This Wednesday, as part of the second phase of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, Vincent Collet’s Blues host the Czech Republic at the Accor Arena in Bercy. With a big week to go before the start of the Euros, this penultimate test is a great opportunity to gain confidence and, for certain elements, to lock their spot in the final group.
Let’s talk regarding the Euro first.
“The upcoming matches, and in particular the one once morest the Czechs, will be a very big opposition. They are in place and we know them. It will be a good test for us before the Euro”. A little disappointed with the “sufficiency” of the Belgians last Thursday, Evan Fournier was already projecting towards the meeting of this Wednesday once morest the Czech Republic. A team present in group D of the Euro (Finland, Serbia, Poland, Netherlands and Israel) which counts as the most famous name a certain « Tomas Satoransky ». This selection orchestrated by Ronen Ginzburg since 2013 has a solid reputation. She has just come out of the DBB Supercup, a friendly tournament organized by Germany in Hamburg. There, the Czechs lost twice: 80 to 96 once morest Italy, and 90 to 101 once morest Germany. “Hey TrashTalk, you say that this Czech selection has a solid reputation, then you go on to present its last two defeats. It’s inconsistent, right? ». Firstly, Tomas Satoransky injured his right ankle in the third quarter once morest the Germans. He therefore did not play the match once morest Italy, and will normally be out tonight at Bercy. Two, we must not forget that Germany and Italy remain two engines which, failing to be able to envisage the final coronation, will play at the very top of the table. At the moment T, the Czechs simply cross their fingers for a return of Satoransky before the start of the official games. One of the four host countries without its leader, it wouldn’t give a damn.
GAME DAY ????
???? Czech Republic
???? Accor Arena, Paris
⏰ 20h30
???? @France4tv et @beinsports_FR 1
???? #WILDERS#TeamFranceBasket | #PassionatelyBlue pic.twitter.com/WcDjxwk7vG– French basketball teams (@FRABasketball) August 24, 2022
Among the players to watch, Vojtech Hruban of the London Lions slammed 21 points over the Germans. Also watch out for Jan Vesely, legendary pivot of Fenerbahçe and former Wizards – from 2011 to 2014 – who has just signed with FC Barcelona. From the top of his 2m13, he will be an excellent preparation opposition for Rudy Gobert and Vincent Poirier. For our Blues, this kind of physical presence is a bit what he missed in the warm-up matches in August: three defeats on Belgians, Italians and Dutch, as well as a shorter success, always once morest the Italians. It’s quite ironic to turn it this way, but the objective of this evening is absolutely not to slam 50 on Czechs who trot and accept – from the first alley-oop between Théo Maledon and Rudy Gobert – a defeat then written. But slamming 20 on a team that puts on the intensity, takes in its shots and refuses this “sufficiency” which annoys Evan Fournier, there we sign right away. Regarding the France group, William Howard – not retained by Vincent Collet – left to the applause of his teammates. Frank Ntilikina for his part withdrew due to “pains” which do not allow him to be “physically 100%”. At the same time, Andrew Albicy returned from injury. We therefore find ourselves with thirteen players, to which a fourteenth might be added. According to Boris Diaw, deputy general manager of the France team, a return of Moustapha Fall would be “considered” by the staff. Like Albicy, the interior had left the group several weeks ago. If he rejoins him, the France team would then have fourteen elements, two more than what the final list requires, the deadline for which is August 31. If you doubted the stakes of this meeting once morest the Czech Republic, now you no longer doubt.
But this match remains above all a qualifying window for the 2023 World Cup, right?
Yes, it is even the first meeting of the second group stage! The Blues finished top of Group E in the first round – ahead of Hungary, Montenegro and Portugal – and now find themselves in Group K, made up of Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro ( once more ) and Hungary ( once more). We are therefore starting over three windows for this new qualifying phase, in August and November 2022, as well as in February 2023. You must finish in the top three of the group to qualify definitively for the 2023 World Cup, which will be held in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.
One week before the start of the Euro, the role players take out the weapons: who of Isaïa Cordinier, Terry Tarpey, Amath M’Baye, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Andrew Albicy or perhaps Moustapha Fall, will eject from the Blues group just before the moment for which they all fought. Double challenge, our Blues must embark on this group K to take a first step towards the 2023 World Cup.
