MADRID, 10 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Under-17 team will fight this Sunday to win the World Cup, which is being held in Andalusia, after beating France this Saturday (68-53), and will seek the great world center against the undisputed United States.
It was difficult for Spain to enter the match (1-8) and it was not until minute 5 when the team recovered its essence on the court. Center Aday Mara had an impact on both attack and defense and with a run of 8-4 they settled scores (12-9).
Conrad Martínez took over from Mara and with his presence on court he ended up revolutionizing the Spanish game. His contribution in scoring, added to that of Lucas Langarita allowed Spain to take the lead after 12 minutes of play (19-20).
The biggest advantage for the Spaniards so far (26-21) came thanks to defensive intensity and rebounding superiority, but France did not disconnect and tied the match with a 5-0 run. The pulse between both teams lasted until the end of the second quarter, with a minimal advantage for the locals (32-30).
After the break, equality prevailed in the match, but the French took the lead to reverse the score (46-48) at the end of the third period. With this tight scoreboard, a final period was entered that continued with that tug-of-war until the middle of the fourth.
The Spanish team changed completely with a tremendous partial 3-15, thanks to the solidity of Martín Carpena under the hoops. Álvaro Folgueiras was also strong on the rebound to cut France’s second options and thus get the long-awaited ticket to the final (68-53).
Now, Javi Zamora’s men will fight on Sunday night against the United States (9:00 p.m.) in a match that will decide the next winner of the U-17 World Cup in Andalusia.