Re(1): French Fried: No Garcia In Colonia Is No Bueno Posted on October 18, 2026 at 05:14:38 PM by BigMucho
By way of a Sunday update, perhaps my original message should now be retitled "French Fried To A Crisp." What's more embarrassing for France, today's predictable b-slapping by team Euskadi, or the fact that the Belgians actually invented French fries in the first place?
But congrats to team France, they appear likely to now achieve a lofty third place finish out of the field of three cesta punta teams competing in Colonia. Enjoy the bronze!
[Note that it's not really possible to say that Spain qualified as a fourth competing team given that they chose not to send any world class level delanteros across the pond who had any chance of winning. Wouldn't it have been nice to see a team like Txanika-Bailo or Txanika-Salegi represent Spain and actually be highly competitive, or even a team fronted by Goixerri?]
And where in the world did team USA find these amazing undefeated Sorozabal brothers who are now headed to the finals? Why can't France ever find guys like that? (Hint: next time try looking in Bayonne).
In the end, what might be even more amazing about this French mess than its dubious initial player selections was the mind bogglingly incompetent coaching demonstrated in Colonia. For example, the world's best JAL zaguero this year, Basque, was benched in the middle of his first partido, and then didn't even play in France's must-win partido today needed to make the finals. Unless Basque is somehow injured or ill, that is simply absurd. Also in today's must-win partido, the French started the completely inexperienced 22 year old Libois in the front court over Laduche, despite the facts that Libois has never won anything in his careeer, is a deeply flawed player with no right side, and had no business even being in Colonia in the first place. Predictably, the French team quickly fell behind by 19-6 to Euskadi , and then their knee-jerk coaches panicked and benched Libois in the middle of the partido in order to bring in an ice cold Laduche off the bench. That is incredibly stupid coaching that is bad for the players, the team, and the fans.
And all the while the vastly superior Garcia continues to chill his heels in Bidart...
Tiger's Jai-Alai Chalk Talk
