Ledo and Julen sign the triumph of Bidasoa Irun

Bidasoa Irun beat Unicaja Banco Sinfín 22-26 yesterday and strengthens its second position with 30 points to 28 from Granollers and 24 from Logroño. The three have already played against Barça and a third of the competition remains, in which the two European places left free by the Catalan team and the runner-up will be decided. Coming out of the marathon of matches but still with its aftermath in the legs and in the number of troops, the irundarra team appeared without Azkue, Salinas or Kauldi and with five players from the subsidiary in Santander, where the third-last classified awaited. The need for Sinfín and their good work at home predicted a complicated game for Cuétara’s men, who once again gave the youngsters many minutes, obtaining good responses from them.

For example, Mujika, who scored two of the goals in the initial 0-4. With 100% in their attacks and good defense and goalkeeping, the yellow team laid a good base in less than four minutes, but the local timeout reactivated their defense above all and the duel was balanced. Of course, the equality that was seen on the field was not reflected in the scoreboard, thanks to that advantage of four goals that the Gipuzkoans had claimed in the blink of an eye.

Except for 2-5, the difference was always 3-4 goals until it widened in the final stretch of the first half. From 7-10 it went to 8-14 and at half-time it was 9-14. The result could be reminiscent of what happened last season on this court, but then the first half ended with a 7-17 that left the game doomed (it ended 16-34) and yesterday five goals were good but not definitive.

Cantabrian reaction

The clash resumed with a local and partial serve of 3-0 that led to Cuétara’s timeout. Although it took him five minutes to score his first goal from a penalty and almost nine minutes for his first on play, Bidasoa resolved the first Cantabrian onslaught with an identical partial, so the five goals came back at 12-17. And they were still there ten minutes later, when Gey-Emparan scored 17-22.

There were eleven minutes left and the yellows had the upper hand, but it was still going to be difficult for them to achieve their victory. El Sinfín drew another 3-0 run in five minutes and came back within two, 20-22. He even had a fast break to get within one, but lost the ball.

The game was alive and Bidasoa Irun, not so much. One thing is that February and the match marathon have passed, but the deposit is in reserve and with that the points were still up in the air.

Perhaps when all – the eleven of the first team and the five of the reserve team – have given so much it is unfair to single out one or two players, but yesterday Xoan Ledo and Julen Aginagalde stood out. The goalkeeper made 15 saves (two from penalties) and two of them were key with three up. And the pivot scored the four goals of the 1-4 run that sentenced the clash (from 20-22 to 21-26), to passes from Nieto, Rodríguez and Fernández and the fourth picking up a rebound.

Two games and break

With that point of intrigue and emotion in the final stretch, victory tastes better to a Bidasoa Irun who will play the last match of the European league on Tuesday at the Toulouse stadium and on Sunday will host Ademar. Then the break will come for the national team matches, which will be very welcome by the Bidasotarra squad.

Before, today, the people of Gipuzkoa will know the table of the final phase of the Copa del Rey, which will be played from March 25 to 27 in Antequera and which will be drawn today in Madrid.