The head coach of the Latvian men's basketball team, Sito Alonso, after the national team's victory in the qualifying match for the 2027 World Cup against Austria, noted that the foundation of success was good defense, LETA reports.
As previously reported, on Monday in a Group F match in Vienna, Latvia won with a score of 86:68 (20:24, 20:13, 29:17, 17:14), marking Alonso's first victory at the helm of the national team.
“Before the match, I was calm, and I am calm and happy about my first victory with the Latvian team now,” said the Spanish specialist, as quoted by the Latvian Basketball Union (LBS). “I am happy for the players – it’s not easy for them: a new start, new nuances. Moreover, they have to deal with a lot of pressure and responsibility for the result.”
According to Alonso, during the game, the team did not deviate from the plan, although at the beginning they allowed the opponents to score easy points in several episodes. During the break, attention was paid to various details, and improvements were made to the game.
“In basketball, there are unfortunate matches, bad decisions, and in such moments, it is important to maintain the identity of the team. I am pleased with how the team reacted,” Alonso said after the match. “In the first game, we lost, but we fought until the end. And today the defense was at a high level. If the defense works well, there is always a chance to achieve a turnaround and victory.”
Meanwhile, the new captain of the Latvian national team, Rihards Lomazs, who replaced the retired Dairis Bertans in this position, stated after the game that confidence in their abilities was present throughout the match.
“At the beginning, we missed a few shots, but you can’t win or lose a game in 20 minutes, so it was important to maintain aggression for all 40 minutes,” Lomazs said. “There were ups and downs, but we kept the pressure and made a decisive push in the second half. This victory is for you, Dairis!”
Lomazs, with 24 points, became the top scorer for the Latvian national team. Karlis Šiliņš scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds, and received five personal fouls. Marģers Šteinbergs added ten points, while Adrians Ančev, who was also praised by Alonso after the game, scored six points in his debut for the senior national team.
For the hosts, Bogic Vujosevic scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Marvin Ogunzipe added 17 points and six rebounds.
As previously reported, in the second match of the group on Monday in The Hague, the Netherlands lost to Poland with a score of 83:85 (28:22, 25:15, 17:21, 13:27).
After two rounds, Poland has two victories, while the Netherlands and Latvia each have one victory, and Austria has two losses.
The top three teams in Group F, retaining all match results, will join the top three leaders from Group E (Germany, Croatia, Israel, Cyprus) in the second stage. The top three teams will earn the right to participate in the final tournament of the World Cup in Qatar.
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