Basketball World Cup | The German basketball players go down against Spain

Leonie Fiebich (r.) was the best German thrower, but couldn't prevent the clear defeat. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa The heavy shower over Berlin had actually already subsided on Friday evening, but the German basketball players still stood in the pouring rain. Above their heads it rained three-point shots, one after the other, fired by merciless Spanish women. Everything was planned completely differently.

More than 12,000 fans fought their way through the bad weather into the sold-out arena at Ostbahnhof to cheer on the women of the German Basketball Association (DBB) at their start to the home World Cup. Even Chancellor Friedrich Merz didn't want to miss the game. Spain, the strongest opponent in Group A, was waiting for the Germans, whose preparation was anything but ideal due to injured key players and hardly any training time together. But with the support of the spectators in the arena, at least a close game against the European runners-up should be possible, right?

The Germans and their fans got the answer after just ten minutes. Completely unimpressed by the fantastic scenery, the Spaniards hit six of their ten attempts from the three-point line in the first quarter and were already leading 24:13 at the end of the period. “It was a very tough first quarter and the second quarter wasn’t any better,” explained national coach Olaf Lange after the game.

In fact, his team finally gave up the game in the second half. An eleven-point deficit can definitely be made up in basketball. By the break, however, the Spanish lead had increased to 50:24. The rain of three points subsided somewhat in the second quarter, but the German game now seemed increasingly confused - both offensively and defensively. On several occasions, Spaniards appeared completely free under the German basket and were allowed to score points unhindered, which also slowly silenced the brave calls of “Defense-Defense” from the German fans.

On the offensive, however, the 24-second attack clock repeatedly proved fatal for the German team. Because moves took too long or the wide-awake Spaniards were able to stop them completely, Leonie Fiebich and Co. repeatedly had to take difficult throws shortly before the clock ran out. »We didn't score anything in the first half. The basket was like it was nailed down. You can just tell that we haven't been on the field in this situation yet," said 26-year-old Fiebich, who was the most successful German with 13 points.

Against Spain it became very clear what the DBB women are currently lacking: after almost a week of preparation with the final World Cup squad, the fine-tuning is not yet in place. Olaf Lange also spoke openly about this after the 53:83 opening defeat: »I think that we are still very inexperienced in our new game system. We’re experiencing some teething problems right now, but that’s part of the process.”

The only problem is that the World Cup, which is compressed into ten days, leaves little time for basic work. Germany's second group game against Japan is scheduled for this Saturday, exactly 24 hours after the game on Friday. “We will of course talk about what we can do better, but then there has to be a mind shift: regenerate and then we can continue tomorrow,” said Fiebich, setting out the timetable up to the tip-off against the Asians, who won 102:97 against Mali on Friday.

Japan set a new World Cup record with 20 successful three-pointers in the entire game. The German basketball players should be prepared to defend the three-man line better in the second group game so that they don't find themselves out in the rain again on Saturday evening.

The »nd.Genossenschaft« belongs to the people who make it possible: our readers and authors. They are the ones who ensure left-wing journalism for everyone with their contribution: without profit maximization, media companies or tech billionaires.

→ report independently and critically → make topics visible that would otherwise go unnoticed → make voices heard that are often ignored → counter disinformation with facts → initiate and deepen left-wing debates

“Pay voluntarily” now and support the financing of our solidarity-based newspaper. So that nd remains.