UPDATE--ADDED FEBRUARY 11, 2020. EITB ADDED THE FULL MATCH VIDEO OF THE FINAL TO IT'S "ALA CARTA" MENU IN EARLY FEBRUARY. A LINK TO THAT VIDEO CAN BE FOUND BELOW. ALSO COMPLETE EITB SCORING HAS BEEN ADDED, WHICH MAKES FOR A VERY INTERESTING COMPARISON WITH THE DEIA SCORING ALREADY PROVIDED BELOW. COMPLETE CONDENSED JOKO LINESCORES HAVE ALSO BEEN ADDED.
2019-20 Liga Kutxabank
InnPala Player Pages
2019-20 Liga Kutxabank
InnPala Player Pages
5 teams (the entire InnPala roster)
Gaubeka-Garate
Gaubeka-Garate
Fusto-Gordon
Landeta-Ibai Perez
Ibarguren-Ibargarai
Necol-Urrutia (defending champions)
Benat Ibarguren (Mundo Deportivo), after an extended "tryout" during the Summer, has joined the InnPala team as a delantero (front). Ibon Garate (Mundo Deportivo), in only his 2nd season on the roster, is making the transition from delantero to zaguero (back), a difficult task at any time, but especially so at the beginning of a major competition. It will be interesting to follow his progress. The recently retired Imanol Ibanez (1-(Deia) (2-Mundo Deportivo) (3-InnPala), one of best backs of his era, made the same transition and won this tournament as both delantero and zaguero (see below).
Benat Ibarguren (Mundo Deportivo), after an extended "tryout" during the Summer, has joined the InnPala team as a delantero (front). Ibon Garate (Mundo Deportivo), in only his 2nd season on the roster, is making the transition from delantero to zaguero (back), a difficult task at any time, but especially so at the beginning of a major competition. It will be interesting to follow his progress. The recently retired Imanol Ibanez (1-(Deia) (2-Mundo Deportivo) (3-InnPala), one of best backs of his era, made the same transition and won this tournament as both delantero and zaguero (see below).
This was a double round robin with each team playing 8 matches. All matches were played on the short court at Bizkaia, Bilbo (Bilbao) (1) (2). The standings were based on joko (set) victories. Match wins and losses did not figure into the calculation. The 1st place team automatically qualified for the Final. A Semi-final between the 2nd and 3rd place teams determined the other finalist.
I am experimenting with counting "saves," a variable that perhaps gives a bit of insight into the defensive side of BP sports. I define a save as an excellent play that keeps the point alive. It is, obviously, a subjective judgment, and yours may be different from mine. Saves include going on the apron (running or diving), going into the left wall, backs running far into the front court, fronts covering the back, direct off the front wall returns of very high shots, and any successful rebotes, among others. As a subjective experiment in judgment, I hope to get those with much more knowledge than I interested in keeping the statistic. A save is like art. It may be difficult to define, but one "knows it when one sees it." I will also provide the number of saves as a percentage of the total balls in play.
Source for all statistics (except "saves") is EITB, unless otherwise specifically stated.
As with all competitions of this duration, read from the bottom up in order to follow La Liga chronologically.
Note: at the bottom of the post is a listing of historical Final and selected other results of this competition, going back to 2006. Links to match articles, competition structures, and selected videos are also available.
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Innpala Information Brochure (players, rules, complete calendar)
January 4, 2020
FINAL
Match Preview (Deia)
Match Preview (Mundo Deportivo)
Feature Article (Mundo Deportivo) The article discusses the importance of Estaban Gaubeka in the upcoming Final.
Gaubeka-Garate (#3) 1 (EITB--added February 11, 2020). Match begins at 48:00 on the video).
(10-8, 10-8, 6-10, 10-8) (36-34)
Best Points:
Joko 1: (1:00:52--1:02:10) Point 12 (5-6--6-6) (28 balls in play, 5 saves, 2--including 1 rebote by Garate)
Joko 4: (1:40:05--1:41:15) Point 3 (0-2--1-2) (24 balls in play, 6 saves, Gaubeka makes the shot of the match, an outside rebote save from behind the 7 line on the apron that leads to Gau-Gar winning the point).
Joko 4 (1:41:15--1:43:39) Point 4 (1-2--1-3) (34 balls in play, 9 saves, Necol 5 saves)
Condensed Joko Linescores (match winners always listed 1st).
J1--1-0 Necol-Urrutia
0-1; 2-1; 2-2; (Garate service fault 1) 3-2; 3-3; 4-3; 4-5; 5-5; 5-6; (28 ball point, 5 saves): 6-6; 6-7; 8-7; 8-8; 10-8
8 equal scores, 3 lead changes, largest lead, 2 points (10-8).
