The Serbian men’s U19 basketball team suffered a shocking and painful defeat to Argentina in the second round of the World Championship in Lausanne. After a shaky start to the tournament, our juniors played under pressure and tension, which Argentina ruthlessly exploited. The Argentinians took an early lead and controlled the game throughout, with their star player Krop scoring 23 points and grabbing 9 rebounds, while Serbia struggled to find their rhythm and contain the lively opponent.
The match was a nail-biter until the very end. Serbia managed to fight back and even tied the game at the 32nd minute, but failed to break Argentina’s defense. In the final minutes, mistakes piled up, and Argentina seized every opportunity to maintain their lead, eventually winning 73-70. Džepina was Serbia’s top scorer with 17 points, while Marković and Drezgić also contributed significantly.
This loss is a huge blow to Serbia, which had high hopes for this championship. The next challenge is a match against New Zealand, which will decide if our juniors advance to the round of 16. All 16 teams after the first phase move on to the round of 16, where groups cross over based on the A1-B4, A2-B3 principle, and so on. The matches continue until the grand final on July 6.
It’s clear that coach Vuleta Avdalović and his team are facing serious problems both in gameplay and psychological pressure. Whether they can bounce back and show their true potential in the upcoming games remains to be seen. But one thing is certain — this defeat won’t be forgotten easily, and criticism and questions about the future of Serbian junior basketball have already begun.
If you thought this was just another game, think again. This is a wake-up call for all Serbian basketball. And you, dear readers, what do you think — is this the end of an era or just a bad day for our boys? Drop a comment, let the people’s voice be heard!
