Women’s national team reaches final again: gold at stake against Ukraine
The boys collapse against Poland, goodbye Defalympics
Reconfirming yourself is always much more complicated than winning for the first time. Therefore, having regained the European final, four years after the triumph in Pescara, is already a great achievement for the deaf women’s national team who will play for gold tomorrow against Ukraine “But be careful, because the Ukrainian women are not the same as we beat on the occasion of the two bronze medals won years ago – warns Director Beatrice Terenzi -: the roster has been rejuvenated and the technical staff has also changed”.
In the semi-final Cascio and her teammates broke Lithuania’s resistance after an exhausting melee, which ended 66-55. But 2′ from the bell the game was still wide open, with the Italians ahead 55-52. If there is one merit of coach Braida and Franzese’s girls in this match, it was that they never let themselves be overcome, maintaining – albeit with difficulty – the inertia of the match. The Lithuanians reached -1 several times but each time Italy found the power to push them back. The scratches that hurt the opponents the most came from Sorrentino, a tiger capable of classy plays even under pressure (20 points with 8/9 from the field), then here was the ‘ignorant’ triple from Giulia Sautariello who, one minute from the end credits aired (60-52). But previously, when the ball didn’t want to enter, an unprecedented Valentina Todeschini rose to prominence to keep the Italian team afloat with 8 points (3/4 shooting and 2/2 from the line) and therefore the ‘ringworm’ by Noemi Viana who with rebounds (6 won in just 21′) gave the team the solidity that they had lacked until then, resulting in the second half being the turning point of the match. The honor of arms to the Lithuanians, a team that has good hands and character and never gave up until the final hits, making the head coach Beatrice Terenzi proud for winning this final: “But now we are not satisfied and we will try to go to the end also because it would be a historical fact and we like to enter the annals to change them, as we have done so far – recalls the Italian technical director -. I thank captain Simona Cascio, with us from the beginning, since that distant 2011 when it all began. But at this moment I cannot forget those who, together with the FSSI, allowed us to be here: from the Ranocchi family, to the BCC and the Severi Foundation. I am pleased for the staff, in which the physiotherapist Monica Montanucci has returned after the experience of the 2017 Deaflympics. And of course thanks to the staff, who are doing a great job: Sara Braida and Giovanna Franzese are on their third medal. Tomorrow we will find out what metal it will be made of.”
Much regret, however, for the men’s national team: Tumidei’s boys were overwhelmed in the quarterfinals by Poland (108-65): with this defeat the dream of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics faded. The 5th place, however, could be useful for a possible repechage, so now we must not give up.
Tags: basketball pesaro sport
