Sports

[Akoss Poo a.k.a. Zorromeister]

Hey, French! Can you tell me what he Mr. Pat Cortina is saying in an interview? I'm not asking to translate the whole, please only shortly sum it up for me - I'm very very curious. Thanks!

http://www.hockeyarchives.info/interviews/cortina.htm

[Krys TOFF]

I'm too lazy to make a summary, and I'm not sure to keep only the informations that YOU want Akoss.
So, here is a full translation (mostly automatic, I corrected some French words that were not translated) :

Interview of Stalemate Cortina


After being replaced of the station of selector of Italy because the federation had a new project at the head (camp of drive in Canada with players of Italian extraction, entrusted to Mickey Goulet), Pat Cortina became trainer of the national team of Hungary at the same time as of the club of Alba Vol?n. With the championship of the world of division I of Amiens, it finished in fourth position of the group.


- This championship of the world gave the results awaited for Hungary... except this last match against Japan.

Yes, it is that. We were tired, and that compromised our last result. Our objective here was a medal, and we arrived from there rather near.

I believe however, like underlined it the Japanese coach, which it is necessary to give of the importance for the fact that one played the day before against Germany and that one tried to gain the match. The fact of having even been in string for gold is a compliment with my players. I am disappointed that they set out again the empty hands.

But it was shown that one was there. The matches as that against Germany are important for Hungary. It is very proud people, and when the national teams have success, that helps much this sport.


- the carryforward of the Hungary-Israel match lent to polemic in the Hungarian press. Did it really disturb you ?

Yes, we are all the same the only team to have had to play four matches in five days - with of course Israel. Even if this match could appear easier, the following were not it at all, and to connect with France, Germany and Japan, it were really not easy.

Hardest, it was the fact of having to change. Questions were put : "why now", "why only us ?"... It was necessary to work to try to bring back the concentration.


- will Hungary be able to aim at the accession in elite soon?

For a few years still, our objective will have to be to play five goods matches. The executives of our team are growing old. From the athletic point of view, we are not same level as Japan or France. It is a problem of working conditions : the players should not be good athletes to have success, they can have bad habits and rest during all the summer. Like there is not much competition, the players can have a place in the team even with an unacceptable physical condition.


- This message is it listened ?

Not. The conditions around the team do not force the players to work. Admittedly I also make pass this message with my club Alba Vol?n, but I could not really change the things.


- is there a changing in Hungary ? Does the relegation of less than 18 years in residence mark a brake application ?

The situation of less than eighteen years unfortunately was not very well managed, because it was not the priority of the federation. It is sure that it is not in division II that they will be able to develop, but their place is in division I world.

There are some young people, like Hegyi, who made the preparation with us and who will be integrated the next year. The problem is that they were not put to the test, because the championships juniors in Hungary are not competitive. In the world of the men, one is tested tous.les.jours. But as the championship is too easy, the players develop bad habits and take pleasure in old ways of making.

The next year, we will have also the reinforcement of three naturalized : Roger Holeczy, a Am?ricano-Hungarian, Omar Henafati, a Canadian of Moroccan father and Hungarian mother, and Rastislav Ondrejcik, Slovak. It is Alba Vol?n which had recruited them, because that interests the clubs to have young people with the Hungarian roots.

Their presence will enable us to save time. One will be able to thus work with young people and nevertheless to remain in the group B.


- You had very hierarchical lines here, it is a principle ?

Usually, I rather disperse my best players on various lines. I had tried to make it front, and it appeared that it was not the best thing for our team. It was thus the most logical way to make to face this championship of the world. When we have a good center with Holeczy, plus Janos Vas which was retained in AHL this season, we will have what to make better lines.


- Gabor Ocskay was stopped a few months for cardiac problems the last season. Was its return important for you ?

Yes Gabor, it is a complete player, who works extremely and is a good athlete. It is a "good guy", like you say in France. He passed through his problems. Its heart is very very large, from the metaphorical point of view too.


