2024-09-25
The Season 100 World Cup has concluded with thrilling matchups, surprising outcomes, and inspiring performances from all the national teams. Spain emerged as the new World Champions, narrowly defeating China in an intense final with a 75-73 victory.
Final Standings:
Spain
China
Lithuania
Taiwan
Argentina
Latvia
Poland
Hong Kong
Czechia
Canada
Finals Recap:
Spain 75 - 73 China
In the tightly contested final, Spain faced off against China in a match that had fans on the edge of their seats until the last second. Both teams battled ferociously on both ends of the court, but Spain managed to secure a narrow victory thanks to their resilience in the closing moments. Spain's coach, Cesarrr, praised his team for their grit and determination, acknowledging how tough China’s defense was to overcome. Despite the victory, Cesarrr humbly admitted that China had the upper hand in many aspects and might have won in most other scenarios.
“China’s defense is out of this world, and scoring points was a nightmare. We were lucky to pull off the win in this one. If we played 10 more games, China would win nine. Thanks to many people that have contributed in this win like txetx, hollemback, usandizaga, Dan Titan, Jona, javierovic, villarato, Joan Badaloni, Rober or Juan Andrés, all them always supprting! Season 100 has been the Spanish season!” said Cesarrr.
Third Place Game:
Lithuania 77 - 64 Taiwan
Lithuania managed to bounce back from their heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Spain by securing a solid win against Taiwan. Lithuanian coach Kipras_Justas reflected on their performance, noting the disappointment of letting a semi-final lead slip but finding some consolation in winning bronze. Despite losing one of their key players, O. Jurgilas (225cm, 346 RT), to poor form just before the semi-final, they executed their game plan well in the third-place match.
“We blew a huge lead in the semis, and it’s something I’ll take responsibility for, but winning the bronze was important for us to finish strong,” said Kipras_Justas.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's coach Haley shared insights into the tournament journey, noting how the team advanced through the rounds, performing admirably despite facing challenges. Taiwan displayed a solid performance, especially in their quarterfinal victory over Argentina.
"We saw our potential shine, especially during our strong win against Argentina. Though we faced struggles in the paint against China and fell short in the third-place game, our players fought hard and showed tremendous spirit. We're proud of how far we've come," said Haley, reflecting on Taiwan’s valiant effort throughout the tournament.
Poland’s tournament hopes were dampened by a sudden loss of form from their star player, Milek Black (196cm, 352RT), who struggled in the final stages. Coach Berbelucha reflected on the disappointment of missing out on the top spots but remained hopeful for the future.
“It was tough losing our key player in such a crucial phase, but we gave it our best shot. We’ll come back stronger,” said Berbelucha.
Hong Kong finished in 8th place after a roller-coaster tournament. Coach fanling3 was pleased with their effort but emphasized the need for more investment in local basketball development to compete at a higher level.
“Despite the performance not reaching an excellent standard, the final result is deemed acceptable. There is evident potential for advancement, particularly with the introduction of a more proficient Hong Kong coach” remarked fanling3.
Ranked 20th at the start of the tournament, Canada defied the odds to finish in the top 10. Coach lunaro was thrilled with his young squad’s performance, highlighting their potential for future tournaments.
“We weren’t expected to finish this high, but our young guys stepped up and proved they belong on this stage,” said lunaro.
Conclusion:
Season 100’s World Cup was a showcase of resilience, tactical mastery, and up-and-coming basketball talent from across the globe. Spain’s first-ever title will go down in history as one of the most hard-earned championships, while China, Lithuania, and other nations showed they are more than capable of competing at the highest level. As the tournament concludes, we already look forward to the upcoming youth competitions this season!...
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