Poll: Who wins this one?
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Spain
50.00%
5 50.00%
Greece
50.00%
5 50.00%
Total 10 vote(s) 100%
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1/8 Final: Spain vs Greece
#1
[size="5"]Spain-Greece[/size] for the 5th (at least) year in a row...



Will Spain get this one too or will Greeks at last stand up to them?



Spain is clear cut favourites for me here but hope for Greece to pick up their pieces and players give their bodies and souls to this game...
Respect and thanks for everything:

Alvertis, Bodiroga, Jasikevicius, Radja, Wilkins, Vrankovic, Fotsis, Rebraca, Kattash, Gentile, Koch, Middleton, Kutluay, Rogers, Papadopoulos, Becirovic, Tomasevic, Siskauskas, Pekovic, Lakovic, Vujanic, Chatzivrettas, Maljkovic, Spanoulis and many more to follow in the near future.
[Image: vspa.jpg]

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#2
Fighting spirit is something what Greece is lacking in this tournament, IMO. Greece always playing better in knockout games and gets it further and to be honest they do have potential to fight Spain if they would play really good game (by that I mean DD knocking down triples, playing P&R, Spanoulis making drives, Bourusis working under the boards). On other hand, I believe Spain's struggle is way overrated. Yeah, they sucked in the first game against France and they lost against Lithuania, but they actually controlled the game and maybe some concentration was the key here. I mean Lithuania did a great job, but Spain still has that potential just to smash anyone in their way. And they will be concentrated and motivated. 45:55 for Spain.
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#3
I certainly want Hellas to win.



If we do beat the Spaniards, then we will have basketball players who proved to be fine actors as well <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rofl3.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Rofl3' />
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#4
Greece is potentially set up for Four brilliant PR matches.



Greece vs. Spain at this stage is a real treat and definitely the focal point of the first knockout round.



If Greece wins there's a strong possibility of a rematch with Serbia which would be an intense game in the quarter finals. They'll have to tie the chairs to the ground!



If Greece could win again, they could potentially have an even more intense matchup with Turkey in the Semi-finals. That would be unbelievable.



Then in the championship game there may be a potential 2006 World Championshp rematch with the US and you know the Americans would be looking for revenge. We could be looking at four amazing games.
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#5
Before WC started I'd say it's 50-50 or even give the edge to Greece. However, neither Greece nor Spain showed anything special yet. I'd say Spain has a slight advantage in this game.
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#6
Maybe saving themselves energy-wise for the knock out stages is a Mediterranean tactic <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rofl3.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Rofl3' />
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#7
I think Greece will win this time. They know that if they are ever to beat Spain this is the game they must do it. It would leave only Argentina as a team that they did not beat in this era. If Greece can't win this one, it just proves that they have some kind of psychological block against Spain.



Spain does not have Pau and they have a 19 year old point guard. This would obviously be the most vulnerable Spanish team in a long time.
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#8
[quote name='Panathinaikos' timestamp='1283548341' post='24623']

I think Greece will win this time. They know that if they are ever to beat Spain this is the game they must do it. It would leave only Argentina as a team that they did not beat in this era. If Greece can't win this one, it just proves that they have some kind of psychological block against Spain.



Spain does not have Pau and they have a 19 year old point guard. This would obviously be the most vulnerable Spanish team in a long time.

[/quote]



The thing that Spain is vulnerable doesn't make Greece superior. I mean, Greece level depends on Greece not on Spain <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Cool' />
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#9
[quote name='straight forward' timestamp='1283555166' post='24629']

The thing that Spain is vulnerable doesn't make Greece superior. I mean, Greece level depends on Greece not on Spain <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Cool' />

[/quote]



True. But last year for example I think Greece would have beaten them if they didn't have Pau.
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#10
Well we've 'been saving our energy' for the knock-out stages so far. Kazlauskas said that certain systems were in effect for the team that however no opponent would see until they were totally required, such as in the upcoming win-or-go-home situation with Spain.
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#11
I'd be happy if Greece wins, but Spain's victory would be good thing for me for some reasons <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Biggrin' />
Bench-Warmer.net - my new web blog! ||| lt.bench-warmer.net - lietuviška blog'o versija! ||| I'm on twitter
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#12
Terrible free throw shooting by Greece in the clutch, I really believed they would complete that comeback.
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#13
What terrible free throw shooting man? You'd have your balls busted as well if two Spanish-speaking refs were 100% against your team. I'm disgusted at the level of no-holds-barred Spain was getting. Travelling at least on two occasions, one from Rubio, one from Fernandez. Heavy-handed fouls from the Spanish, the refs saw nothing. Sofo getting hammered in the paint, again nothing. Hellas today was playing a basketball game of 5 vs. 8.



