Argentina reached the quarterfinals, after defeating local Japan 97-77.
After the passage to the quarterfinals of the men’s basketball competition at the Tokyo Olympics, the coach of the Argentine team, Sergio Hernndez, warned that the eight teams in the race “we all became candidates.”
“We are where we want to be before starting the Olympics. Now we are among the top eight and we all become candidates,” proclaimed the 57-year-old coach from Bahia.
The representative from Albiceleste reached the quarterfinals, after defeating local Japan 97-77 at the Super Arena in the city of Saitama.
With this result, the Argentine team achieved third place in zone C and obtained the classification for becoming one of the ‘best third parties’, along with Germany (by difference of so many).
“We should play better. Slovenia and Spain are two undisputed candidates for the gold medal. And today we recognize their superiority. They made us play in a version that we were quite hurt,” analyzed the technical director who is completing his third Olympic cycle , after leading the Argentine teams in Beijing 2008 (bronze medal) and Ro de Janeiro 2016 (lost in the quarterfinals with the United States).
Hernndez said Albiceleste’s performance exhibited ups and downs, although he admitted that the team “was practical and knew where to attack” the Japanese team.
“I did not see the game so well. I think we dominated them and we were able to translate it into the result. But I also think that a score of 20 points in favor is exaggerated,” he described.
“We were good in the fast attack in the first half; in the stationary attack, in the second. We had a good defensive attitude, despite some errors,” continued the DT.
However, Hernndez asked “not to fool us” with the victory achieved and stated that the team “must continue to improve”, in the face of what is to come.
“Japan is a worthy rival but it does not have the enormous hierarchy of Spain or Slovenia. Those opponents lead us to a different scenario,” he grafic.
“When a team is better than you, it forces you to not respect your best version and takes you out of the game. Then we can give a messy image like, at times, we gave it against Slovenia (100-118) or Spain (71-81 ), “Hernandez pointed out.
Finally, the technician did not want to venture preferences on the eventual rivals who can play in the quarters, although finally it was: Australia, according to what the draw determines.
“They are two very difficult rivals, both are candidates for the podium. And the antecedents of close confrontations are not very useful, because different, different parties are coming,” he summarized.
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