J2--2-0 Necol-Urrutia
(Garate f2) 1-0 2-0; 2-2; 3-2; 3-3; 4-3; 4-5; 5-5; 5-7; 7-7; 7-8; (Garate f3) 8-8; (Garate error) 9-8; 10-8
6 equal scores, 2 lead changes, largest lead, 2 points (10-8)
J3--2-1 Necol-Urrutia
2-0; 3-2; 3-5; (Garate f4) 4-5; 5-5; 5-8; 6-8; 6-10 (Garate +3 -1 in this joko)
3 equal scores, 1 lead change, largest lead, 4 points (6-10)
J4--3-1 Necol-Urrutia
2-0; (24 balls in play, 6 saves and the shot of the match, a brilliant rebote save by Gaubeka) 2-1; (34 bip, 9 saves) 3-1 ; 4-1; 4-2; 6-2; 6-3; (Garate f5) 7-3; 7-4; 8-4; 8-7; 9-7; 9-8; 10-8
0 equal scores, 0 lead changes, largest lead, 4 points (7-3).
For the match, 17 equal scores, 5 lead changes.
Scoring: (EITB)
Full match:
Necol +11 -12; Urrutia +11 -5
Gaubeka +10 -3; Garate +7 -11
Total scoring for the match: +39 (.557) -31 (.443)
Balls in play: 530
Necol 126; Urrutia 140; Gaubeka 126; Garate 138
Non-error %: .942
Saves: 81
Necol 18; Urrutia 18(including 1 rebote save)
Gaubeka 23(1r); Garate 22(2r)
Save % (saves/bip) .153
Time of the match: 62:23
Average balls per point: 7.57
Average time per point: 0:53.
Individual Joko Scoring:
Necol +5 -3; Urrutia +1 -1
Gaubeka +3 -0; Garate +1 -4
Total scoring: +10 -8
Balls in play: 159
Necol 37; Urrutia 43; Gaubeka 37; Garate 42
Saves: 20
Necol 4; Urrutia 8; Gaubeka 3; Garate 5(1r)
Necol +2 -2; Urrutia +4 -2
Gaubeka +2 -1; Garate +2 -3
Total scoring: +10 -8
Balls in play: 115
Necol 30; Urrutia 29; Gaubeka 28; Garate 28
Saves: 14
Necol 5; Urrutia 4(1r); Gaubeka 4; Garate 1
Necol +2 -5; Urrutia +3 -1
Gaubeka +1 -0; Garate +3 -1
Total scoring: +9 -7
Balls in play: 114
Necol 29; Urrutia 26; Gaubeka 24; Garate 35
Saves: 22
Necol: 1; Urrutia 4; Gaubeka 7; Garate 10(1r)
J4--10-8
Necol +2 -2; Urrutia +3 -1
Gaubeka +4 -2; Garate +1 -3
Total scoring: +10 -8
Balls in play: 142
Necol 30; Urrutia 42; Gaubeka 37; Garate 33
Saves: 25
Necol 8; Urrutia 2; Gaubeka 9(1r); Garate 6
+++++
Scoring: (Deia):
Necol +8 -14; Urrutia +4 -7 (including 2 service faults)
Gaubeka +9 -4; Garate +4 (including 2 service aces) -20(5f)
Total scoring for the match: +25 (.357) -45 (.643)
Balls in play: 530
Non-error %: .915
Time of the match: 62:33
Average balls per point: 7.57
Average time per point (total match time, no playing time was given): 0.57
Attendance: about 1,000
Average balls per point: 7.57
Average time per point (total match time, no playing time was given): 0.57
Attendance: about 1,000
Match Article (Deia)
Match Article (Mundo Deportivo)
Match Article (Noticias de Gipuzkoa)
Match Article (Intersport Dax Facebook) (added January 16, 2020)
Match Article (Sud Ouest via Dan Necol Facebook--article is a facsimile of the newspaper, simply increase the size of the page to read it)
Match Article (en24 News--English)
Awards Ceremony (video--0:49) (Dan Necol Facebook)
9 photos (Dan Necol Facebook)
Match Article (Intersport Dax Facebook) (added January 16, 2020)
Match Article (Sud Ouest via Dan Necol Facebook--article is a facsimile of the newspaper, simply increase the size of the page to read it)
Match Article (en24 News--English)
Awards Ceremony (video--0:49) (Dan Necol Facebook)
9 photos (Dan Necol Facebook)
N-I won the Liga Kutxabank for the 2nd consecutive year, the first time that has occurred in this competition. They finished with a perfect 9-0 match record and a joko (set) record of 27-7. They also increased their winning streak in the Liga to 14, going back to 2019. It was Dan Necol's 3rd Liga championship and Iker Urrutia's 2nd, the most, along with Ibai Perez, for a back. 42 year old Esteban Gaubeka is now 4-4 in Liga finals going back to 2006. Of the Liga Championships I have found data for, he has played in the most Finals. He and 39 year old Pablo Hernan "Fusto" have won the most Liga championships. with 4. Ibon Garate, remarkably, in his first Liga as a back, came within 1 match of a championship.
