World Cup Qualifying chasing-Swedes still alive in a group of death

VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - Armenia, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Slovak Republic have faced the mother of all battles this summer to reach the FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers.

Of the 13 sides in the European Pre-Qualifiers, Group A has been a knock-down, drag-out fight.

It's been a melee in an old western saloon. Groups B, C and D? They've been child's play by comparison.

Viktor Gaddefors was a real warrior on Saturday for Sweden

The Netherlands (2-0) and Austria (2-1) are in Group B and have already clinched the top two spots, so they will be in the World Cup Qualifiers. Albania (0-3) will not. They are assured of a last-placed finish.

Bulgaria have taken advantage of being paired with Belarus (1-1) and Portugal (0-3), winning all three of their games to seal a place in the World Cup Qualifiers. Belarus and Portugal are still alive.

Group C? Okay, there's more of an edge in this one with no side, including 2-0 Estonia, having clinched a spot in the Qualifiers. Kosovo (1-2) and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1-2) are also going for a top-two finish.

Nothing compares to the fight in Group A, though, where Armenia remain the surprise package of the summer after winning three of their four games yet have still to seal a place in the World Cup European Qualifiers.

Sweden and Bosnia and Hergovina had a real battle on Saturday

Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-2) could have enhanced their chances on Saturday with a home win over the Swedes (2-2), who went into the game after two consecutive road defeats. 

The Swedes, however, got off the canvas and won that game.

Who were the heroes for Sweden, who went into the clash with a "knife to their throat" according to Swedish newspaper Expressen? It had to be Thomas Massamba, who had a game-high 20 points, and the tough-as-nails Viktor Gaddefors, whose physical play drew the ire of Bosnia and Herzegovina after the game as the teams left the court.

Gaddefors has asked the fans to come out and support the team before Wednesday's game against Armenia, tweeting: "We need two wins and need all the help we can get."

Saturday's triumph was their second over a young but dangerous Bosnia and Herzegovina team led by a great coach, Dusko Vujosevic.

Bosnia and Herzegovina are not out of the running. It remains to be seen how this team will perform, especially with the federation having announced that naturalized guard Alex Renfroe has been thrown off the team for a serious breach of team discipline.

Group A is so tough that Armenia, despite their 92-78 triumph in the Slovak Republic on Saturday night, are still on the outside looking in at the World Cup European Qualifiers. Each team in the pool has a couple of games remaining.

The drama continues on Wednesday night when Sweden host Armenia in Uppsala and Bosnia and Herzegovina visit Bratislava to take on the Slovakians.

 

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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