Kwiek: “All the matches are finals”
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, January 9, 2020 - Marcos
Kwiek, the Brazilian coach of the Dominican Republic in the
NORCECA Tokyo 2020 Women's Qualifier, says that in a short
tournament all the games are finals while dismissing the
label of favorite for his team despite the home factor.
Marcos Kwiek, coach of Dominican Republic: “It is a
short tournament so you have to play every match as a final.
All four teams come here prepared. There are no favorites.
You have to play all of them avoiding mistakes. Our team is
an experienced one and will go out looking for the victory
respecting the team on the other side of the net.”
On playing at home:
“You always like to play in front of your fans but it also
can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes players get anxious
but the visiting teams also feel the extra pressure.”
José Mieles, coach of Puerto Rico:
“It is going to be a very interesting tournament for the
four selections. We are going to take it step by step, game
by game. Now the most important match for me is the one
against Canada which is the first. We are optimistic trying
to complete the Olympic dream. A lot of enthusiasm and
desire. Knowing the situation of Puerto Rico (recent
earthquake) we have a commitment with our people and our
families.”
Tom Black, coach of Canada:
“We are excited to compete and we have an excellent training
block to prepare. There are three other high-quality teams
in the tournament. We believe we have a talented group here
and the team have been responding very well since last
year.”
Gabriela Alarcón, coach of Mexico:
“For the first time in many years we are able to put
together our first team. I hope we can reach our optimal
level after just two weeks of training in Monterrey. As far
as we have the chance of the Olympic ticket we will be going
after it. I am confident of the group of players I have this
time.”