Reus Club Champion’s Tournament – Write-Up
Links to original article:
(pdf) http://multimedia.avui.cat/pdf/08/0926/080926diari061.pdf
(html) http://paper.avui.cat/article/esports/140627/somni/america.html
Below is the original article translated into English, thanks to our good friend Miret from the forums:
The American Dream
Daniel Gibson, a small player of 20 years, is really enthusiastic when speaks about hardball roller hockey, the denomination of the rink hockey in his natal Texas. It’s late, he has played nine hours before, however he continues in the Olympic Pavilion of Reus. “Look at them: Borregán, Panadero, Teixidó…”, he recites by heart pointing out the field where Barça faces Centro Valenciano. “My favorite, Mia Ordeig”. They met two years ago, when Gibson was three months on trial of the junior of the Vic. His best memory, the derbi against Voltregà. “The environment was incredible”, he explains with the illuminated look.
Gibson is a player of Decatur, the representative of the United States in the World Club’s Championships. As a matter of fact, he is the only usual player in Reus. His colleagues have stayed at home because they work or are injured. In place of them, have traveled five players of the area of Seattle, two Australian and two more from Macau. They play for a club with only two years of history, but they are the champions of USA 2007. Now they have a basis of 90 players.
The world ranking places them in place 483, under teams like Sentmenat. “We are realistic, we come here to learn”, explains the veteran of the team, Ty Potter, 36 years old and the heaviliest-built. He dedicated himself to skates because in his village, Bremerton, there was no ice track. Strange thing. For the time being, they have saved the honor. Monday already they made one good role in the first half (1-3) against Valdagno (1-7 final), and Tuesday surprised the Wimmis (2-1). The Swiss, that they had advanced, saw how the Decatur surmounted them with two goals of Dylan Sordahlx. “We trusted in excess”, recognized with low voice the Europeans, that played all the match with the second goalkeeper.
Supporters of Negro
They arrived as one of the weakest teams, but the Decatur has earned the respect of the crowd and the rivals. Partly because everybody is conscious of, if they had success, in their country the sport will rise spectacularly. However themselves are not very much optimists. “Hardball Hockey likes us because it’s a team sport”, explains Gibson. “In the US the sports more more recognised are the ones with individual stars like Kobe Bryant”, he regrets. “However, we play as a team, working the technique and the skill”. Potter clinches that “in America the hard sports likes too much” to notice the hockey. But thumps are not spared when are necessary. “Many rivals want to win us only because we are from the US, as if we represented the government”, explains Gibson. “It is because of that that we play hard if it’s necessary”.
His more waited moment was the match of Wednesday with Reus. “It’s an honor to play against Negro Páez”, they said before the match. “It doesn’t matter the result, as long as it’s not a beating”. Where is the limit? “To lose for less than 15″, they kidded. Attained goal: 8-1. Tomorrow they will face the Iserlohn for the eleventh place, but they will not go until the last match is finished, to soak themselves as much as they can of hockey. At home, they can see well few matches in Internet. “The most important is that we enjoy ourselves”, reflects on Sordahlx, “and that we play with pride”. Of their country, but also of the sport that they represent.
The coach of the Decatur, Jimmy Trussell -considerated the best player of the history in the USA, with nine years of experience in Italy-, is also the coach of the United States. As a matter of fact, in Reus he has the kernel that will contend next month the World Championships B in South Africa.