Anxiety and the referees get the better of Alser Puerto Sagunto

Alser BM Puerto Sagunto lost 26-28 to Caja3 BM. Aragón in a match approached as vital to staying alive in the competition, but the reality was quite different, as they faced a great team that knew how to do things well in the final minutes and, in the five key minutes, the international officials decided that two consecutive defeats were too many for a big side. A real shame the match was not televised, so that the footage could support this report, because the subtle García and Andreu knew when to blow their whistles and what to call—for that is why they are internationals. From the first minute, the match was vibrant. Alser opened the scoring through Prendes and caused the Aragonese side plenty of problems. However, after ten minutes the red-and-whites were trailing 4-6, having failed to take advantage of Maqueda’s suspension. Even so, the score did not reflect the equality between the teams, with the attacks better than the defences. Five minutes before half-time, Alser reduced the deficit to just one goal and, thanks to Bruixola’s saves and goals from Sifre, Prendes and Moya, turned the score around to 12-11. Finally, the visitors equalised at 12-12 with a goal in the final seconds, after Alser had squandered several chances to establish a larger lead. The start of the second half did not go particularly well for the red-and-whites, who missed three consecutive attacks. Even so, the visitors could not pull away and the game remained level. From the 15th to the 25th minute, the referees took centre stage, with steps that Latorre had not committed, differing interpretations of passive play and, culminating in a foul by Cartón that was called as an attacking foul against Sifre. That, along with a couple of unjustified numerical disadvantages, turned the score from 18-18 into an impossible 20-27. The officials then began to make amends, with an undeserved direct disqualification for Maqueda to compensate for the previous errors, and a couple of decisions in Alser’s favour which, together with the double man-to-man defence ordered by Estornell, helped bring the final score to 26-28. The statistics will say that Alser came close and that logic prevailed, but the Catalan referees’ performance remains on their conscience. Ultimately, it was another match that slipped away at home and left the team weakened. The next match will be played on Saturday 28 at 20:00 at the Pabellón Universitario de Navarra against AMAYA Sport San Antonio. Alser BM Puerto Sagunto: Bruixola, Samuel, Ruiz (5), Sorrentino (4), Moya (3), Stefanovic, Sifré (4), Tarrasó (1), Nebot, A. Fernández (1), Prendes (4), Cid (1), Latorre (3) and Berrios. Caja3 BM. Aragón:  Malumbres, Sorli (3), Maqueda (6), Alberto Val, Humet (4), Gabor (3), Vigo (1), Sergio Ruiz, Pablo Hernandez, Molina (3), Masachs (2), Antonio Cartón (2), Javi García (4), Postigo. Referees: Andreu Marín Lorente and Ignacio García Serradilla. Rubén Ruiz, Sorrentino, A. Fernández and Prendes were suspended for two minutes for Alser BM Puerto Sagunto; Maqueda, Alberto Val, Humet, Javi García (2) and Postigo for Caja3 BM. Aragón. Maqueda was disqualified. Score every five minutes: 2-2, 4-6, 7-8, 8-9, 10-11 and 12-12 (Half-time) 13-13, 15-15, 18-18, 19-22, 20-27 and 26-28 (Full-time). Polideportivo Municipal “Ovni”. 1,100 spectators.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.