The final linescore (3-1) tells us much less than the final actual point score (36-34). The entire match hinged on 5 points (3 in the 2nd joko and 2 in the 4th). Had the results been different, it may have been 3-1 the other way, or, more likely, a 5 joko classic. The first thing you might notice reading the individual joko scores above, is that Ibon Garate, recently converted from delantero to zaguero by InnPala, had 5 service faults, including, crucially 2 in the 2nd joko that helped cost his team the joko. This is not particularly surprising for a palista playing a new position in a grueling 8 match Liga, followed by a semi-final and final. As Garate is not as comfortable with his service game, the pressure of the match may have unnerved him. But he also played some excellent Pala Larga, particularly in the 3rd Joko (Gau-Gar's only win), where he was +3 -1 and had half of all the rebote saves in the match.
The 1st joko was tremendously competitive, as the 8 equal scores and 3 lead changes show. Gau-Gar had a 7-6 lead but then N-U won 4 of the last 5 points to win. This was perhaps the best joko in terms of quality play in the match. It was highlighted by a 28 ball point 12 (5-6--6-6) that featured 5 saves, including 2 (1 rebote) by Garate.
The 2nd joko was the one that turned the match. With an 8-7 lead and an equalizer 2 points away, Garate faulted to tie the score and then made a simple error to give N-U a 9-8 lead. They then finished the set and 1-1 quickly became 2-0.
After 2 jokos where Gau-Gar led late in the joko, they faced a 0-2 deficit.
Gau-Gar then played their best joko of the match, and that, along with a poor joko from Necol (+2 -5, which gave Gau-Gar half their points), cut the deficit to 2-1.
In the 4th joko Gaubeka made one of his 3 errors for the match to give
N-U a 2-0 lead. Then came the two points that sealed the match. 58 balls in play and 15 saves, including the save of the match, perhaps the save of the season, by Gaubeka, a remarkable outside rebote save from behind the 7 line AND on the apron. 3 minutes and 34 seconds of the best pala larga action you will see. The teams split the points, with errors ironically ending each (Necol and Garate). But they seemed to deflate Gau-Gar, as the joko quickly went from 3-1 to 7-3, the 7th point coming on Garate's 5th and final fault. Even then, Gau-Gar kept up the fight, going on a 5-2 run. But it wasn't enough, as N-U closed out the joko and the match.
A final note on scoring. If nothing else, this match showed just how subjective BP scoring can be. According to Deia the total match score was +25 -45, while EITB had it +39 -31. The biggest individual discrepancy was Garate's score, which Deia had at +4 -20(5 faults) and EITB had at +7 -11(5 faults), Deia was much harsher than EITB, and my sense, after watching the match closely, was that Garate had a much better match than one who had only read the Deia scoring might think. Other discrepancies:
Necol (Deia) +8 -14; EITB +11 -12
Urrutia (Deia) +4-7; EITB +11 -5
Gaubeka (Deia) +9 -4; EITB +10 -3
The discrepancies in the back court are particularly large, and seem to imply that any time a zaguero hit a pelota too high, too low, or off the court, he was likely to be debited an error. Particularly Garate. I strongly disagree with this philosophy (one that is also found in much of Canal +'s scoring of Cesta Punta). Pala Larga, because of the implement and inherent control difficulty, simply does not work like Mano or Cesta Punta. Being unable to return a Necol rocket implies that he has hit the ball through the zaguero, who was able to make contact, but without any control. That is a signature Necol winner, not a zaguero error.
Simply put, if you relied on Deia's scoring (as I had to before EITB provided the video and another set of scoring for the match), you would completely miss the fact that Urrutia played a magnificent match, showing great range and defensive ability. And you would think that Garate was hitting every shot with his "eyes closed." If you watch the match, you will see that this is simply not the case. I believe very strongly that, though Deia provided an excellent match article, they "dropped the pelota" with regard to their scoring. I encourage you to watch the match and decide for yourself.
