations to advance to the next phase.
We are talking about an instance to which the first 12 casts of the total of 16 in competition will access, at the rate of the best three per group. After the 72-82 setback suffered by our team at the Ciudad Deportiva at the hands of Mexico, we x-rayed the performance of our squad based on the issues that, in our opinion, ruined the result.
In addition to recognizing that our squad, in the process of renewal, has certainly experienced growth both individually and in some issues as a whole, largely supported by the competitive experience and increased capabilities that many of its members have acquired. in foreign leagues, either under the protection of our Federation or through self-management, which also translates into professional growth.
Now, once the shortcomings have been elucidated, some of which have become a sediment of years in our schools, DT Eduardo Moya offered his impressions on the actions in the match against the Aztecs, and with a view to future presentations, based on the fact that also his role as helmsman at the head of the Antillean quintet is relatively recent:
“I will begin by reflecting and apologizing to the fans for a series of tactical indiscipline committed during the game with the Mexicans, in which we were not able to control the group emotionally given the possibility of playing at home.
It is inadmissible that in a room in which several balls were won with positive actions towards the start, inaccuracies were made such as taking unnecessary long shots with an unmarked player under the rim… We tried to get into the game, but Mexico is a team with a high level of concentration, which you should not let play, as they are tactically very disciplined. We prevented them from going 11-3 in triples in the first half, but in the third quarter the start was fateful, with four or five triples in that quarter, which took us out of the game.
By going to press them on defense, with a great effort and after their insiders beat us in pick and roll plays, fundamentally the center Amigo; there the ineffectiveness surfaced, even having double options of attack”.
Do you consider in that case that the tactical gaps were decisive in the setback?
“When you allow such an organized team with players like Stoll, Girón, Méndez, take control of the match, it becomes very difficult for you to defeat them. We even took Stoll out for five fouls with six minutes remaining, and we couldn’t take advantage of the absence of his best game manager and cut the difference to ten, which was also influenced by the error in the free throws (73.7), so that the greatest responsibility was ours.
We have just over two days to deepen our work ahead of the game with Puerto Rico. Negatively, Karel Guzmán was injured in a technical gesture, but the group has a good mentality and a willingness to do things well, but it is really about doing them.
We played the second half quite weak”.
“I think we lacked one more point in terms of defense, we were unable to stop that pick and roll on the defensive side, which we will try to polish in two days, to focus on the next game and polish that deficiency.
A second half took its toll on us in which we couldn’t neutralize their perimeter and their three-pointers in line, they destroyed our approach and the game”.
How do you assess the actions of the newest players, especially the perimeter players who play in other leagues?
“In the case of Casero, it is the first time he has played with the national team, while Chacón is the youngest on the squad. He debuted last year and since then he has attracted a lot of attention, being among the top four talents in America last year. This time we summoned five bases, to reinforce the defensive side. By adjusting the defensive side to the inmates, the perimeters were opened…
These are actions that painfully affect us a lot. Jasiel also always arrives tight, but that’s part of the team work. Motivationally they are always on top, they train very well, and the fact of playing at home kept them on top, but they behaved with more heart than brain.
It’s about playing for them, for the collective, all the sacrifice they make on a daily basis has to have a team expression and not an individual one. And that costs us. The day we played against the United States (they lost 90-95) we spent four days preparing for that game, and the trip from the hotel to the field was one of total concentration. That’s why that level reached. The next day and this Thursday was not the same.
The mentality was not the same, despite the fact that we are working excellently with the new psychologist, but it is about overcoming that weakness to play as a team. My goal was to win both games and even if we win against Puerto Rico, if it happens I wouldn’t say we played well”.
We have all the scouting, we did all the studies, we knew we had the idea of playing with the inmates to get Amigo out of the game, because they don’t have another post of such a level and we couldn’t do it. We did not comply with the strategy.
Quick offense with Jasiel
How did you see the rotation of the ball, taking into account that not many balls came to you and Mensiá as a duo of interns?
“We are having some improvement in the rotation of the ball to make an X play, but tonight the Mexicans considered closing the inside game for us and that was a favorable factor for them. We will seek to eliminate all these deficiencies for the next game, which is the key in our actions.
The anxiety of playing at home shocked me a bit, it’s something I always try to avoid, but when I go in and see my fans, I feel motivated, but something is wrong. For the next one, things have to go better for me, because if I do it outside, it’s impossible that I can’t do it in front of my audience, which is always supporting me.
It is about giving the best, the team has improved, scoring shots that previously cost more, but sometimes in the face of that renewal, it is necessary to achieve greater understanding, which is acquired with two or three practices, to know each player’s potentialities or what What can your partner do for the sake of things flowing, and achieve that chemistry.
It is about taking a step forward in search of that long-awaited victory for the country. Defeat isn’t enough for us, and personally every time I’ve played at home, I don’t feel like myself. So I need to give my people the best.”
Puerto Rico has had a considerable renewal in its campus. As our squad has done, they have formed a cast with five organizing defenses, to enhance their perimeter game. Cuba has all the information to develop an approach that suits their dynamics, to curb any advantage they may have in the paint and match up the duels on the perimeter, above all with patience, effective defense, and good care of the ball.
The shirts are off, the clear variables and the room for improvement, if they manage to solve the deficiencies is evident for the game with the Puerto Ricans. With all the cards on the table, today it will be possible to elucidate whether the World Cup aspirations are kept alive, or we are condemned to oblivion.
Next, we leave you the links so that you can access all the statistics and the profile of Cuba in the competition up to this minute.
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualify…
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualify…
