Author: Monojit Mandal
The participants in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Brazil – Latvia match (84:104) continue to share their emotions after the fight. Of course, they differ radically in the emotional component.
Aleksandar Petrovic, head coach of Brazil (in 2017-2021): “This result is deeply disappointing for us.” We started the event with high expectations, hoping to go even further, but we came up against a difficult and very determined opponent. In every aspect of the game, Latvia outplayed us. Their exceptional shooting, better rebounding and incredible number of assists left us with no choice but to agree.”
Marcelinho Huertas, Brazil player: “Our team is full of sadness and frustration. We had a genuine opportunity to move forward, but our performance fell short of our expectations. We made too many mistakes, allowing our opponents to feel at ease on the court. Latvia played with more energy and ferocity, showing more desire to win. This incident taught us a valuable lesson.”
Anderson Varejao, Brazil’s forward, expressed his discouragement, saying: “We are deeply disappointed with our own performance. We didn’t play with the same zeal and intensity that we had in previous games. We let Latvia set the speed and flow of the game. They showed greater concentration and confidence in the team, while we were disconnected individually.”
Martins Laksa, Latvian player: “We are very happy and immensely proud of our team’s achievements today. On the court, our players showed incredible heart and relentless intensity. We were well aware of Brazil’s difficult reputation, but the execution of our game plan was fantastic. We shared the ball well, we were tenacious in defense and our shots were lethal.”
Andrejs Grazulis, Latvia’s towering forward, expressed his joy by saying: “This game was a dream come true for us. I think our excellent performance surprised everyone, even ourselves. We played with confidence and an unwavering desire to make history for our country and we succeeded. I’m very happy for my teammates and for all the dedicated Latvian fans who supported us throughout the game.”
FIBA’s official website summed up Latvia’s incredible journey, writing: “Latvia’s Cinderella story continues to captivate the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Despite missing their greatest player, Kristaps Porzingis, Latvia exceeded all expectations and reached the quarter-finals.“