Pair of Milo Longhorned
Published 7 minutes ago, Updated now
Matthew Strazel (left) here facing Léopold Cavalière. Laurent Lairys / Laurent Lairys / Panoramic
The Roca Team will not defend its title at Bercy after a defeat against Strasbourg (93-89) who perfectly exploited Monegasque errors.
After a second setback in the semi-final of a national cup, the Roca Team players called it quits. While they seemed untouchable at the start of the season, the players from the rock stumbled twice on the doorstep of the final. First in the Leaders Cups against Paris, who went on to lift the trophy next, then against Strasbourg in the Coupe de France on Sunday evening (93-89).
Matthew Strazel did not hide his disappointment after this setback against the SIG. “Strasbourg played a complete match, from start to finish. They put in the shots they needed. We can blame our start to the match, we lacked aggression. We shot a lot of players, there was a lot of playing time. However, we are used to these sequences, we must be able to perform, to kill matches quickly. There is no doubt that we are on a great pace in the Euroleague. We take a hit. We failed to win the Leaders Cup and the Cup, two titles on the national scene which eluded us. When we look at the end of the season, I don’t know if we can call it a flop but we must be able to take them.” declared the young Monegasque leader.
For him, this defeat does not take anything away from the Monegasque dynamic, even if he dreamed of a new final at Bercy. “We managed to make a “click” last year during the Betclic play-offs, I hope we will do the same this year. We must continue to work, to question ourselves. For foreign players, the Euroleague Final Four is a dream. For French players, the final at Bercy is also a dream. For the club, the Final Four is a bigger goal, but the Coupe de France was also important to others” concluded the French international.
In the coming days, the Monegasques host Milan in the Euroleague at home (March 20, 7 p.m.) before continuing with the reception of Valencia (March 22, 7 p.m.), then they will meet Strasbourg in the championship on Sunday March 24 (4:30 p.m.) for the 26th Betclic Elite day.
