Ball: “Only they have been at the fronton”

Iker Irribarria himself summed it up accurately: «Only they have been at the fronton». The CaixaBank Masters league has ended with two losses due to forfeit. The Jaka-Zabaleta match on Sunday in Lezama and the Irribarria-Albisu match this Monday in Lekeitio, at the Antzar Eguna, in the match that replaced this year’s final of the San Antolín Tournament.

There was not much at stake on the field, only the crosses for the playoff qualifiers. However, it was conceivable that the combination was for more, especially for the blue side, after seeing last Friday at Atano III how they put Ezkurdia and Mariezkurrena II, a posh couple, in difficulties in the Donostia Hiria final. The chair backed his candidacy with a double to single that left no room for doubt.

Well no. The promising performance of the goierritarra couple in San Sebastián did not continue in Lekeitio, where Arama’s and Ataun’s men fell 22-9 against Elezkano II, a replacement for the injured Altuna III, and Imaz, who needed 16 goals to finish second. Within half an hour of starting the meeting they had already made off with the loot. Fifteen minutes later they celebrated a placid victory that serves the striker from Zaratamo to record before the company his value for sizeable commitments.

After this result and with Ezkurdia-Mariezkurrena II qualified directly for the semifinals –their victory over Altuna III-Imaz in Getaria breaks the four-point tie at the top of the table in favor of the Navarrese–, the playoff qualifiers remain as follows way: Altuna III-Imaz against Urrutikoetxea-Rezusta (seconds against fifths) and Jaka-Zabaleta against Irribarria-Albisu (thirds against fourths).

Zestoa and Hondarribia

It is still unknown which will take place on Friday in Zestoa and which on Sunday in Hondarribia. It will also be necessary to check if Jokin Altuna, encouraged by the evolution of the broken fibers in his thigh, is ready for the weekend. Otherwise, Elezkano II will cover the loss.

“I’m still tired of last Friday’s game,” Irribarria also confessed, who was not on this occasion the powerful and uncomfortable striker who had put a whole Mariezkurrena II in trouble. Nor did Albisu, insecure, exercise the dominance that he could expect in defense against Ander Imaz, a confident value and always ready for work. The blues accumulated eleven goals lost in the rally, to which we must add a faulty service leftover from the defender. Twelve in all. More than half of those needed to reach 22.

Albisu’s old-fashioned two walls at 1-1 promised better performance for both him and his partner. Any. Elezkano II sought out Irribarria and the alleged victims took a 10-1 lead in the blink of an eye. The glimpse of reaction of the favorites was in that, in glimpse. There was a lack of consistency and there were plenty of mistakes. They will have to rectify a lot – also Jaka and Zabaleta – to sneak into the semifinals.