The World Basketball Championship in China (31.8 - 15.9.) is running and the FCBB are represented by five players: Captain Danilo Barthel, Maodo Lo and Paul Zipser will fight for their first win against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday (10:30 MagentaSport live), while their new teammate Mathias Lessort (France) is hoping for his first minutes . Valdimir Lucic with Serbia is practically already in the next round after two resounding victories.
Here are some impressions of the tournament from German National player, Paul Zipser:
Hello everyone,
I was really looking forward to the first game against France and when the national anthem was playing, I just enjoyed that moment. Then I sang along and could think of nothing else, but soaking up the atmosphere. The atmosphere in the hall was also great and very balanced and it was full as you can tell the Chinese love good basketball.
But then the game started.
It was interesting from the first second on: We had good shots and didn't defend so badly, I think. But then only the others hit there shots and for minutes we don't hit at all; and then we didn't do a few things so well . . .
That's going to make everyone feel uncomfortable at some point.
It's not the first time we've started nervously into a tournament or an important game. But after THIS game we were just angry. The way we came back, it's clear to us that we should have beaten the French. With a normal start we would have won and I see that. Now we are only angry don't feel anything else afterwards and I would have liked to have had the next game against the Dominican Republic today on Monday.
Now for the second game. There are no more excuses, we know that, we have to win. We will. And why shouldn't we win against a really strong opponent later in the tournament?
Well, here's to a new game, we're in the tournament now and we're really going all-in tomorrow.
Many greetings from Shenzhen,
Yours,
Photo-Credits: Offermann, Kröger, FIBA World Cup
