Mejeris: Latvia's national team couldn't withstand Croatian physicality, but kept ability to fight back
Latvian basketball player Mejeris said the national team failed to cope with its opponent's physical play in a tune-up game against Croatia, though he praised the team's ability to recover from tough stretches. Latvia opens the second round of World Cup qualifiers on August 27 away to Croatia.
Latvian national basketball team veteran Mejeris said after a warm-up match that the team was unable to fully withstand the opponent's physical style of play, though the situation was eased somewhat by the absence of several tall Croatian players, which made the game more dynamic. He noted the team committed too many turnovers on offense — 12 in total, with 10 of them occurring in the first half alone.
According to Mejeris, part of the mistakes stemmed from risky offensive decisions provoked by the opponent's defensive pressure. In the second half, the team adjusted and began choosing safer options, reducing the risk taken on offense.
Familiar with Bagatskis' style
Mejeris is one of two players in the current national team squad who has previously played under coach Ainars Bagatskis with the national team, and he has also faced Bagatskis-coached clubs from Poland and Romania. In his view, Bagatskis' approach is the same whether coaching the national team or a club — his teams play offense-oriented basketball but force opponents into risky decisions on defense. Mejeris recalled that when he played for the national team under Bagatskis, a lot was demanded of the young players, who were given freedom on offense while being encouraged to take defensive risks to force turnovers.
Ability to bounce back
While Mejeris opened the interview by criticizing the team's physicality, he highlighted a positive element — the ability to recover after poor stretches. Twice during the game Latvia trailed by ten points, but both times the team managed to fight back without letting the deficit grow further. At the same time, he acknowledged the performance was uneven overall, calling it both a positive and negative sign, and said the team needs to build genuine confidence before official qualifiers begin.
Mejeris also confirmed that training so far has focused on the team's own performance rather than analyzing World Cup qualifying opponents. Latvia will open the second round of World Cup qualifiers on August 27 with an away match against Croatia, followed by a home game against Israel in Riga on August 30.
