Apologies for the delay in posting this blog, the late game (and a few other things) made it difficult to post last night, so here it is.
We essentially had the morning off, as we had a late game, and therefore, a late training. We did have a brief team meeting during the morning, where we discussed our plans for the day. When training finally rolled around, it was at a new training venue for us, a little further away from our hotel than our previous training venue. Training was short, sharp and shiny, with a focus on shooting under pressure, and just trying to stay loose. Training was short, as we had to race off for an early dinner, in order to be able to eat before we had to catch the bus to the game. Once dinner was complete, just a couple of hours after lunch, we caught the bus to our match against Russia.
Once again, we arrived at the match extremely early, thanks to the bus schedule. Being able to watch the match before us was a novel experience, as we had gotten a bit used to being the first match of the day. The match was obviously a big one for us, with the opportunity to finish in the top 8 for the tournament if we won. Unfortunately, this did not come to pass, losing 28-36. This is very disappointing, but there is not always much that can be done when two opposition players start shooting from the proverbial. Our focus now has to shift towards our cross-over matches and the finals, and we have to try and finish as high as possible. Finishing 9th is still a real possibility, and we will do everything in our power to make that happen.
Today is a rest day for the entire tournament, and we are planning on heading out into Antwerp proper before too long to do some sightseeing and shopping, as well as unwind after last night. Once the cross-over pools and times are finalised, all the match info will be available on the National Teams page, which includes live streams. For everything else, remember to keep checking the Facebook page to keep up to date.
Didn’t get the win but played a gutsy game. Did us proud!
It was real fun to watch the game online. Lots of goals, and these two Russian players were amazing shooters. Have fun in Antwerp and on to postion 9! Good luck!
Good to see, enjoy the game from an older ex oz korfballer