BROWN BECOMES A DOCTOR
Party madness. It had been a long time since I had seen a duel with so many, and so bulky, alternations on the scoreboard. Such a good point, Spain was able to endorse a 10-0 to the Germans, immediately after receiving an unfavorable 0-12. A very showy and spectacular match, in which Scariolo’s men proved to be in a very good dynamic and, above all, they have a more collective game than their rivals.
But, at the moment of truth, in matches of these characteristics it is quite common for a leader to appear who assumes responsibility when it comes to scoring. As almost always, this role was destined for Brown. For much of the game, it was Schroder who ruled the pace of the game. But, step by step, Brown was taking center stage, to finish, when he played, being the benchmark of his own and risking all the important possessions. And the older Brown got, the smaller Schroder got.
His 29 points, out of 91 total, and 6 assists, were key to taking the team to the grand final. A trajectory that, I think, that not even the most optimistic, before the tournament began, could imagine. A final, without a doubt, well deserved.
THE TRIUMPH OF THE COLLECTIVE
The selection knows that it will always have its opportunity. He has learned to suffer when things go wrong, aware that, from the defense and his aggressiveness, they will be able to turn the negative dynamic around. The Germans ran out of gas when Schroder was melted by exhaustion and the fierce Spanish defense.
In those decisive moments, neither Obst nor Wagner picked up the baton, and the German team stopped working. On the other hand, on the Spanish side, in addition to Brown’s stratospheric performance, there were always several pieces ready to add to the scoreboard. The Hernangómez brothers, Díaz, also full of defense, Brizuela, López Aróstegui or Rudy himself, had their minutes of prominence.
It was group work, against a more individualistic game from the Germans. This quality of the Spanish team is what should help them to face a rival as qualified as the French team. A team full of ”stars”, but that often suffers from a certain anarchy. In a final there is no favouritism. And Scariolo knows that he has a great opportunity for him. Take a title for which, a priori, nobody bet.