+++++
The final linescore (3-1) tells us much less than the final actual point score (36-34). The entire match hinged on 5 points (3 in the 2nd joko and 2 in the 4th). Had the results been different, it may have been 3-1 the other way, or, more likely, a 5 joko classic. The first thing you might notice reading the individual joko scores above, is that Ibon Garate, recently converted from delantero to zaguero by InnPala, had 5 service faults, including, crucially 2 in the 2nd joko that helped cost his team the joko. This is not particularly surprising for a palista playing a new position in a grueling 8 match Liga, followed by a semi-final and final. As Garate is not as comfortable with his service game, the pressure of the match may have unnerved him. But he also played some excellent Pala Larga, particularly in the 3rd Joko (Gau-Gar's only win), where he was +3 -1 and had half of all the rebote saves in the match.
The 1st joko was tremendously competitive, as the 8 equal scores and 3 lead changes show. Gau-Gar had a 7-6 lead but then N-U won 4 of the last 5 points to win. This was perhaps the best joko in terms of quality play in the match. It was highlighted by a 28 ball point 12 (5-6--6-6) that featured 5 saves, including 2 (1 rebote) by Garate.
The 2nd joko was the one that turned the match. With an 8-7 lead and an equalizer 2 points away, Garate faulted to tie the score and then made a simple error to give N-U a 9-8 lead. They then finished the set and 1-1 quickly became 2-0.
After 2 jokos where Gau-Gar led late in the joko, they faced a 0-2 deficit.
Gau-Gar then played their best joko of the match, and that, along with a poor joko from Necol (+2 -5, which gave Gau-Gar half their points), cut the deficit to 2-1.
In the 4th joko Gaubeka made one of his 3 errors for the match to give
N-U a 2-0 lead. Then came the two points that sealed the match. 58 balls in play and 15 saves, including the save of the match, perhaps the save of the season, by Gaubeka, a remarkable outside rebote save from behind the 7 line AND on the apron. 3 minutes and 34 seconds of the best pala larga action you will see. The teams split the points, with errors ironically ending each (Necol and Garate). But they seemed to deflate Gau-Gar, as the joko quickly went from 3-1 to 7-3, the 7th point coming on Garate's 5th and final fault. Even then, Gau-Gar kept up the fight, going on a 5-2 run. But it wasn't enough, as N-U closed out the joko and the match.
A final note on scoring. If nothing else, this match showed just how subjective BP scoring can be. According to Deia the total match score was +25 -45, while EITB had it +39 -31. The biggest individual discrepancy was Garate's score, which Deia had at +4 -20(5 faults) and EITB had at +7 -11(5 faults), Deia was much harsher than EITB, and my sense, after watching the match closely, was that Garate had a much better match than one who had only read the Deia scoring might think. Other discrepancies:
Necol (Deia) +8 -14; EITB +11 -12
Urrutia (Deia) +4-7; EITB +11 -5
Gaubeka (Deia) +9 -4; EITB +10 -3
The discrepancies in the back court are particularly large, and seem to imply that any time a zaguero hit a pelota too high, too low, or off the court, he was likely to be debited an error. Particularly Garate. I strongly disagree with this philosophy (one that is also found in much of Canal +'s scoring of Cesta Punta). Pala Larga, because of the implement and inherent control difficulty, simply does not work like Mano or Cesta Punta. Being unable to return a Necol rocket implies that he has hit the ball through the zaguero, who was able to make contact, but without any control. That is a signature Necol winner, not a zaguero error.
Simply put, if you relied on Deia's scoring (as I had to before EITB provided the video and another set of scoring for the match), you would completely miss the fact that Urrutia played a magnificent match, showing great range and defensive ability. And you would think that Garate was hitting every shot with his "eyes closed." If you watch the match, you will see that this is simply not the case. I believe very strongly that, though Deia provided an excellent match article, they "dropped the pelota" with regard to their scoring. I encourage you to watch the match and decide for yourself.
+++++
December 31
Semi-final
Fusto-Gordon (#2) 1 (EITB--match begins at 47:23)
(10-9, 10-8, 6-10, 10-9) (36-36)
Source: (Diario Vasco Cartelera and EITB)
Scoring:
Gaubeka +12 -9; Garate +10(including 2 service aces) -6(including 3 service faults)
Fusto +14 -6; Gordon +8(3a) -7
Scoring adds to 35-37
Total scoring for the match: +44 (.611) -28 (.389)
Saves: 112
Gaubeka 37; Garate 32; Fusto 14; Gordon 29
Saves %: .176
Total scoring for the match: +44 (.611) -28 (.389)
Saves: 112
Gaubeka 37; Garate 32; Fusto 14; Gordon 29
Saves %: .176
Balls in play: 635
Gaubeka 169; Garate 148; Fusto 172; Gordon 146
Non-error % .956
Time of the match: 67:49
Average balls per point: 8.86
Average time per point (there was no playing time data): 0:56
This match was a lot closer than the score indicated. Each team ended with 36 points, about as close as is possible. But for a couple of unfortunate errors and a miscommunication, it could easily have gone 3-1 to F-G, or at the very least, to a 5th joko. But in the end, F-G, who had easily defeated G-G in their 2 league matches (see below), came up just a bit short.