- There are promising indices for Hungarian hockey. One speaks much about Budapest Stars (club assembled by parents of players who assembled oneself starting from the small categories).

Yes, all the initiatives are positive. Since five years and half which I am in Hungary, five skating rinks opened. That, it is really a very important step.


- What brought the trainer ?rp?d Kercs? to Budapest Stars ? One announces his replacement by Robert Spisak for the next season.

Ah ? I did not know. Kercs?, it is a Su?do-Hungarian, who comes from Djurg?rdens IF where it was at good school. Its assets are in the organization and technical work.

What Budapest Stars did, it is to attach more importance to the development and less to the results. If not, when one makes play the best, those who do not have the level drop. They do not have fun, therefore they release hockey. Perhaps that will make it possible to have more players in Hungarian hockey.


- do the clubs seniors of Budapest (UTE and CTF) start to become more competitive ?

Only one of them is competitive, ?jpest. But on another side, one is likely to lose Duna?jv?ros because of his financial problems. To have a team in the capital helps with publicity, but from a technical point of view, it is similar. To have Alba Vol?n plus another club, that is not enough, it is necessary some more. But in any event would, where seek the players ? One will need ten to fifteen years before there is more, with the development of the new skating rinks.


- the Slovenien club of Jesenice required to integrate the Austrian championship. Which will be the repercussions for Interliga and thus for Hungary ?

In my opinion, if Jesenice plays in the Austrian championship, there is no more International League. It adversaries should be found elsewhere, to perhaps turn to Poland. To remain right with the Hungarian championship, it is not possible, it does not have there what.


- Which was the contribution of the players of NHL which evolved/moved in Hungary the last season ?

That brought a little publicity. If one knows a little Budapest, one knows that these players did not come to play hockey, but to have fun. But good, it was important for the Hungarian hockeyeurs of c?toyer this kind of players.


- You knew a federation of the sports of ice in Italy and a federation of hockey in Hungary. What brings independence ?

It is more practical to decide, even if it is perhaps less strong, with less weight. The decision-making process is less long. If there are the means, in Hungary, one does what there is to do. In Italy, the means exist, but before putting them in?uvre, one needed the support of the majority of the politicians.


- do you Follow the topicality of Italian hockey ?

Not, not much. I still live in Italy, with the Valley di Fassa, but to tell the truth, I am especially football and Milan...


- It seems that Alvise di Canossa (president of Milan) and Nilo Riva (president of Alleghe), formerly symbols of poles to the opposed ideas, worked together on a project of league. There do you see a positive sign ?

If that is born, it is very positive. But I in arrived in 1988, and there is a thing which I never saw, it is all the Italian hockey which works for the good of Italian hockey. That made twenty years that there are always the same problems.


- did the club frioulan of Pontebba gain the A2 series and should assemble in A. Interesting to develop Italian hockey ?

It would be well for Italian hockey to see a new area represented, but it is not sure that they can play in A. Pontebba had already had to fight so that its team is allowed in the second division, because the other clubs were not interested to go to play over there and make displacement.


- Italy has skating rinks of which it does not do anything. What makes Hungary like effort of development ?

The federation is very active in this field, in particular the secretary-general Zolt?n Kov?cs, who works very extremely in all these projects of new skating rinks.

There is full with things which it is possible to make and whose Italy could be inspired. In Hungary, one sends the national team to patinate with the young people, one helps with the organization and one implies oneself in the development of hockey.


- will you continue your mission for Hungary until this development carries its fruits ?

I spent two years and half formidable in Hungary, I discovered a simple and practical world. People give all that they have, it is easy to work. I will continue to think of Hungarian hockey.

But it acts of my livelihood. The national team, that accounts for three to four weeks per annum, and me and my small daughter let us not live of that.


- Alba Vol?, is it finished ?

