• Chronicle: Spain falls into the 'trap' of the windows: defeat against Poland and Yusta's injury
  • Until the kitchen. Was it 12 o'clock, Cinderella? By Vicente Salaner

When Sebas Sáiz , the spectator closest to the scene, put his hands to his head, a shiver went through the almost 9,000 spectators that filled Prince Felipe of Zaragoza. Santi Yusta had penetrated with force, from the right and, in his clash with the beefy Adam Hrycaniuk , penalized with the lack of the Polish, he fell very badly. His left knee broke in support and all alarms went off. The bad result against Poland, already at the beginning of a last quarter too uphill, began to give the same.

The result was known at night: as expected, rupture of the cruciate ligament of the left knee, many months low , the toll of this FIBA ​​window - qualifying for the Eurobasket of 2021 - is terrible. Santi, 22, a Real Madrid squad, taking off with Iberostar Tenerife, says goodbye to what was being a season to dream to be that important forward who always aimed. The player's parents and relatives, visibly worried at the stands, went down to inform themselves. And the medical team of the selection told them that Santi was going to be transferred to the Quirón Hospital in Zaragoza, where he would undergo further tests. They ran there, with all the bad omen that comes with a "bad look." The Torrejón de Ardoz had left the track with help, unable to support the knee.

"Is better to wait. Touch wood so that it is not serious. We are sad for him », reiterated, with little hope, Sergio Scariolo before knowing the outcome. «It was the worst of the game. Every time a partner falls it is hard. They are actions where there is no control. It's a scare that can hurt your career, I send you a lot of encouragement, ”said Sáiz. «It was hard, at the time we were trying to return [beginning of the last quarter]. I have seen him that he has fallen sideways and his knee has gone. He has made a strange gesture and you expect the worst, ”concluded the center.

With a vast background in training categories (European gold sub'16 and sub'20), it was the fifth game as an absolute international for Yusta, who last season had debuted in the qualifying windows for the World Cup in China - this Sunday they delivered their commemorative medal as a recognition. It was not the most common to be enrolled in Real Madrid, where he played the Euroleague. This year, among other incentives in Tenerife, he was able to play with Spain, since his club plays the FIBA ​​Champions League, in this absurd framework so difficult to explain.

Brizuela, also injured

He faced this call from Scariolo "with enthusiasm", as he explained in EL MUNDO a few days ago, in an interview prior to the Copa del Rey played in Malaga. "It is a challenge. With Real Madrid it was harder to go. I have struggled to be in the call. I am looking forward to doing well and fighting in the future for a place for the Olympic Games, ”he acknowledged days after winning the Intercontinental Cup, where he made the game of his life in the semifinals : 31 points and seven rebounds (41 valuation ) to the Italian Virtus.

It was not the only negative of the afternoon in Zaragoza. Beyond a defeat without excuses - «we must recognize that they have been better, we must give them merit. They have killed us. Between losses and defensive dismissals, regardless of Slaughter's success and that the rest of the players have put an easy basket, they have made it difficult for us. We have tried many things by varying the defense but they have not worked either »- which, of course, does not complicate the classification for the 2021 continental tournament too much (three of four pass in the group and Spain won last Thursday in Romania), too Darío Brizuela had to retire due to injury. The Unicaja escort sprained his left ankle and did not return to the track.

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