This match was a lot closer than the score indicated. Each team ended with 36 points, about as close as is possible. But for a couple of unfortunate errors and a miscommunication, it could easily have gone 3-1 to F-G, or at the very least, to a 5th joko. But in the end, F-G, who had easily defeated G-G in their 2 league matches (see below), came up just a bit short.
Condensed Joko Scores (match winners always listed 1st), scoring, and brief analysis
Joko 1
0-1; 1-1(Garate service fault); 1-2; 3-2(Garate fault) 3-3; 5-3; 5-6; 6-6; 6-7; 8-7(Garate fault); 8-8; 8-9; 10-9
8 equal scores, 5 lead changes
Individual joko scoring
Gaubeka +3 -2; Garate +3 -4(including 3 service faults)
Fusto +2 -1; Gordon +1 -3
Total joko scoring: +9 -10
Saves: 18
Gaubeka 6; Garate 2; Fusto 4; Gordon 6
Balls in play: 153
Gaubeka 43; Garate 34; Fusto 35; Gordon 41
Garate got off to a shaky start, with 3 service faults that severely hampered his team. However, in spite of all that, G-G scored the final 2 points (the 10th point coming as result of a Fusto error) to win the tenaciously fought first joko. Garate, to his credit, rebounded very well after his difficult joko, making only 2 errors the rest of the way. By my count, he also made 30 saves in the last 3 jokos.
Joko 2
0-2; 6-2; 6-3; 7-3; 7-4; 8-4; 8-6; 9-6; 9-8; 10-8
1 equal score, 1 lead change
Scoring:
Gaubeka +4 -3; Garate +1 -0
Fusto +5 -2; Gordon +0 -3
Total joko scoring: +10 -8
Saves: 28
Gaubeka 9; Garate 9; Fusto 3; Gordon 7
Balls in play: 165
Gaubeka 43; Garate 40; Fusto 48; Gordon 34
An early 6 point run put G-G in the "driver's seat" for this joko. However F-G clawed back, reducing the lead from 4 to 3, then from 4 to 2, and finally from 2 to 1. But they never did catch up. Garate played air tight defense and the two of them helped "hold" Fusto to +5 with 18 saves.
Joko 3
0-4; 1-4; 1-7; 2-7; 2-8; 5-8; 5-9; 6-9; 6-10
0 equalities; 0 lead changes
Scoring:
Gaubeka +1 -2; Garate +4 -1
Fusto +3 -1; Gordon +4 -0
Total joko scoring: +12 -4
Saves: 27
Gaubeka 8; Garate 9; Fusto 3; Gordon 7
Balls in play: 134
Gaubeka 33; Garate 32; Fusto 38; Gordon 31
F-G got back into contention with a blistering 7-1 start. To their credit, G-G did not give in and fought back with a 6-2 run of their own. But it was never going to be enough. Gordon shone in this joko with perfect defense, almost half his team's points, and 7 saves.
Joko 4
3-0; 3-2; 6-2; 6-6; 8-6; 8-8(miscommunication between F and G--Fusto reaches up for a return but then pulls out of the shot. The pelota bounces past Gordon for a crucial point); 9-8; 9-9(Fusto, from the left side, fires one too low to end the joko and the match); 10-9
Scoring:
Gaubeka +4 -2; Garate +2 -1
Fusto +4 -2; Gordon +3 -1
Score adds to 9-10
Total joko scoring: +13 -6
Saves: 39
Gaubeka 14; Garate 12; Fusto 4; Gordon 9
Balls in play: 183
Gaubeka 50; Garate 42; Fusto 51; Gordon 40
G-G opened an early 3 point lead and stretched it to 4. But F-G struck back with a 4 point run to equalize the joko at 6. They then evened the score at 8. But then an unfortunate miscommunication gifted a crucial point to G-G. Again F-G fought back to equality. But a Fusto error ended the Joko and the match. In the last 3 jokos Fusto was +12 -5, playing a crucial role in his team's fightback. But he could have scored a lot more had it not been for a combined 61 saves by G-G. Gordon also finished strong, with +7-1 and 16 saves in the last 2 jokos.
