Recently, it appears that there is never an opportune moment for the Dreamland Gran Canaria Canary derby against The Tenerife Lagoon, as evidenced by the staggering statistic of 9-1 in favour of the Laguneros during the last ten encounters. This record highlights the clear support for Tenerife in today’s contest (12:00 p.m., #Vamos) at the Arena, irrespective of what Jaka Lakovic, the Claretian coach, claims about there being “no favourite” in these local rivalries. Adding to the difficult circumstances for the yellows, this clash comes at an unfortunate time, following the confirmation of a ruptured cruciate ligament in the right knee of Carlos Alocen. This injury has resulted in numerous collateral effects for the Gran Canaria team, as their entire rotation is disrupted by the loss of their prime player. Mehdy Ngouama, the third baseman, does not present a viable solution, as Lakovic would need to sacrifice one of his non-spots to include the Frenchman in the lineup, a situation made worse by the aggravation of an impingement in Lakovic’s hip. It appears unlikely that Mike Tobey will be available.
The Slovenian coach pointed towards the possibility of using Caleb Homesley in that role; however, he does not see the youth player Dylan Bordón as ready to take on that responsibility. Furthermore, he prioritises Jovan Kljajic over the Argentine when it comes to allowing Andrew Albicy to rest.
From across the pond, La Laguna Tenerife’s coach, Txus Vidorreta, continues to resist acknowledging the role of favourite, as is customary in nearly all derbies. In the previous match, the Bilbao coach made a broad statement, comparing David (his team) to Goliath (Granca), even though the budget allocated by the Laguneros for their first-team squad surpasses that of the Claretians. In this second-round matchup, the Basque continues to fan the flames, asserting that they will aim to “cause another upset” when his team arrives at the Arena as the fourth seed in the King’s Cup and the Endesa League, with a fully available and rested squad after an entire week of preparation for the confrontation, while their opponents had to compete in European competition last Wednesday in Lithuania.
The battle beneath the hoops
If the duel between the point guards seems increasingly skewed in favour of the Aurinegros due to Carlos Alocén’s absence compelling the Yellows to seek an emergency alternative, the centres present a similarly disproportionate scenario. Unless there is a dramatic last-minute change, Lakovic has confirmed Mike Tobey’s participation in the derby despite the impingement affecting his hip, which will enable him to play albeit at reduced capacity. This situation grants an additional edge to La Laguna Tenerife, which is further motivated by Fran Guerra, the sole Gran Canarian in the derby, and especially Gio Shermadini, who consistently poses a significant challenge for Granca. This encounter serves as a crucial test for George Conditt IV, who must exercise caution in his defensive play to avoid early foul trouble, and for Massamba Diop, who has a substantial opportunity to prove his worth.
