[ad_1]
As the Citadele King Mindaugas Cup (KMT) quarter-finals take place, fans and the entire basketball community face perhaps the most persistent showdown ever: on Wednesday, for the fifth year in a row, teams Vilnius Rytas and Utena Juventus they will enter the first duel.
Over the past four years, Rytas and Juventus’s matches at the KMT tournament have turned into something of a new Lithuanian basketball derby: because they entered the final four, teams from Vilnius and Utena often fight to the last seconds, and it’s getting harder and harder to pinpoint brilliant favorites for fans and experts.
“We would have already welcomed ‘Žalgiris” better, said Utena team coach Žydrūnas Urbonas, with a smile but a bit of sadness this year after the draw ceremony.
Both teams in this 2020-2021. The season runs into difficulties and survives a wavy period of play. Both Rytas and Juventus did not prevent the COVID-19 coronavirus cases, the team ranks were reduced and recurring injuries, as well as the training process was marred by unplanned departures of legionaries.
Due to the rather difficult season, the players of “Ryto” and “Juventus” face this two-game showdown as a really serious challenge – no basketball player wanted to promise much to the fans, but all emphasized that the most important thing in this type Of “derby” is to offer an adequate and persistent treatment. March.
“We are preparing for a difficult match. Despite the spells, despite the fact that once we play with the same opponent, it is never easy in Utena. There, the team plays especially well in the home arena: the matches are tense and physical. We are preparing for such a persistent duel “, said the captain of the capital team, LKL.lt Arnas Butkevičius.
“We will try to give 110 percent of our energy. At least when it comes to energy and fighting, it has to be the maximum,” said the Juventus captain. Marius runkauskas.
The teams’ first showdown will take place in Utena on Wednesday, but the participant of the four finalists will only be announced on January 16, when the team will go head-to-head for the second time in Vilnius. Regarding the significance of the two games, the Ryto and Juventus players expressed different opinions.
“It just came to our notice then. We have to make a maximum in the first game. That’s what we want to do: we go to Utena for the win. We are not thinking about dominance or anything else, we are only focused on victory in Utena.
So the spells already mean that we meet all the time, but I personally don’t emphasize that, I just look at the stage that needs to be crossed. Without a doubt, I think we will cross this stage again, ”said the Rytas defender before the trip to Utena. Girdžiūnas Mindaugas.
“In those games, it is important not to burn out, not to rush, because there are two games, not everything will be resolved in the first duel, you have to look forward,” in turn, assured team captain Utena M.Runkauskas.
Juventus forward Žygimantas Skučas As he awaited Wednesday’s match, he recalled the last two matches of this season and assured that it was an easy ride for Vilnius residents; According to the basketball player himself, such a scenario simply cannot be allowed to come true.
The basketball player revealed that the Juventus team itself this season does not look the way it could really look and promised one to the fans before the start of the KMT quarterfinals – it’s a mighty fight.
“Everything happens. In the last match, we seemed very weak fighting against them. But we cannot afford to wait for an easy match, it will not be easy, I don’t know how it will happen, but I can promise the fans that we will fight.
First of all, we must not get lost, but we have lost ourselves five times this season and then we have found each other again. We have to look at ourselves, we have to get back to rhythm. The opponent plays very wavy, but we have similar problems. In a duel like this, you just have to fight, there isn’t much left. I don’t know how it will end, but I can promise a fight, “taught Ž. Skučas.
The captain of “Rytas” A. Butkevičius admitted during the duel in Utena – one of the biggest problems for the team this season is defense. That is exactly what the coach of the capital’s team Donaldas Kairys highlighted during the training before the trip to the territory of the rivals.
“The exclamation mark is placed on our defense. We study their strengths, combinations, see what we can offer in defense. And of course we continue with our plans for a quick attack. But it all starts with defense,” said A. Butkevičius with trust.
The first KMT quarter-final match between Rytas and Juventus will take place in Utena on Wednesday. The match starts at 6.30 pm.
Help us create good content: become a sponsor of Krepsinis.net >>
[ad_2]