+++++
December 24
Jornada (Day) 10--END OF LIGA PLAY
Liga Summary
20 matches and 69 jokos were played. Due to an injury that kept Xabier Ibargarai out of the competition until his team's 3rd match Ibarguren-Ibargarai, by tournament rule, had to forfeit 2 matches (1 to Necol-Urrutia and 1 to Fusto-Gordon, both by 3-0 joko scores). That effectively eliminated I-I before they had even started.
Defending champions Dan Necol and Inaki Urrutia began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Ander Landeta (who returned to action after recovering from wrist surgery that curtailed his 2018-19 season) and Ibai Perez. N-U never looked back, winning all of their 8 matches while only being forced to 5 jokos once. Going back ot the 2018-19 Liga competition, in which N-U won their last 5 matches to capture the Txapela, they now carry a 13 Liga match winning streak into the Final, to be held on January 4, 2020. It will be Necol's 3rd consecutive championship match, and Urrutia's 2nd.
Fusto-Gordon, last year's runners up, experienced a triptych season, sweeping their first 2 matches (6-0 in jokos) before 3 agonizing losses, one to Landeta-Ibai Perez, and then 2 in consecutive matches to Necol-Urrutia. Why agonizing? The first loss was a 5 joko loss (one of only 4 of the 18 matches played that went "the distance.") The next two were 3-1 and 3-0 losses to N-I. But look at these joko scores!
F-G listed 1st: 9-10, 9-10, 10-8, 9-10 and 9-10, 9-10, 9-10. (64-68). 6 of the 16 jokos (out of 69 played in the entire Liga) that were won by the minimum came in these two matches.
On November 30, F-G found themselves "with their backs to the wall" as far as a Semi-final berth was concerned. They responded by winning their final 3 matches 3-1 over Gaubeka-Garate, 3-0 over Landeta-Ibai Perez (a win that eliminated L-I from contention), and 3-2 over Ibarguren-Ibargarai (47-46, just 2 points less than the maximum number of points possible in an InnPala match). These wins propelled them into the Semi-final as the 2nd place team in the Liga.
The Gaubeka-Garate story was one of the most interesting in the Liga. With the addition of Ibarguren as a front, the InnPala roster was stabilized at 10 after going the better part of a year with only 9 palistas. But it was now unbalanced with a 6 delanteros (fronts) and only 4 zagueros (backs). Garate moved to the back (he had amateur pala corta (a lighter bat than the pala larga bat used by InnPala) experience in the back), but a switch of this magnitude in a major competition...how would it effect the team? They started out ominously, with a 3-0 (30-16) loss to Fusto-Gordon. They then won 2 in a row before losing to Necol-Urrutia. They then won 2 more in a row before losing their last 2 against Fusto-Gordon and Necol-Urrutia. They qualified for the Semi-Final as the 3rd place team, but lost all 4 matches against the teams ahead of them.
Landeta-Ibai Perez started out with 2 losses and seemed finished. But they regrouped for an important 3-2 upset of Fusto-Gordon, followed by a win over Ibarguren-Ibargarai. But that was their last win. The low point came when they were eliminated as result of I-I's only win in the tournament.
Ibarguren-Ibargarai were 1-5 in matches that they actually played, but their performance improved as they went along, the victory being their highlight, and their terrific effort in their final Liga match leaving them with something positive to take out of a lost campaign.
LIGA FINAL TABLE
Necol-Urrutia (8-0*; 24-6) 24
Fusto-Gordon (5-3*; 18-12) 18
Gaubeka-Garate (4-4; 14-15) 14
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-6; 11-21) 11
Ibarguren-Ibargarai*+ (1-7; 8-21) 8
*Includes forfeit wins over I-I
*+Includes 2 forfeit losses
December 24
Jornada (Day) 10
December 24
Jornada (Day) 10
Full match videos for both matches (Dan Necol Facebook)
Necol-Urrutia (8-0; 24-6; 24) 3
Gaubeka-Garate (4-4; 14-15; 14) 1
(5-10, 10-5, 10-6, 10-8) (35-29)
N-U finish with a perfect Liga record, losing only 6 jokos in 8 matches. They are automatically qualified for the Final on January 4 and will face the winner of the Semi-Final (Gaubeka-Garate v Fusto-Gordon. During the Liga competition F-G defeated G-G twice (3-0--10-4, 10-5, 10-7--30-16 on October 26; 3-1--3-10, 10-6, 10-3, 10-4--33-23 on December 13).
