Βy Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Coach Sergio Scariolo and Spain has to settle for bronze, however the fact that so far Spain is considered the main opponent of USA in the international stage, it’s more than giving credit to the Spaniards.
As Scariolo said: “I just think it’s rewarding that there’s a rivalry. USA deserved to win and I wish them good luck in the final. I am proud of the effort of my players. If we were at club level, we faced an opponent with a budget fifty times bigger and competed until the end”.
For the bronze medal game, he added: “It’s a defeat and it’s painful but we must move forward. The key was their size and athleticism. We should be optimistic for Sunday. We came to win a medal and we are a unit. We must bounce back to return to the fight”.
When asked about the difference between USA and Spain, Scariolo concluded: “I do not know if we were so close on any other occasion. I remember London 2012 and the final difference was greater, but during the game it was a fight. We didn’t let them have anything easy. The gap is large but we have to be positive and accept it as it is”.