The most expensive toll on the windows: Yusta breaks the anterior crusader of the left knee

The forward, in his fifth match with Spain (defeat against Poland), was seriously injured and was several months off. After leaving Madrid, he was at his best.

• Chronicle
  

  Spain falls in the 'trap' of the windows: defeat against Poland and injury of Yusta
  

• Until the kitchen.
  

  12 o'clock, Cinderella, rang by Vicente Salaner
  

When Sebas Siz, the spectator closest to the terrible scene, put his hands to his head, a shiver ran through the almost 9,000 spectators who filled the Prince Felipe de Zaragoza. Santi Yusta had penetrated strongly, from the right and, in his clash with the chunky Adam Hrycaniuk, penalized with the lack of Polish, fell very badly. His left knee broke in the support and all alarms went off. The bad result against Poland, already at the beginning of a last quarter too uphill, began to do the same.

The result was known at night: as expected, rupture of the cruciate ligament of the left knee, many months off (from six to eight), the toll of this FIBA ​​window – of classification for the Eurobasket of 2021 – is discouraging. Santi, 22 years old, Real Madrid squad, taking off with Iberostar Tenerife, says goodbye to what was being a season to dream to be that important forward that always pointed. The player's parents and relatives, visibly worried at the stands, went down to inform themselves. And the medical team of the selection told them that Santi was going to be transferred to the Quirn Hospital in Zaragoza, where he will undergo further tests. They all ran away, with all the bad omen that comes with a bad look. The Torrejn de Ardoz had left the track with help, unable to support the knee.

Is better to wait. Touch wood so that it is not serious. We are sad for him, he reiterated, with little hope, Sergio Scariolo before knowing the outcome. It was the worst of the game. Every time a partner falls it is hard. They are actions where there is no control. It's a scare that can hurt your career, I send you a lot of encouragement, Siz explained. It has been hard, at the time we were trying to return (beginning of the last quarter). I have seen him that he has fallen sideways and his knee has gone. He has made a strange gesture and you expect the worst, concluded the pvot.

With a vast background in training categories (European gold '16 and sub'20), it was the fifth game as an absolute international for Yusta, who last season had debuted in the qualifying windows for the World Cup in China – this Sunday they delivered their commemorative medal as a recognition. It was not the most common to be enrolled in Real Madrid, where he played the Euroleague. This year, among other incentives in Tenerife, he was able to play with Spain, since his club plays the FIBA ​​Champions League, in this absurd framework so difficult to explain.

Brizuela, also injured

He faced this call from Scariolo with enthusiasm, as he explained in EL MUNDO a few days ago, in an interview prior to the Copa del Rey played in Mlaga. It is a challenge. With Real Madrid it was harder to go. I have struggled to be in the call. I am looking forward to doing well and fighting in the future for a place for the Olympic Games, I recognize after having conquered the Intercontinental Cup, where in the semifinals he made the game of his life: 31 points and seven rebounds (41 valuation) to the Italian Virtus.

It was not the only negative of the afternoon in Zaragoza. Beyond a defeat without excuses – we must recognize that they have been better, we must give them a bad mouth. They have killed us. Between losses and defensive dismissals, regardless of the success of Slaughter and that we have put some easy basket for the rest of the players, they have made it difficult for us. We have tried many things by varying the defense but they have not worked either – that, of course, does not complicate the classification for the 2021 continental tournament too much (three of four pass in the group and Spain won last Thursday in Romanian), also had to withdraw for lesin Daro Brizuela. The Unicaja escort sprained his left ankle and did not return to the track.