Fusto-Gordon (5-3; 18-12; 18) 3
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (1-7; 8-21; 8) 2
(10-8, 10-9, 9-10, 8-10, 10-9) (47-46)
The maximum possible point score in an InnPala match is 48-47. I-I, to their great credit (they had been eliminated long before this match), took F-G to the maximum (Jokos) and 2 short of the maximum (points) before falling. This was the closest match of the Liga competition.
+++++
December 21
Jornada (Day) 9
The final set of Fusto-Gordon v Landeta-Ibai Perez and full match video of Necol-Urrtia v Ibarguren-Ibargarai (Dan Necol Facebook)
Note: The match was accidentally filmed in portrait mode, meaning it is sideways. On tablets and mobile phones, you can simply turn the device until you get a landscape view that will be watchable. This does not work, as far as I can tell, if you try to connect your device to a television.
Fusto-Gordon (4-3; 15-10; 15) 3
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-6; 11-21; 11) 0
(10-5; 10-3; 10-7) (30-15)
The loss eliminates L-I and sets up the "Post Season" (see below).
Necol-Urrutia (7-0; 21-5; 21) 3
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (1-6; 6-18; 6) 2
(7-10; 5-10; 10-7; 10-7; 10-8) (42-42)
Source: Dan Necol Facebook and correspondence)
Scoring (Dan Necol correspondence)
Necol +16 -10; Urrutia +17 -6
Ibarguren +14 -4; Ibargarai +15 -2
Scores add to 39-45
Total scoring for the match: +62 (.738) -22 (.262)
Balls in play: 640
Necol 167; Urrutia; 158; Ibarguren 134; Ibargarai 181
Scoring (Dan Necol correspondence)
Necol +16 -10; Urrutia +17 -6
Ibarguren +14 -4; Ibargarai +15 -2
Scores add to 39-45
Total scoring for the match: +62 (.738) -22 (.262)
Balls in play: 640
Necol 167; Urrutia; 158; Ibarguren 134; Ibargarai 181
Non-error %: .966
N-I remain undefeated, winning an epic come from behind victory.
December 21 Table
Necol-Urrutia (7-0; 21-5) 21
Fusto-Gordon (4-3; 15-10) 15
Gaubeka-Garate (4-3; 13-12) 13
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-6; 11-21) 11
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (1-6; 6-18) 6
F-G will play G-G in the semi-final on December 31. The winner will play N-I on January 4, 2020.
L-I were eliminated.
+++++
December 13
Jornada (Day) 8
Fusto-Gordon (3-3; 12-10; 12) 3
Gaubeka-Garate (4-3; 13-12; 12) 1
(3-10, 10-6, 10-3, 10-4) (33-23)
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (1-5; 4-15; 4) 3
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-5; 11-18; 11) 0
(10-2, 10-5, 10-4) (30-11)
Source for both scores (Diario Vasco Cartelera)
No video is available for this match.
This was the upset of the competition, with already eliminated I-I winning their first match, a decisive and devastating win over L-I. This knocked L-I out of a Semi-final position for the moment. Next week's F-G v L-I match will be decisive for the L-I. They must win and win "big" in order to have a legitimate shot at earning a place in the sem-finals. With a match in hand, F-G could lose this match and still have a chance at advancing, but their most direct route is a victory in this match.
Match article for both matches with 5 photos (Bizkaia Frontoia Facebook)
Match article for both matches with 5 photos (Bizkaia Frontoia Facebook)
December 13 Table
Necol-Urrutia (6-0*; 18-3) 18
Gaubeka-Garate (4-3; 13-12) 13
Fusto-Gordon (3-3*; 12-10) 12
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-5; 11-18) 11
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (1-5*+; 4-15) 4
*=includes forfeit wins over Ibarguren-Ibargarai
*+=includes 2 forfeit losses
+++++
December 5
Jornada (Day) 7
Note 1: The match was accidentally filmed in portrait mode, meaning it is sideways. On tablets and mobile phones, you can simply turn the device until you get a landscape view that will be watchable. This does not work, as far as I can tell, if you try to connect your device to a television.
Note 2: Unfortunately, the scoreboard is partially concealed, so you might need to keep score yourself.
Dan Necol's "favorite shot." Watch for the great save by Urrutia on the 4th ball of this 28 ball, 1 minute and 15 second point. He ranged far onto the apron to save it at the 7 line and send a return down the left wall. Note that there were also great saves by Landeta and Ibai Perez during this point. This video is in landscape mode.
Necol-Urrutia (6-0; 18-3; 18) 3
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-4; 11-15; 11) 1
(10-9, 10-7, 4-10, 10-4 (34-30)
Source: Diario Vasco Caretelera and Dan Necol Facebook
Scoring (Dan Necol) (Errata: scoring numbers were accidentally reversed for each score. Corrected December 25, 2019).
