The City of Huelva receives this Sunday (Andrés Estrada sports center, 18:00) the Ecoculture Costa de Almería in the first leg of the tie that gives access to the Final Phase for promotion to the LEB Plata. The Huelva team will play the second leg on Saturday the 9th at the Moisés Ruiz pavilion at 7:00 p.m.
Antonio Gómez, sports director of CB Huelva, is confident that the team will play the Final Phase again as it did last season and this time achieve the jump in category. “We have already fulfilled the first objective, which was to finish the league among the first two classified; has been disputed until the last moment, but we are already where we wanted”assures Antonio Gómez.
Pedro Vadillo’s team arrives at the decisive moment of the season in great form. “The season has been a bit weird; We started winning the games with a certain solvency and with an attractive game, then we went through a stage in which we were not fine at an offensive level, and In the end we ended up with very good feelings. On a defensive level, a very good job has been done.we are the best defense of the two groups, the last two weeks of training have been very good and the team arrives very motivated”.
The sports director believes that “this year there is a better team; the past was a surprise to get to where we are; last summer we analyzed what we did in the Final Phase of Valencia, we saw what we needed and we have opted for a long template, with more physical power, more height and more compensated in all lines, so that we would not weaken in any position if there were injuries, cases of covid or any unforeseen event that could arise.
The arrival of Mansour Kassé has given the team an important leap in quality, especially internally. “When we were in Valencia last year we suffered from a rival with Cartagena; he knew him from years ago, because he had seen him in two play offs complete with Morón in LEB Plata. On a human level he is a great person, he adapts quickly to the group, to what was already there and has a winning mentality. He is a top-flight player.”
Almería finished as leader of the DA group and will be a difficult rival. “They have a squad that knows what they play; Rueda is a great point guard for the category, and he has two or three shooters who, if they have a good day, make the game very difficult for you; It will be a competitive and very open tie”.
Opposite will be the best defense of the two groups (Ciudad de Huelva) and the best attack (Almería). “They are two different philosophies; if we do our basketball and carry out everything we are training I think we will pass”.
The former player hopes for the support of the fans so that Andrés Estrada becomes a pressure cooker again, as in his best times. “Your support of him is essential. Already in the last game there were many people in the pavilion, in the derby with Huelva Comercio; before, against Coria and Cáceres, there was also a good entry. Those of us who are in the club are being called by many people who want to go, fans will also come from towns, schools… I think that if we don’t fill the pavilion, there will be very little left. It’s important that they cheer us on until the last moment, because as it’s a two-leg tie, we have to get the best possible result at home”.
This season could be key to returning elite basketball to Huelva. “The first target is already there; the second is to get past this junction, and then try to move up in the Final Phase. This year we have learned a lot about where we are and what we want. The objective is to return Huelva to professional basketball and the sooner the better”.
Finally, Antonio Gómez assures that if Ciudad de Huelva manages to get through this tie, they will will try to bring the Final Phase for promotion to the LEB Plata (It would be played by four teams, who will face each other, and the first two ascend). “It’s something we’ve valued since the beginning of the season, but it doesn’t depend solely on us, we’ll have to see if other clubs ask for it, the support we have… the dream is to organize it here in Huelva, as long as we go through”, he concludes.
