At 9pm there is Cento, the goal is to raise the trophy but woe to underestimate the rivals. Deputy coach Finetti hammers: “Defense, defense”
UDINE. Apu Old Wild West, it’s your chance. From today to Sunday in Lignano Sabbiadoro the Supercoppa Final Eight is staged, and for the bianconeri there is a mission to fulfill: to move from the dimension of an ambitious and competitive team to that of a winning team. Many investments made from 2016 (year of promotion in A2) to today finally deserve a trophy, especially if you play a stone’s throw from home.
The opponent of the quarter-finals, today at 9 pm at the Bella Italia Efa Village sports hall, is the Tramec Cento, which returns to Friuli three weeks after the Pajetta Memorial. At the time the Emilians made the proverbial seven shirts suffer in Udine, which however came to the head of the puzzle in the final. On a technical level, the forecast hangs decidedly in favor of the APU, but watch out for the enthusiasm of a Tramec capable of making a full booty in the Emilia-Romagna group. The former on duty is the Friulian doc Giacomo Zilli, Juventus in 2019/20.
On the eve of the quarter-final match the assistant coach Carlo Finetti spoke: «Cento is a tough opponent, whom we managed to overcome at the Memorial Pajetta thanks to an important defensive hold. Last year this was already a fundamental aspect, but this season, thanks also to the characteristics of the new additions that allow us to run more in the open field, it becomes even more important to generate points that arise from our defense ».
Marco Giuri follows: «We must try to play a solid game from a defensive point of view, because they have the ability to pass the ball very well and arrive at a built and open shot, within twenty-four seconds. Our task will be to avoid trivial turnovers, build good shots and slow down their pace ». Apu with eleven men on the scoresheet: the ten seniors (with Lautier instead of Lacey) and the under Pieri.
This year’s Final Eight, unlike past seasons, sees among the magnificent eight many outsiders qualified by surprise at the end of the first phase. The scoreboard seems to be made on purpose to find Udine in the final, which we can define as the home team, and Scafati, who instead is the holder of the trophy. Not a secondary detail: they are the two teams with the richest roster in terms of quality and depth, and the long bench is an important weapon in a competition that will squeeze every energy with three games in three days.
Udine-Cento will be broadcast in live streaming at 9pm on LnpPass for specific season ticket holders. Match delayed at 11pm on Telefriuli.