Yes I worked hard every day. We gained three championships, it does not have there juniors in the team, we reach the end of a cycle. Under these conditions, to start a new cycle, there are two solutions : either one changes ten or twelve players, or one changes trainer. With the means of the club, the first assumption is excluded, because it is not at its competitors that it will be able to find players, it does not have as much of it there. Therefore, it is the wisest decision which the organization made.


- For this tournament, you reinforced your staff with Diego Scandella, trainer of the juniors of Lugano.

Yes, it is a colleague and a buddy. It is not because one seeks to bring his friends in the entourage, but one tries to find somebody who is quasi-voluntary. Because one of the problems in Hungary, it is that one does not have qualified trainers.


- What misses with the trainers who worked there up to now ?

Technically, the Czechs and Slovak made good job. On the other hand, tactiquement, in the team game and the physical condition, there are gaps.


- Towards which nationalities would it be necessary to be turned in your opinion ?

I am enough amateur of the Scandinavian nations. I think that it is necessary to look towards the Finns. It is enough to take as example what Slovenia [ note did : who had a Finnish trainer these two last years ], which appears a realistic objective for Hungary. In the means and the level, it is comparable, one is there, and they make good job.


- Since you in the search of a club, could you are return to Italy ?

I worked in Italy and there I could have remained, after all my family is there and I miss my small daughter. But it is necessary to try to find a club competitive, which plays the title, because there is too much in Italy which are satisfied of a fifth or a sixth place. I am 42 years old, I still have too much fire in me, I cannot be satisfied with a semi-classification, except if there is a medium-term project to become competitive to four or five years.


- And which is your opinion on French hockey ?

There are good players, a good technique. It is a play enough exciting. One will see this evening if it is also effective


[ interview carried out before France - Germany] (Krys TOFF addition : Germany 5 - 0 France :shock:  :lol: )

Remarks collected on April 30, 2006 per Branchy Marc

[BonzaiJoe]

Stalemate Cortina  :lol:

[Krys TOFF]

Stalemate Cortina  :lol:

LOL ! I didn't notice that "Pat" was translated this way. :lol:

[CTG]

Women handball:

Graboplast ETO KC - Ferencv?ros in action. Last round of the championship, ETO is leading by one point in overall against Ferencv?ros. Equation is easy: the winner will be the champion. BUT! Both teams played in international cup finals' first match last weekend and the re-match will be soon. So it's a bit more difficult: which one is more important? To play with reserve team, losing the championship and having more chance with fit top players in Cup Winner's Cup (ETO)/EHF Cup (Ferencv?ros)? Or will they focus on the championship's prestige. We will see soon.

Go, G?rbicz, go!

[CTG]

CELEBRATION BEGINS!!!  

Graboplast ETO KC - Ferencv?ros 26-25 (14-13)
Gy?r, 2200 n?z?
v.: Dobrovits, T?jok

ETO: M?rtel 7, G?rbicz 6, B?di 4, V?rten 4, Lazer 2, Bradeanu 2, Juh?sz 1.

Ferencv?ros: Kirsner 5, Kamper 5, Szamor?nszky 3, T?th T. 3, Uhrakova 3, Laluska 2, Szucs?nszki 2, Valovic 1, Horv?th 1

[Akoss Poo a.k.a. Zorromeister]

Btw I forgot to mention:

In the Hungarian volleyball championship final (men):

Vegy?sz RC Kazincbarcika - Kom?ta-Kaposv?r 3-2 :D:D

Kazincbarcika-Kaposv?r 3:0
Kaposv?r-Kazincbarcika 3:2
Kazincbarcika-Kaposv?r 3:0
Kaposv?r-Kazincbarcika 3:2
Kazincbarcika-Kaposv?r 3:0

In the Hungarian Cup Final:

Kazincbarcika-Kaposv?r 2:3 :twisted:

[Akoss Poo a.k.a. Zorromeister]

skid off MKB Veszpr?m KC!!! Forever Pick-Szeged!!!

Ice hockey WCH, my tip for the final (played tonight):

Sweden - Czech Republic 4-2

[CTG]

Smelly-dirty Podgorica!!!

