Chapter 151: Getting Ready
It is obvious that there are more than one team waiting to face the Bruins, from the Trojans to the Eagles and then to the Sooners.
Maybe, they should get a number plate.
But compared to the Eagles' arrogance, the Sooners appear to be much more cautious.
"We know how strong our opponent is, but we also know we have the ability to defeat them."
Before the match against the University of South Carolina, Alcorta had heard that the Brown Bears had successfully advanced to the semi-finals, which also made the Sooners team full of fighting spirit.
They are also looking forward to facing off against the Bruins again, which makes the desire to advance to the semi-finals burn brightly.
After the game was over and the Sooners won the victory, the players had already expected to be surrounded by reporters. To be more precise, they were waiting for such a moment.
Alcorta appeared very calm, but his eyes were unusually determined.
"The Bruins are the No. 1 seed in the nation and they are the favorite to win the championship, but we have pushed this team to the brink before, and we will continue to work hard this time and look forward to going one step further."
In fact, judging from the player rankings alone, the Sooners and the Bruins are the closest in strength - although at the end of the season, both teams' players have experienced some fluctuations in form, and their singles rankings in the United States have declined to varying degrees, but the overall strength of the two teams has remained stable.
Thompson and Giron of the Bruins, Alcorta and Lamas of the Sooners, all four players are ranked in the top ten.
The Bruins' Gauvin and McDonald, and the Sooners' Weber and Harris, all four players are ranked in the top 50.
The only slight deviations are in the fifth and sixth singles, but in fact the overall strength is on the same level.
In other words, the Sooners are ranked third in the nation, but their individual strength is still better than the second-seeded Trojans, and is on par with the top-seeded Bruins.
In every match, the two sides are evenly matched, literally every game is like this, and some media even believe that this is an advance preview of the final.
Alcorta's confidence definitely did not come out of thin air.
The fact is, in the previous life, the Sooners did beat the Bruins 4:2 to reach the finals, and then unfortunately lost to the Trojans in the championship game. Like the Eagles that year, they became the sacrificial sheep in the fierce battle between the two Los Angeles giants.
Among them, Alcorta and Lamas both lost in the regular season match between the two sides, but in the US Championship, Alcorta and Lamas both successfully avenged themselves and laid the foundation for the victory of the game.
At one time, low-ranked players were the Bruins’ weakness, but in the final moments, it was the high-ranked players who became the first breakthrough point for the Bruins to be unbalanced by their opponents.
At this moment, Alcorta, standing in front of the reporters, has a handsome face and a slender figure, as elegant as a Spanish prince, but his shining eyes reveal his unquestionable firm determination.
Even when facing reporters' questions such as, "...you lost miserably to Thompson in the regular season. How will you adjust your mindset in this rematch?", Alcorta remained polite and calm.
"Indeed, I played very badly in that match. My batting was not in good shape throughout the match. Obviously, I need to make changes from the first point this time. I am looking forward to this match. This is a brand new game and I am looking forward to a brand new result."
Alcorta's openness did not stop the reporter, "But Thompson has been in poor form recently, and you may also play against Jilong or Gao Wen, what do you think?"
"Just give it your all. No matter who the opponent is, do your best, play every point well, and then look forward to a win. That's all I need to do."
Alcorta showed high morale and bravely faced all challenges, while Lamas seemed much more straightforward.
"They are the favorites, they are the favourites, they are under more pressure, so I think we should be able to get closer to victory if we go in with less burden."
Their straightforward words clearly show their desire for victory.
"I don't care who we play against because I know they have a good group of players and so do we."
Lamas' answers always made reporters secretly applaud, and his words were full of youthful boldness and recklessness. Even though he did not provoke any player head-on like Kobert did, such straightforward answers without any disguise or roundabout way were as refreshing as soda.
What's more, there is Harris.
Harris became a victim when reporters wanted to fan the flames.
Harris couldn't wait to express it without the reporter mentioning it specifically.
“I’m really, really looking forward to playing against Gawain again.”
With each word, one could almost hear the sound of gnashing teeth. Obviously, the defeat in the regular season has not been forgotten to this day.
"The last time we met, it was an accident. Apparently I underestimated my opponent, but I definitely won't do that this time."
The subtext is that carelessness leads to the loss of Jingzhou.
For the same game, the parties involved and the bystanders have completely different attitudes, but this is also the charm of competitive sports.
The outcome of the previous match is just a game. When the next match comes, everything will be new and both sides will be back on the same starting line.
So, strictly speaking, there is nothing wrong with Harris's idea.
However, Harris' wish may not be so easy to achieve.
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The reporters gave a "friendly" reminder.
"Now that Gawain's ranking has risen a lot, the Brown Bears have more room to maneuver their lineup. Maybe you won't be able to meet Gawain again. The biggest possibility is to play against McDonald or Bremer. If that happens, will you feel regretful?"
HARRIS: ...
The last time they played, Gao Wen was not yet ranked in the U.S., while Harris was ranked 28th in the country.
In this rematch, Gao Wen ranked 17th in the United States, while Harris had slipped to 49th.
Don’t hit people in the face, okay?
Harris was so upset by what the reporters said that he almost cried, but he still had to force out a smile that was uglier than crying.
“No matter who I play against, as long as I’m on the court, I’m going to do my best to win.”
After saying that, Harris ran away. He needed some quiet time.
The Sooners team was full of fighting spirit without the need for reporters to fan the flames, and head coach Cowell was even more eager to wash away the shame of the regular season.
"We are all looking forward to playing against each other again. I have great respect for Coach Martin and his team, but in the end only one team can advance to the next round of the finals. I believe we will have the last laugh."
One can already feel the sparks flying between the lines, a peak showdown has been foreshadowed long ago, and the smell of gunpowder can already be smelled in the news headlines.
“The Sooners are ready to win.”
"With high morale and unity, the Sooners are ready to take on a strong opponent."
"Facing the favorite to win the championship, the University of Oklahoma has the determination to defeat its opponent."
First update. Thanks to the book friend "魔狱精灵" for the reward!
(End of this chapter)