By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Day 1 of the second stage of the World Cup Qualifiers was completed Friday (14/9) and in a manner similar to Thursday’s games there were some major upsets in store.
The victory of Ukraine against previously undefeated Spain stands out as one of the day’s surprises while Croatia’s loss at home to Lithuania also can be considered as such given how much important this game was for the hosts. Also, speaking of road wins, Hungary also pulled off a great performance to beat the Netherlands.
When it comes to home teams, Latvia and Turkey let their superior quality do the talking against Slovenia and Montenegro respectively. Such was also the case for Italy vs. Poland.
Let’s take a look at the players who were protagonists for their teams in these results.
Svi Mykhailiuk (Ukraine)
Spain came into Round 2 with a perfect 6 – 0 record and looked pretty much ready to extend it. “No way,” said Svi Mykhailiuk. In his return to the Ukrainian national team, the new L.A.Lakers forward delivered 22 points, five steals, three rebounds, and three assists to put a “stop” to the run of the Spanish side and bring a win to his squad that shakes things a bit in Group I.
Amedeo Della Valle (Italy)
While he wasn’t present in the national team’s training camp mainly due to physical recovery reasons, Amedeo Della Valle looked absolutely locked and loaded vs. Poland: 8 (out of 111) threes for 28 points plus three rebounds that resulted to a victory for the “Azzurri.”
David Vojvoda (Hungary)
Hungary will lack its major star, Barcelona swingman Adam Hanga, in the Qualifiers so it’s up to the rest of the players to make that extra jump on their performance. David Vojvoda absolutely responded to the call with 23 points and three assists in a road win over the Netherlands that keeps his team alive in the hunt for a World Cup ticket.
Cedi Osman (Turkey)
Games like this one are what establish Cedi Osman as the face of a potentially bright future for the Turkish national team. In the victory against Montenegro, the Cavs wing was everywhere on the court with 18 points, six rebounds and three steals for the “12 Giant Men.”
Ersan Ilyasova (Turkey)
It took Ersan Ilyasova less than 20 minutes to provide a valuable helping touch as he and his teammates beat Montenegro. 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists in what looked like another day at the office for the veteran forward.
Janis Strelnieks (Latvia)
Perhaps the most top player not only for Latvia but generally in the World Cup Qualifiers of June-July, Janis Strelnieks was once again the motor that ran his team’s offensive engine at full speed. He scored for himself (18 points) and helped his teammates do the same (10 assists) as Latvia defeated Slovenia to remain within the qualification zone in Group I.