Gy?ri Graboplast ETO KC-Buducnost Podgorica (SCG) 23-26 (10-14)
Winner: Podgorica, 51-48

Poor G?rbicz, she scored 11 times but nobody else could play wellin this final.

ETO reached international cup finals 5 times (twice against Viborg, once against Ikast, Cornexi and Podgorica) in the last 10 years - we have 5 silver medals. Mental problems? Refrees are dirty? Dunno but it's annoying.

Smelly-dirty Jorge Barrios!!! He won with a super lucky punch and with a super insultive pre-history of the match. Nagy couldn't do the warm-up training before the match because the organizers disturbed him with ignoring/accepting/ignoring his hand bandage. Barrios is a better fighter but 1st round KO is too early. As a realistic boxing fan I say that this knockout would be normal in the 9th-10th round (if he can do the warmup) or with a minimal luck Nagy could survive all the 12 rounds and lose by 116-112 or 117-111.

"In the co-feature bout, Jorge Rodrigo Barrios successfully defended his WBO Junior Lightweight title with a one punch knockout over previously-unbeaten Janos Nagy. The southpaw Nagy was content to use lateral movement as he circled Barrios. Barrios would work behind a jab in attempt to land to the body. Waiting for the right moment, Barrios landed a left hook to the body of Nagy. After a few seconds, Nagy took a knee and winced in pain. Before the count of 10, Nagy stood up in pain, prompting referee Raul Caiz, Jr. to stop the fight at 49 seconds of the round.

After the fight, Barrios was not surprised with the knockout. "I knew I landed a good punch on him," said Barrios, who won the title over Mike Anchondo last year. "If I was going to knock him out, I thought it was going to be a right hand to the head." Asked about future plans, Barrios responded, "I would like to fight the winner of Barrera versus Juarez." Nagy was diplomatic in defeat. "I feel very bad about the way the fight ended. It was a legal punch. I have never been hit like that before." Barrios, from Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, improves to 46-2-1, 33 KO's. Nagy, from Budapest, Hungary, drops to 24-1, 13 KO's."

[DieselJoe]

Germans! Did anybody watch Universum Box Promotion's event on ZDF last weekend?

No! BoooooOOOOOoooOOOooOOOoring! 

[Krys TOFF]

French guys: do you know anything about Fabrice Tiozzo's career? Will he really retire? I hope not. Zsolt Erdei must kick his ass once.

Yes, he decided to stop because he was tired of waiting the fight versus a real oponent. He didn't consider the Argentinan Hugo Hernan Guara? (fight was planned 19th of november) as a real opponent for him. He was waiting the 100% Frecnh fight versus Jean-Marc Mormeck for almost 2 years (that would mean for Tiozzo to change his weight category) and it has always been delayed...

It was the 19th of October that he announced his decision to retire, but 5 days later he told that he will keep his training "just in case". So, maybe a 2nd come-back is possible for him if the fight versus Mormeck is finally planned.

For information, Fabrice Tiozzo had 48 victories and only 2 defeats, both versus the American Virgil Hill (1993 and 2000).

[JTK]

Handball World Cup 2007 in Germany - YES, I've got tickets for the 22nd of January in Kiel (!):

• Hungary - Angola (Hungary should definitely win)
• Denmark - Norway (Denmark, of course!)

That will be a nice day... 

[JTK]

We will kick their negro ass.

For me it would be enough if Hungary simply wins by lplaying Handball... 

[JTK]

Well - if Hungary does not win, that will be a real shame! (Also for the Danish!)

[Akoss Poo a.k.a. Zorromeister]

I must say it, I know BJ and JTK will be pleased.

Congrats, of course. All in all I'm satisfied with the German results, they were better in the end than I have thought of. By the way - where does Nikola Karabatic play? Right, THW Kiel!  :-D

Well, THW Kiel will have to face a very difficult opponent in the 1/4 finals of the Champions' League: MKB Veszpr?m KC (HUN).