The French team is opposed to Georgia this Sunday, in Riga, in the knockout stages of the European Championship.
The serious things begin. After a well -negotiated first phase on the whole (4 victories, 1 defeat), in Katowice (Poland), the Blues face Georgia this Sunday (2:15 p.m.), in Riga (Latvia), in the round of 16 of the Euro. Without net or second chance. “”We saw the team progress and players gain in maturity ”Judge Freddy Faith. Good news? The group D winners will start this meeting in the skin of the favorite. “”You are saying“, Grins the coach, aimed at continuing to present”an outsider spirit “ To start this second phase of Euro 2025.
False modesty? No. It is indeed in this costume that the tricolors are the strongest, when they fight, when they make defense and collective their priority. “”They say that we are kaïras, we do not show anything on the ground», Guerschon Yabusele storm at halftime of the match against Poland (83-76) last Tuesday. In dilettante, the Habs had carried out an overly permissive first act for their captain’s taste, hosting 44 points. They straightened the bar like that, playing like Kaïras, defending, running. No choice. Without Victor Wembanyama, Evan Fournier and others, Faux players have no room. Moreover, they needed the exceptional hot blows of Sylvain Francisco (32 pts) and Yabusele (36) to win against Slovenia (103-95) and Poland, not to mention the walks against the weak Belgium (92-64) and Iceland (114-74).
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Israel, an evil for a good?
And there was the Israeli hiccup (69-82). “”I hope it was an evil for a good“, Slides the successor of Vincent Collet, assistant of Bernard Faure during the European coronation of the Blueberries U16 in 2014, in… Riga. A reverse that allowed “to everyone, including the staff, moreover, to descend from (sound) cloud». «From Poland, we find our identitySuitable Zaccharie Risacher. That of a team in which the danger comes from everywhere and which defends iron, in order to feed its transition game. A survival game, which goes well to the athletes making up this group. To run is the goal of the Blues.
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All the opposite of this Georgia that the French team has no longer met since… 2015, a 95-63 box in preparation for Euro 2015. The only profession of trade present within the workforce, Mam Jaiteh was there. It was even his only real campaign in the French team so far, he who was the group of the group 10 years ago, in Montpellier and Villeneuve-d’Ascq. At almost 31 years old is the oldest today … More than ever, France needs him and his size, his impact. “”Before starting the final phase, it feels good, there was need to find benchmarks, a flowhe said after his good match against Iceland. I have always felt confidence and responsibilities on the part of the coach and the teammates. But living it is good in mind, it allows me to project myself on what is to do in direct elimination matches “added the Dubai player again.
These are two teams that play completely differently in basketball.
Freddy Fauthoux
Obviously, the opposition will be very different this time. Fourth in group C, in Limassol, Georgia only defeated two eliminated teams (Spain, Cyprus) in the group stage. She is led by two interiors “Made in NBA”, Goga Bitadze and the former Weby teammate in the Spurs Sandro Mamukelashvili. Size, half-terrain, post-up and experience, little bench. “”These are two teams that play completely differently in basketball», Summarizes Faux. The tricolors will have to adapt. Although, if everything is going well, it will be up to the Georgians to adapt …
Finland is waiting for the Blues
In any case, a trail outing would give birth to great regrets. Immense. The prospect of an impossible quarter -final against Nikola Jokic Serbia flew on Saturday. Finland has indeed lying the big Serbian favorites (92-86). Not spared by bad fate, with all these absent from the start, the plans of Matthew Strazel and Vincent Poirier in preparation and then Alex Sarr, during the competition, the Blues may see the basketball gods spoil them a little more. Élie Okobo and company would do well to count only on them, their game, their identity, their efforts, by putting all the ingredients on the prosecution and leaving this story of favorite to journalists and supporters. No regret.
