Joventut and Tenerife seek a historic final
BADALONA, 18 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Lenovo Tenerife and Club Joventut Badalona meet this Saturday (9:30 p.m.) at the Badalona Olímpic in a Copa del Rey semifinal that could be historic for both, as the people of Tenerife are looking for their first final and the ‘Penya’ can play again another final at home, as happened in the loss in 1985.
Badalona dreams of the final, of winning the Cup and breaking the jinx that says the host hasn’t won it for 21 years. In addition, the ‘Penya’ lost that only final played in Badalona against Real Madrid. Now, to access it, you need to win Lenovo Tenerife.
And the aurinegros, after winning the historic and unprecedented Canarian derby in the quarterfinals against Gran Canaria, want to continue writing pages in that history. The ‘high’ of his great victory against his rival, with a comfortable ending, can give them wings.
Of course, the euphoria will be shared, just like the fatigue and tension of being 40 minutes, except for extension, from a final. It would be the first for Tenerife, whose best performance in the Copa del Rey is 4 semifinals (with this one, five). And number 25 for the ‘Penya’, although the last final was in 2008, when they beat Baskonia in Vitoria.
A lot is at stake in an Olympic where the black-and-green fans will be the majority, but with fans from Tenerife who will fight to be heard. On the track, all open. And more so seeing the good first round of a Tenerife that, without so much pressure, seeks to give another pleasant surprise.
But the ‘Penya’, if they repeat the game script of a superb second half against a Baskonia that they completely annulled, will be close to ‘its’ end. It will be more difficult to carry it out than to think about it, so Carles Duran’s men should not trust themselves or think that winning Baskonia gives them the right to think about a final that Txus Vidorreta’s Tenerife yearns for, as much or more.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
LENOVO TENERIFE: Fitipaldo, Fernández, Doornekamp, Cook and Shermadini –possible starting five–; Abromaitis, Rodríguez, Huertas, Salin, Diagné and Guerra.
JOVENTUT BADALONA: Vives, Guy, Parra, Brodziansky and Tomic –possible starting five–; Ellenson, Happy, Birgander, Busquets, Ribas and Ventura.
— PAVILION: Badalona Olympic.
–TIME: 21.30/#Let’s go.