urunobili
07-21-2008, 10:03 AM
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1031699
It is very tough, but we are going to try to repeat, by Manu
Just a couple of hours left to begin the tour before the games. Today we are leaving to Spain and things progressively take more importance. For the group, that gets better as the games pass by, for me too that the injury in my ankle is being left behind
The team is constantly growing but truth is that yesterday’s performance against Mexico, wasn’t very good. We won (92-74), but not playing very well. It’s understandable though, apart from the team not being all available; we played after two weeks physically tough and challenging and also close to the moment of saying goodbye to our family’s before our tour in Europe. In the debut against Poland in Rosario, we had a hard time too, but we got better against Mexico in Buenos Aires and we did a great job vs. Uruguay on Super 4’s tournament final.
Maybe the most important thing is that our training sessions were really good, very intense and allowed us to add new stuff. They were not as useful as we could have hoped because many of us were not there; Delfino didn’t have a club yet; Gutierrez and Oberto with some minimal stuff on their legs my thing and lately “Chuzo” Gonzalez that wasn’t able to play against the Mexicans. Those are things that have a toll on the team. That’s why I say we couldn’t explode to the maximum these days. It would have been helpful to play all together; by example, I have never played with Paolo Quinteros neither with Roman. But we have seven or eight matches very important to start shaping ourselves as a team.
The group is doing awesome. Under these conditions it worked really well and we are satisfied with what has been done. The “Non Olympics” team members integrated easily and everybody gets along among us. The only bad thing, as always, is the last player to get cut. It may have been a tough decision for “Oveja” Hernandez, because Gianella and Porta are both great players. Antonio did the team because he is someone he trusts and he made it to recover from a knee ACL surgery and because he didn’t know Gianella THAT well. IT wasn’t a moment to take chances with a player he didn’t know a whole lot, and if Porta was 100% there wouldn’t have been any doubt, he is very dependable.
Now every body is asking about my ankle… it’s going great! I am forcing it a little more, I played a couple of scrimmage games, and nevertheless I get tired fast and I am a little weak in my legs, my athletic condition is better. I prefer a thousand times to be behind physically than in health. If you train hard, you make it.
I know you would also like to know what Gregg Popovich said about all this. He is given a daily report. I never told him that I was going to the games really. And he is a little mistrusting right now, but we told ourselves we would be honest and would tell the truth, if there was no pain I was going to Beijing…
Today it’s my 10th birthday with the national team. I didn’t remember the date, but I do remember that it was at Madison Square Garden in New York, for the good will games. It was a great moment for me, I was almost 21. I made my debut with Pepe Sanchez, Fabri, Colo, Puma… Nobody thought that 4 years later we would be vice world champs and six later Olympic champions and a candidate. The balance can’t be other than positive even beyond the results. The friendships, the experiences and stories that have a fire mark in me and when I am 60 years old will be the first things I will remember.
In Rosario, Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata we felt loved and respected by the people. I feel that I am owing something as I wasn’t able to play. But the gamble is way bigger, because the real objective is the 10th of August. Although, to be honest, I still feel far because I am yet to play a game. I haven’t had that pre game chill; I have been thinking in my health only. It is possible that next Tuesday I play some minutes against Spain. The idea is to start incrementing my playing time till I reach my usual 30 minutes. What am I going to do after the games? I don’t like to be ahead of myself. After Japan’s 2006 world cup I didn’t have a decision made and I don’t have one now either. As I didn’t play last year’s pre Olympic in Las Vegas, I wanted to be on the Olympics. And later I’ll make my mind. I go tournament by tournament.
Finishing, I would like to thank all the people for the affection that was given to us on every city and for the constant support. We are going to try to repeat what we did in Athens. It will be a very tough task and we cannot guarantee a medal, but our impromptu will be left, team play, solidarity and maximum effort. We will leave the country well positioned.
By Manu
It is very tough, but we are going to try to repeat, by Manu
Just a couple of hours left to begin the tour before the games. Today we are leaving to Spain and things progressively take more importance. For the group, that gets better as the games pass by, for me too that the injury in my ankle is being left behind
The team is constantly growing but truth is that yesterday’s performance against Mexico, wasn’t very good. We won (92-74), but not playing very well. It’s understandable though, apart from the team not being all available; we played after two weeks physically tough and challenging and also close to the moment of saying goodbye to our family’s before our tour in Europe. In the debut against Poland in Rosario, we had a hard time too, but we got better against Mexico in Buenos Aires and we did a great job vs. Uruguay on Super 4’s tournament final.
Maybe the most important thing is that our training sessions were really good, very intense and allowed us to add new stuff. They were not as useful as we could have hoped because many of us were not there; Delfino didn’t have a club yet; Gutierrez and Oberto with some minimal stuff on their legs my thing and lately “Chuzo” Gonzalez that wasn’t able to play against the Mexicans. Those are things that have a toll on the team. That’s why I say we couldn’t explode to the maximum these days. It would have been helpful to play all together; by example, I have never played with Paolo Quinteros neither with Roman. But we have seven or eight matches very important to start shaping ourselves as a team.
The group is doing awesome. Under these conditions it worked really well and we are satisfied with what has been done. The “Non Olympics” team members integrated easily and everybody gets along among us. The only bad thing, as always, is the last player to get cut. It may have been a tough decision for “Oveja” Hernandez, because Gianella and Porta are both great players. Antonio did the team because he is someone he trusts and he made it to recover from a knee ACL surgery and because he didn’t know Gianella THAT well. IT wasn’t a moment to take chances with a player he didn’t know a whole lot, and if Porta was 100% there wouldn’t have been any doubt, he is very dependable.
Now every body is asking about my ankle… it’s going great! I am forcing it a little more, I played a couple of scrimmage games, and nevertheless I get tired fast and I am a little weak in my legs, my athletic condition is better. I prefer a thousand times to be behind physically than in health. If you train hard, you make it.
I know you would also like to know what Gregg Popovich said about all this. He is given a daily report. I never told him that I was going to the games really. And he is a little mistrusting right now, but we told ourselves we would be honest and would tell the truth, if there was no pain I was going to Beijing…
Today it’s my 10th birthday with the national team. I didn’t remember the date, but I do remember that it was at Madison Square Garden in New York, for the good will games. It was a great moment for me, I was almost 21. I made my debut with Pepe Sanchez, Fabri, Colo, Puma… Nobody thought that 4 years later we would be vice world champs and six later Olympic champions and a candidate. The balance can’t be other than positive even beyond the results. The friendships, the experiences and stories that have a fire mark in me and when I am 60 years old will be the first things I will remember.
In Rosario, Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata we felt loved and respected by the people. I feel that I am owing something as I wasn’t able to play. But the gamble is way bigger, because the real objective is the 10th of August. Although, to be honest, I still feel far because I am yet to play a game. I haven’t had that pre game chill; I have been thinking in my health only. It is possible that next Tuesday I play some minutes against Spain. The idea is to start incrementing my playing time till I reach my usual 30 minutes. What am I going to do after the games? I don’t like to be ahead of myself. After Japan’s 2006 world cup I didn’t have a decision made and I don’t have one now either. As I didn’t play last year’s pre Olympic in Las Vegas, I wanted to be on the Olympics. And later I’ll make my mind. I go tournament by tournament.
Finishing, I would like to thank all the people for the affection that was given to us on every city and for the constant support. We are going to try to repeat what we did in Athens. It will be a very tough task and we cannot guarantee a medal, but our impromptu will be left, team play, solidarity and maximum effort. We will leave the country well positioned.
By Manu