Beijing (AFP)

Coach Vincent Collet regretted that the French basketball players have "not shown their true face" in the defeat against Argentina, 80 to 66, Friday in Beijing in the semifinals of the World Cup.

Q: What are your feelings? Do you feel that you have not put the right ingredients right from the start?

A: "It's a big disappointment, I said in the pre-match briefing that the most aggressive team is often the one that wins, but unfortunately it was not us. defensive pressure when we usually imposed it on our opponents It was a very bad signal and we had a recurring clumsiness, even on free throws (13 out of 25). It was difficult to find rhythm and even sometimes to get the ball in. They had been warned, but prevention is not enough.It is in the action that one discovers the reality.It would have been necessary to adapt and one does not What I regret the most tonight is that we did not show our true face, we lost by not being quite ourselves. "

Q: What speech will you make after this match?

A: "You have to bounce back, I've already talked to them in the locker room, I think they've done a very good competition so far, we still have the ability to get a medal on Sunday and we have to play it on It's going to be very hard, the Australians have often finished fourth so they'll be very motivated, we did it five years ago, we have to try to do the same, they've already beaten us once ( Monday) It is also a very strong team, in a different register Our group has mental, it has already shown on several occasions.It will get together and get together again so we can fight on equal terms . "

Q: The fact of having only one day of rest against two to the Argentineans did he play?

A: "We ran out of money, the trips weighed and this day was less damaging.They traveled like us yesterday (Thursday) but they had rested the day before, I saw them at the hotel As we were preparing for the match against the Americans, without wanting to apologize, I think that was one of the factors that led to our being dominated by intensity and aggression. "

Interview collected in mixed zone.

© 2019 AFP