The reporters are still doing their best to inflame the atmosphere. After the quarterfinals, a new "enemy" has been established for UCLA. The fierce atmosphere permeating Athens is also rising steadily, surging in the air. The smoke of gunfire made the audience excited.
Regardless of the will of the players on both sides, the tense atmosphere in the news media was already raging. The local media in California and Oklahoma even showed their fangs, and the first battle had already started before entering the official game. , Crazy May is indeed well-deserved.
What's more, the media are not satisfied with this. Don't forget, there is another semi-final.
At the same time, the final game of the quarter-finals has also been decided. The fourth-seeded University of Virginia successfully defeated its opponent and joined the University of Southern California in the semi-finals.
As a result, all the fourth seeds in this year's U.S. Championship have successfully returned to their seats, and the semi-final matches will be presented exactly according to the draw. The first seed will play against the third seed, and the second seed will play against the fourth seed. This is definitely the situation that everyone expected. The semi-finals The two battles in the war are definitely a battle between Mars and Earth.
This immediately made the media excited.
Hoo ho ho.
Boom boom boom.
The busy figures of reporters are everywhere in Athens, constantly heightening the atmosphere before the battle is about to begin. Even if the sun sets, you can still feel that the bubbling air has not settled for a long time. The "University of Southern California VS University of Virginia" The game was equally sparky.
and!
Almost all reporters are exaggerating that "the Los Angeles duo will advance to the finals, turning the last championship game into a civil war in the same city of the Pac-12." The University of Oklahoma and the University of Virginia are about to become the background again. Board, of course they would never agree.
This also aroused the fighting spirit of the players and fans of the two universities. The more lively the media was, the more excited they became. They wanted to go to the court immediately and personally terminate the beautiful vision of "Los Angeles duo meeting in the finals". They insisted I didn’t work hard all season just to come to Athens and play a supporting role.
Gurgling.
Gurgling.
The air has begun to burn.
There are still three games until the United States Championship trophy, and the entire Athens is filled with a strong smell of gunpowder smoke, even late at night.
The lights were brightly lit in the head coaches’ rooms of the four teams, and they were all thinking hard and racking their brains about the formation.
Coach Martin is no exception.
"Coach, why do you look unhappy? Are you worried about tomorrow's game?"
Grant watched Martin lower his head and rub his eyebrows, his eyes full of fatigue, and asked proactively.
Martin nodded gently, "Against Alcorta, Thompson still has the upper hand. Thompson also came over tonight and volunteered to show that he is ready to play, but..."
But Thompson's condition is still not at its best.
Even though he won the last game against the Eagles, the overall batting state and game rhythm were still not very good. Against a smart player like Alcorta, once the power cannot suppress the opponent, the game will be in trouble. .
Oh, the playing style of Alcorta is closer to that of Gao Wen. He is also a player who plays with his head. His absolute strength may not be outstanding. The game does not seem to be a high-stakes game, but there are details that go through it. But it can make the game very rich.
Generally speaking, players with a power-playing style will have some advantages.
Martin didn't say the rest of the words, but Grant understood them.
"Then trust Thompson just once?"
Grant said something hesitantly, but in fact, he was not expressing his own opinion, but was trying to guide Martin's thinking and see his true thoughts.
If Martin has decided to use Thompson, then he will follow Grant's words; otherwise, it means that Martin has other better choices in his heart.
Hesitation is often not because you are really unsure, but because you already have a decision deep in your heart, and you just need a little affirmation from others. Once the answer given by others does not conform to your own ideas, you will automatically refute it; however, others give your own The answers you want will satisfy you.
After a short pause, Martin continued, "Gawain also came over tonight and asked for a fight."
really.
Grant immediately understood Martin's inner thoughts, "Since entering the United States Championship, Gao Wen has indeed played better and better, and he has become more and more like a general."
"Indeed." Martin nodded in affirmation, "The temperament of the game is still different. I originally thought that Marcos would come over tonight and take the initiative to ask for help, but now it seems that his character still lacks a little edge."
Jilong, as a proud man of heaven, has his pride. Sometimes, that's a good thing; other times, it's not.
Grant knew Martin had always had high expectations for Geelong.
At the end of the season, both Thompson and Giron were in ups and downs, but the difference can be seen in Martin's attitude. He was still willing to give Giron more opportunities, playing first singles and second singles, and constantly giving opportunities to adjust their status.
Of course, a large part of the reason is also determined by the style of play.
Thompson plays an offensive style, and when he is in poor condition, there is less room for error, just like Kerbert; Giron plays a defensive counterattack, and even if he is not in good shape, the bottom line is still there, and it is not easy to collapse.
But despite this, Martin's inner balance can still see the tendency.
Unfortunately, after coming to Athens, in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, at least in terms of "fighting will", Giron's performance was not as good as Gawain and Thompson, and his character weaknesses were still reflected.
No wonder Martin was a little disappointed.
"But Geelong's game is still solid." Grant still catered to Martin's mood and said a kind word for Geelong.
"Safety is not necessarily a good thing."
Martin waved his hand, not wanting to say anything more on this topic.
"No matter what, the initiative shown by Thompson and Gao Wen is a good thing, and the entire mental outlook deserves recognition."
The more difficult the situation, the more you show your attitude of rising to the challenge. This is very rare for competitive sports. Don't be afraid of losing, even if you are facing top players, even if you are facing someone whose strength is far higher than yours. Don't be afraid of facing giants. This kind of competition temperament is hard to buy.
Martin was very pleased with Gawain and Thompson's proactive approach.
Grant could understand Martin's hesitation.
Objectively analyzing the style of play, Thompson can suppress Alcorta's strength, which is an advantage - just like their regular season encounters, once Thompson's offensive state comes out, Alcorta is indeed difficult to parry.
Gao Wen and Alcorta are playing against each other in similar styles. It is impossible to suppress the opponent purely by relying on absolute strength. On-the-spot performance is crucial. In terms of difficulty, it is similar to Saramento against the Trojans, but the difficulty is The method and content are different. This also means that the game will be harder.
However, the status of Thompson and Gao Wen is another story.
