Spain, facing an unexpected ‘final’ in the World Cup: “We have to play basketball as we have always done”
The player Maria Conde told EFE in Berlin that the decisive match against Japan This Monday (17:50 CET, -2 GMT), in which Spain plays its future in the World Cup, they have to face it as “another basketball game, like many” that they have played, even knowing that “the result is going to be very important.”
Unexpected final against Japan
The Madrid forward wanted to shake off the pressure of an event of this dimension, remembering that they have played “thousands of games”, especially the veterans like herself, captain Alba Torrens or Mariona Ortiz. “It’s playing basketball like we’ve always done“, said.
One more game, but not just any one. Since all scenarios are possible for a Spain that does not depend on itself to advance to the knockout phase of the World Cup and will look askance at the match between Germany and Mali, which is being played simultaneously. The best scenario, May Spain win and the Germans do so too, It would make the Hispanic team qualify first in Group A.
If she is second or third, she must play in a knockout round of the round of 16. And, the most fateful circumstance would be that Germany beats Mali and Spain loses to Japan, which would be eliminated from the World Cup.
“The healthiest way that can give us all more energy is to pose it like this: It is another match, like many that we have played, in which the result is going to be very important and that means many things for us.“, explained the 29-year-old girl at the ‘La Familia’ concentration hotel.
The surprise of its people
Before ‘D-Day’ at this World Cup in Berlin, her family and best friends shared with EFE a message of encouragement for María Conde who could not contain her tears when she saw him.
“How beautiful!” she exclaimed excitedly. “They are the most important people in my life and I am very excited that they can live it here with me, It’s the people who hold me up in the end”.
Conde also remembered her beginnings in basketball and felt proud of having overcome all the difficulties during her extensive career: from suffering a serious injury after rupturing her Achilles tendon to touching the sky becoming European champion with Spain (2017) or Euroleague champion with USK Prague (2025), through her debut this season in the WNBA, the best league in the world.
“The good has been amazing, but I think the bad says a lot about how we are as people and as athletes, the things we go through are the things that make us,” he declared. Without a doubt, “little María” would be “very excited” about how far she has come. And what’s left.
A message to the fans
In addition, the Toronto Tempo basketball player sent a message to the Spanish fans before the decisive match, to whom she conveyed that the team has “all the desire in the world to do well” and that they will also do it for all those who follow them since “they are behind pushing, I hope at the end of the day we can all be celebrating together”.
“Go for the boat“Conde concluded, the mythical conspiracy cry of the Spanish team before the matches. The one from Japan, without a doubt, can have a precious prize.
