Tom Nahum and Moshe Barda 11/02/2021 20:39
Guy Goodes hugs Golan Gut (Radad Jabara)
What a great drama. At the end of a tense game tonight (Thursday) at the Kvutzat Shlomo Hall, Maccabi Rishon Lezion defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 84:90 and won the long-awaited ticket to the final stage of the State Cup, while the team from the capital continued its less good period.
Rishon LeZion coach, Guy Goodes, He said: “I have a smile and inner happiness. Our game plan worked, the preparation of those two days was amazing, also mentally and we talked about it before the game. Avihai Reuven our physiotherapist deserves all the respect he trained players for the game, we made the surprise and happy for our club and all the fans. it’s fun”.
He added: “I think it’s a huge game for us. We made some tremendous moves, both defensively and offensively. It’s a bigger win even from last year’s playoff semifinals. When you come to one game it’s a mental preparation and we did a mental crush before this game. I’m glad we’re a good percentage of knockout games in the last two years. It’s not who’s better when it comes to the semifinals, it’s who can get more mentally ready for one game. I told the players in the half that the game would be decided on the penalties and I was happy that in the end they knew how to score from the penalties and that is really what won the game. In the game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, I gave the players a rest towards the semi-finals. Isaiah Taylor was excellent, he released the beast in it. Need to give him a lot of credit because this is his first season in Europe and I’m sure he will continue and be much better. “Everyone knows that Jacoben is the winning player of Jerusalem, we did a good job on him and I am glad we won.”
Golan is good He said: “It is a victory of the team, a lot of character and war. Everyone understood that it was important and needed it for our careers, the club and the fans they deserve. I’m glad it connected to me and glad we won. The biggest game of my career? I realized the importance and in important games I usually come, I make my preparations at home and the rotation beforehand in games. “The statistics are less interesting to me, more the victory.”
