Sunday 12 January 2020. The last match of the first round is the first of 2020, but most of the new course. It started just two workouts ago, with the agreement with the Fortitudo Basketball who brought the new Head Coach of the team as a dowry Under 16 Gold of INVICTUS Academy, that goes well beyond the present moment, Alberto Marculissi.
New approach, new working methodology, recovered the enthusiasm with which the boys face the commitment, aware that the journey is all uphill, and that we need to start again. There is a work from (re)set from scratch, a group from (ri)formation, a lot of road to recover to reach the level required by the Championship, that in the first round was faced without ever finding the necessary drive and enthusiasm.
But there are... "The right faces - taking up the words spoken to the boys by the Coach immediately after the race - which must help us to keep in mind the positive images of this first game", and this is the most important aspect, as well as the confidence that he has already begun to instill in the group. Without looking at the balance sheet 2 sole wins on 10 matches, as to the fact that tonight's match will be the last match of the first round. It will be the second round, the target.
AIDS to the PalaCus with l 'Antal Pallavicini proposes the remake of the Playoff Semifinal last spring, which saw prevail "Oranges" at the end of the eighty minutes of the two games, gaining access to the Final which would lead to the title of Campioni U15 Silver. Since, the choice made by both clubs to try to make a further leap, enrolling teams at the higher level, the Gold, while aware of the difficulties. And an identical one, difficult going budget.
And then, a game with a particular flavor for "Oranges", because he finally sees all the 2004 present in the formation of that time, with the return of Fabio Pinto, author of a great series "hiding" the problem of the fracture of the scaphoid suffered in the Eighth Playoffs against Cento, and that it would not stop him until he won the title. He is finally ready to return to the field, after waiting so many months and going through the hand operation and rehabilitation.
Similarly, the challenge against his ex-teammates charged Simone Pedrini, 2005 called to be the twelfth player on the roster, who will demonstrate during the match that he is widely worth a role in the team, going well beyond the personal data, as may others 2005, to which the Coach has asked to train continuously with the 2004 in the next period, precisely to increase the potential of the group and allow them to grow.
The match, Now. Start Quintet Lorenzo Fantini, Filippo Fabbri, Mario manly, Matteo Guidi e Christian Bruno Carmelo for the "Oranges", and with the Assistant Coach Luca Zanardi called to support between past and present. First quarter with a very low score, with Lollo who finds the first basket by jumping in and Mario who recovers a ball and scores, also suffering a foul for the 4-0 immediate, plus another team defensive recovery. But the problem of free throws immediately emerges, we miss the first five in a row, and the adversaries take advantage of it to get closer and, then, overcome with the triple of the 4-5 a 5'45".
The entry into the field of Fabio gives the first point from the line for a draw at odds 5, but it will be the Pallavicini responds with a tear from 5-0, doubling the advantage (5-10). They go well Diego Mascagni e David Aldo De Pace, we keep trying but we don't make a basket from the field. From the bezel, Fabio thread the second and then the third stitch (but we are a 3/12), leading us to -4 on the 7-11, but to the problems of realization and fouls, with Francesco D'Alario who enters but turns on three light bulbs at close range, the defensive positioning is added, so we suffer the second action from the basket and foul, and at the first siren the difference is again equal to the points scored, 7-14.
The first action of the second quarter sees the quick basket of Nicola Monzali, sull'assist of Matte, and is worth the -5 of the 9-14, the defensive rebound of Mario a counterattack by Nick, which however collides with two defenders committing a breakthrough foul, sin. We struggle on offense, we lose too many balls, come in Simo who immediately tries to put energy into it, you need a clearing pass for the triple of Mario, which however does not enter, captures the offensive rebound and reopens up Nick, the ball does not go in but we have the throw-in, and this time Simo he throws himself in and scores, 11-18. Join Matteo Baldi to increase tonnage within the area, defensive recovery of Mario that launches on the counterattack Nick, this time it's the basket and it's again -5, on the 13-18.
Not enough yet, But. We suffer two consecutive baskets that throw us back, we try again with Matte that scores a beautiful basket with a shot and turn motion (15-22), but we still mess and get free throw e, mostly, the triple that pushes us to -11 (15-26). We exit the timeout with Simo who throws himself in to score on entry, but we give away another action from 2+1, Which brings us to -12. It does not matter, we keep trying and respond with a 6 a 0 signed by two baskets of Chris, the second on the assist of Wire, and from that of Simo sull'assist of Fabio, for the -6 of the 23-29, forcing the guests to timeout at 1'59". More, Nick serve a Chris the ball the -4, but Pallavicini breaks ours 8-0 with two consecutive baskets, that make us terrible. A 35" Wire places the shot from the notches of the new -6, we suffer yet another triple leg breaker, ma Chris find the basket from below on the second siren for the -7 of the 29-36.
In the locker room the Coach points out the mistakes made, che ogni volta vanificano oltremisura quanto di buono fatto sul parquet. Perché rispetto al primo periodo siamo stati lì, we have "impattato" il secondo parziale per 22-22, e questo nonostante il 3/14 ai liberi e, again, le posizioni sbagliate in difesa. Ripartenza difficile, subiamo due triple consecutive, in mezzo ad un tiro libero di Chris e al canestro di Matte, ad un tiro libero avversario risponde quello di Wire, quindi arriva il primo canestro in azione di Fabio (35-43), seguito da un recupero in tuffo di Matte, che l'azione successiva andrà a segno su rimbalzo offensivo, siamo ancora lì a -6... La partita si accende, di nuovo per tre volte "their" a +8 It is again "we" a -6 prima su due canestri di Mario and one of Lollo. Until the 43-49 the third siren, stavolta vincendo il parziale per 14-13.
Tutto è ancora possibile. Partiamo chiudendo bene l'area, infiliamo il tiro libero del -5 with Lollo (44-49), ma non torniamo altrettanto bene sul loro contropiede e ci ritroviamo spinti di nuovo indietro. Ci aggrappiamo alla difesa, con aiuti migliori dentro l'area, Diego serve a Simo l'assist dell'ennesimo -6 (46-52), e l'azione seguente li costringiamo all'infrazione di 24". Ma un unico giocatore in maglia Antal ci respinge per tre volte, dopo il nuovo -6 of Nick, e ci troviamo a -10, 48-58 con 4'39" to play. Anche gli avversari accusano problemi di falli, perdono due giocatori, Nick segna subendo fallo a 3'23" ma siamo ancora sotto di 9 (50-59), ma un minuto più tardi sbaglia un tiro, protesta, ed il fallo tecnico gli costa il quinto fallo. beneath 14, Matte riduce di una lunghezza dalla linea (but that 7/27 ci condanna), Fabio infila l'unica nostra tripla sulla sirena finale, ends 54-64 (11-15 l'ultimo parziale). but yet, le facce sono state quelle giuste. Ci sarà tutto il girone di ritorno per dimostrarlo.
#WeAreInvictus