Coinciding with the Christmas holidays, the Flat Girona Garage he decided to make a rudder bump seeing that the team was stuck at the bottom and would not quite take off. Xavier Garcia Balda took over Ramon Benito on the bench with the intention of changing the dynamics and starting to leave behind the dreaded bottom four positions. The tweak shook the team, which in the first days reacted and achieved two victories against Voltregà (3-4) and Alcoi (2-0) and a draw in Reus (2-2). However, the good results have not had continuity and the team from Girona has five defeats and two draws in the last seven days. The last undone on the track of the Caldes (4-1) it did a lot of damage because it allowed the Valaisans to escape. All of this means that, lacking four games to finish the League, Girona remain mired in the “play-out” zone with the almost utopian direct salvation –it is 8 points– and with the danger, real, even of direct descent, which is only one point away. The competition stops this weekend but everyone in Palau is clear that the Lleida is the rival First, because he is the next visitor on April 6 and, above all, because if everything continues like this, emerges as a rival to the “play-out”. Either way, don’t throw in the towel just yet. «A lot can happen, still. We have three games at home and we can win all three”, advises the coach who asks, yes, to beat Lleida “first”.
The final stretch of theOK League promises strong emotions. With the Mataró sentenced, the other place of direct descent will be played, in principle, the Rivas Madrilenian, with Girona and the Lleida. From here, a play-out between twelfth and eleventh will define the third relegation. Girona has survived the last two seasons by this route and is on its way to playing it again this year. “We will have to suffer until the end”, warns Garcia Balda who regrets that points have been lost due to “small details” such as the day of Sant Just (3-3) or against him Lyceum (2-3). “We have made merit to have five or six more points that would allow us to make a beastly jump in the classification. We don’t play badly and we compete, but we don’t have the final prize. The squad is furious about this and it’s positive that they’re going to lose points against big clubs.” In this sense, Garcia Balda is clear that Girona has not said the last word. He even sees possibilities to save himself directly. «I don’t rule anything out. It is in our hands. We have to win Lleida and then Mataró and the next one”, he says. The calendar says that Palau, with three games, can have the key. Lleida is the first rival and then the leather has to come Mataró. Then the team will visit the leader Barça to close the season at home against the Reuswho can have it all done.
Eight points away from direct salvation and with a margin point with respect to relegation, ensure the “play-out’ is Girona’s big goal. If after that there is carom and options to save yourself directly, welcome.
2024-03-27 05:30:56
#Garcia #Balda #Girona #hockey #coach #suffer