This just goes to show that the games are already pre-determined by governing FIBA officials, and of course the Spanish have a lot of influence in that department, just like they were pushing for the punishment of both Serbian and Greek players in the notorious incident. One the Spaniards couldn't get the ball into the basket, the help of the referees made sure that they would get free throws and two easy points.



Fernandez only had some game from the Spaniards today. All the rest of the players were absolutely mediocre, including Navarro who was suffocated by Diamandidis defence, and of lost the ball from him a couple of times.



Spain's win was 100% dishonest and they didn't deserve to pass into the top 8. The rigging has to stop at last from FIBA's so-called objective officials. Americans should be screened for anti-doping like every other team. If they don't want to come if FIBA demands that they get screened then so be it. Favouritism through Spanish officials in FIBA has to stop. They stole the win from us just like they did in the semis in Eurobasket in Spain when the game was ours and the referees gave them all the calls to win the game. Mark my words, the Turkish have asked FIBA that they at least get a medal so that the popularity of basketball rises in their country. I'm bracing myself for some pretty heavy refereeing favouritism to lead them to the semis at least. Just like they did in the Eurobasket in Turkey ('97 or '99 ?).



We had the phenomenon with Stankovic and the favouritism of Yugoslavia/Serbia and now it continues with the Spanish.



Today the Hellas players played with pride and they outplayed and outhustled the weak Spanish who ultimately shit themselves when they saw that they couldn't pull ahead in the score like they'd hoped. For me, Hellas won this game fair and square, but when you have to go against the referees as well, who are 100% against you, then it is a mammoth task.
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#14
The game was completely reffed for Spain. Whatever. Kazlauskas was a disaster and maybe it forces some changes. This practice of selecting players just because they play for PAO has to end. But the refs CLEARLY called the game in favor of Spain.
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#15
[quote name='Panathinaikos' timestamp='1283638783' post='24652']

This practice of selecting players just because they play for PAO has to end. [/quote]

Like last Eurobasket?
Respect and thanks for everything:

Alvertis, Bodiroga, Jasikevicius, Radja, Wilkins, Vrankovic, Fotsis, Rebraca, Kattash, Gentile, Koch, Middleton, Kutluay, Rogers, Papadopoulos, Becirovic, Tomasevic, Siskauskas, Pekovic, Lakovic, Vujanic, Chatzivrettas, Maljkovic, Spanoulis and many more to follow in the near future.
[Image: vspa.jpg]

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#16
[quote name='Black Urum' timestamp='1283641498' post='24655']

Like last Eurobasket?

[/quote]



Vasileiadis, Pelekanos players like that are not selected just because they were not in a big club. It's costing Greece dearly in this tournament.
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#17
[quote name='Panathinaikos' timestamp='1283643304' post='24656']

Vasileiadis, Pelekanos players like that are not selected just because they were not in a big club. It's costing Greece dearly in this tournament.

[/quote]

First of all you didn't answer my question... was last Eurobasket squad based on whether players played for PAO?



As for Pelekanos, he was chosen in last Eurobasket squad because he was an Olympiacos player...
Respect and thanks for everything:

Alvertis, Bodiroga, Jasikevicius, Radja, Wilkins, Vrankovic, Fotsis, Rebraca, Kattash, Gentile, Koch, Middleton, Kutluay, Rogers, Papadopoulos, Becirovic, Tomasevic, Siskauskas, Pekovic, Lakovic, Vujanic, Chatzivrettas, Maljkovic, Spanoulis and many more to follow in the near future.
[Image: vspa.jpg]

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#18
That "ref" thing is so funny <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Smile' /> The game was more than correct.
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#19
^ How is it funny?



It's not like it's the first time that it happens in international basketball.
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#20
[quote name='ZEUS' timestamp='1283701433' post='24661']

^ How is it funny?



It's not like it's the first time that it happens in international basketball.

[/quote]



Ignore him. It was obvious that the refs called it for Spain. Greece should have won the game. Just like the the game in 2007.
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