Spain rises against Japan (59-79) and qualifies directly for the World Cup quarterfinals

From the celebration against Germany to the slap against Mali to a very serious exercise against Japan. Spain defeated the Asian team this Monday in the last group match of the Berlin World Cup to secure the top spot after Germany’s victory over the Africans (83-58) and directly reach the quarterfinals without going through a preliminary knockout. Miguel Méndez’s team will play this Thursday for a place in the semifinals against the winner of the match between Australia and China or Italy. The ticket was earned by taming Japan, an uncomfortable opponent due to the constant agitation of their pieces and their penchant for the three-pointer (7 of 30). Spain, fresher in legs and mind than in the previous match, took note of the warning and survived another very physical clash that many players ended with scratches on their arms. Above all, their two young gems emerged, Iyana Martín (20 points) and Awa Fam (16 points and 10 rebounds), an invaluable treasure of present and future.

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The first task was to shake off the nerves and bad feelings from the disappointment against Mali. Spain had not been Spain, not the one that swept the host Germany, and that hurt the spirit more than the standings. The team took a couple of minutes to revive, until Carrera scored under the basket the first basket after an inside shot missed by Awa Fam, a three-pointer by Iyana Martín, and a lost ball by the Galician center. The accuracy of the Valencia player removed the offensive block. On defense, Spain initially closed the door to the great Asian weapon, the three-pointers that had boosted them against Mali (20 hits, a record in a women’s world cup match) and condemned them against Germany. More than four minutes passed until a white jersey rose beyond the perimeter, Yamamoto’s bingo that responded to Iyana Martín’s outside accuracy. The team had also regained some lost aim against Mali, probably due to fatigue, and that gave them control without much anguish (5-12). It remained to recover Awa Fam, still struggling with the net despite her physical superiority. Japan did not change its script (for a reason they do not call timeouts), always ready for the long-range bombardment, a formula that forced Spain to defend with arms raised (15-23).

The injury to Iyana from a blow to the side at the start of the second quarter took Spain’s breath away. Méndez sought to restore the oxygen supply with Awa Fam and Ginzo as the interior pair. The goal was to match the decibels at which Japan played and their quick ball circulation to enter the zone with their small bullets or find the free tile on the perimeter. No respite or break. A shout of ¡Vamos! burst from Awa’s throat when she finally scored under the board. Her teammates celebrated it with rage due to the importance of a differential player. On the next attack, she flew on the floor to recover a ball converted into a three-pointer by Flórez. By then Iyana had already returned with her offensive magic hat, and Conde was operating inside instead of a reference center. The Japanese mobility was a headache for Spain, always punished whenever they lowered their intensity by a gram (36-39).

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And finally, Awa Fam. Seven consecutive points from the Alicante center, all that Spain scored in almost four minutes, rescued the young player from that gray area she could not escape and launched Méndez’s team to a more comfortable stretch (39-50). The advantage matured from a more consistent defense to close the access routes to the Spanish basket. Japan only caught two field goals in eight minutes. Two three-pointers, of course. Enough along with the free throw nibbling to not definitively detach (48-57). For every Spanish surge, the Japanese team responded, a metronome led by Tanaka.

María Conde’s quick hands to steal and score gave Spain a safety cushion. That piggy bank was also fed by Iyana Martín with her direct play to the basket, unafraid of failure, as she says, and a collective defensive effort that was essential to seal the victory. The Japanese nibbling found a red jersey in front at every inch (only two points conceded in five minutes). It was time to manage the pace of the game and between Iyana and Alicia Flórez, a safe bet for her commitment, they shared the clock to close the direct pass to the World Cup quarterfinals.

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World Cup schedule and results.