Alemán blew a chance to beat candidate Español

Tonight Deportivo Alemán Concepción lost a game receiving Español Talca in the Hills of San Pedro, after a big start, false start, wrong start and bad ending.

Alemán and CD UDECONCE, both from Concepción, play their first two games after a delayed first week on Group A of Liga Nacional "Movistar" 2010. Both are facing visitors Español and Osorno Básquet on consecutive days.

Alemán vs Español

Alemán is a regular team, with hard defense and fast offensive, but low. Español is a new team, has two and tall US Americans: Cedric and Brandon Crawford (not related). Alemán has one foreing player: Antony Bishop, US American requesting Chilean nationality.

Alemán started a great First Quarter, but Español was choosing bad shots, the only decent scorer was Cedric Crawford, with his signature above-the head smooth jump shot. Alemán had some absences, Español was complete, but non cohesive: turnovers, bad shots, even when they caught many offensive rebounds, second chance points were elusive. Nothing was working, but then by the end of the quarter Español found a team play and leveled the scoreboard: Alemán 16-16 Español.

Nevertheless, Second Quarter was more of the same, Alemán always above in the scoreboard, rotating the players, but Español is a team in formation, so few substitutions and few fouls, a clean game, but that was about to change. Bishop was lazy, offensive and deffensively; it was a low scoring, low quality end of the half, a little distance for the home team: Alemán 16-11 Español (32-26). Top scorers: Rivas (10), Cedric (9).

Everything was about to change.

On third quarter, the game started to heat. The referees were lazy too, so on some hard plays they looked the other way, and despite counting under the penalty fouls, there were many uncalled. Español started to short the distance, having a couple of ties, and finally raising above, causing booing and complaints from the local fans and the players and the coaches. Brandon managed to find the net, and the offensive rebounds, Cedric was playing both sides according to expected, and there were some bad substitutions, like injured José Luis Campos (best player on the roster) and Acuña on the visitor. Español climbed up to a 6-point lead that Alemán only could stop to grow. Partial: 17-25 (49-51).

It was to be the largest difference but still enough to win a game.

That lead us to the Fourth Quarter. It was an intense quarter, experienced Samuel and Francisco Bravo, Franco and Nick Morales brothers, started to annoy the referees, even the fans, causing worst calls, and the upsetting of everybody. Cedric started with four fouls, replaced by Fuentes. The lead was no more than 3 point always to Español, turnovers, fouls, low free throw percentage, it was mediocre. When Alemán tied, again Español got the advantage by 6, and then two three-pointers by Rivas (by far the top scorer) leveled it again. The game-definer was a doubtful defensive foul called on Alemán, which caused an arguing fight involving Cedric, that again was doubtedly called double-foul on him (his fifth), plus another technical foul on him on the bench (should be an ejection and a suspension). Alemán could not score FREE THROWS but Español could. Also the last minute, Alemán could not foul the ball bearer to stop the clock and it was a win. A lack of experience on close games from Alemán, that always had Rodolfo Cáceres Jr. to score the deciding three. 63-66 (14-15).

I interviewed Cedric, Cáceres and Lavín.

Cedric: He noticed that could play all positions. I told him I knew the kind of player he was, and agreed having good percentage shots, a signature shot, a clean play. But then he said smiling that he commited two technical fouls by fighting a player and shouting to the referee. He knew and played against both teams.
Cáceres: He felt the absence of the injured players, a lack of resources that was supplied by the Regional Government, and that their goal is to qualify best third, having no chance against Español and UDECONCE. Informed that Cáceres Jr. is out for three weeks (surgery), and José Luis Campos need to recover his mood to return to the field after an injury.
Lavín: He thinks Español need A LOT, more of everything: more games, bench, experience, best selection of shots, and so on. Before the game he said he wanted to win BOTH games, won the first, it was hard, but Saturday comes the game against UDECONCE. Lavín expects to get the experience, but this is a really short season: until November first, so it should be accompanied by qualifying at he top of -he said- the hardest Group on the League. Otherwise, have to prepare to the new League starting first half of next year. He also thinks this League need quality referees starting with one that tonight was visibly overweight.

LIVE Stats:
http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/8333/02/03/27/87OcxAlgPdrE/

Game stats:
http://goo.gl/PkZN

Rodrigo "AlleyGator" Hunrichse
20101016.