Necol +15 -11; Urrutia +7 -1
Landeta +11 -4; Ibai Perez +11 -6
Scoring adds to 34-32
Total Scoring for the match: +44 (.667) -22 (.333)
Balls in play: 676
Necol 181; Urrutia 154; Landeta 141; Ibai Perez 200
Non-error %: .967
Scoring (Dan Necol) (Errata: scoring numbers were accidentally reversed for each score. Corrected December 25, 2019).
Necol +15 -11; Urrutia +7 -1
Landeta +11 -4; Ibai Perez +11 -6
Scoring adds to 34-32
Total Scoring for the match: +44 (.667) -22 (.333)
Balls in play: 676
Necol 181; Urrutia 154; Landeta 141; Ibai Perez 200
Non-error %: .967
Gaubeka-Garate (4-2; 12-9; 12) 3
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-5; 1-15) 0
(10-4, 10-5, 10-8) (30-17)
Source: Diario Vasco Cartelera
December 5 Table
Necol-Urrutia (6-0*; 18-3) 18
Gaubeka-Garate (4-2; 12-9) 12
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-4; 11-15) 11
Fusto-Gordon (2-3*; 9-9) 9
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-5*+; 1-15) 1
*=includes forfeit wins over Ibarguren-Ibargarai
*+=includes 2 forfeit losses
Necol-Urrutia earn a place in post Liga play.
Ibarguren-Ibargarai are eliminated from post Liga play.
November 29
Jornada (Day) 6
Full match video for both matches G-G v L-I 1st (note G-G v L-I match begins at the 9-9--10-9 point in the first joko (set). (Dan Necol Facebook).
Gaubeka-Garate (3-2; 9-9; 9) 3
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-3; 10-12; 10) 2
(10-9, 9-10, 8-10, 10-4, 10-9) (47-42)
Necol-Urrutia (5-0; 15-2; 15) 3
Fusto-Gordon (2-3; 9-9; 9) 0
(10-9, 10-9, 10-9) (30-27)
(Sources for both matches (Diario Vasco Deportes Cartelera and Dan Necol Facebook
November 29 Table
Necol-Urrutia (5-0*; 15-2) 15
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-3; 10-12) 10
Gaubeka-Garate (3-2; 9-10) 9
Fusto-Gordon (2-3*; 9-9) 9
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-4*+; 1-12) 1
*=3-0 forfeit wins over I-I
*+=2 forfeit losses
+++++
November 23
Jornada (Day) 5
Full match videos for both matches (Dan Necol Facebook) (matches are in reverse order given below)
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-2; 8-9; 8) 3
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-4*; 1-11; 0) 1
(8-10, 10-9, 10-7, 10-3) (38-29)
Necol-Urrutia (4-0; 12-2; 12) 3
Gaubeka-Garate (2-2; 6-7; 6) 0
(10-9, 10-5, 10-6) (30-20)
Source for individual joko set scores: Diario Vasco Cartelera and Dan Necol Facebook
November 23 Table
Necol-Urrutia (4-0*; 12-2) 12
Fusto-Gordon (2-2*; 9-6) 9
Landeta-Ibai Perez (2-2; 8-9) 8
Gaubeka-Garate (2-2; 6-7) 6
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-4*+; 1-12) 1
*=3-0 forfeit wins over I-I
*+=2 forfeit losses
November 16
Jornada (Day) 4
Full match video for both matches (Dan Necol Facebook)
Gaubeka-Garate (2-1; 6-4; 6) 3
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-3; 0-9; 0) 0
(10-7, 10-7, 10-6) (30-20)
Necol-Urrutia (3-0; 9-2; 9) 3
Fusto-Gordon (2-2; 9-6; 9) 1
(10-9, 10-9, 8-10, 10-9) (38-37)
Balls in play: 597
Time of the match: 68 minutes
Source for individual joko (set) scores (above video and Diario Vasco Deportes Cartelera
Match article for both matches (Bizkaia Frontoia Facebook)
November 16 Table
Necol-Urrutia (3-0*; 9-2) 9
Fusto-Gordon (2-2*; 9-6) 9
Gaubeka-Garate (2-1; 6-4) 6
Landeta-Ibai Perez (1-2; 5-8) 5
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-3*+; 0-9) 0
*3-0 Forfeit win over I-I
*+ Two forfeit losses
November 9
Exhibtion match
Necol-Garate 3 Ibarguren-Urrutia 2
(10-9, 7-10, 10-3, 7-10, 10-8) (44-40)
Note: this match was played in place of the scheduled Necol-Urrutia v Ibarguren-Ibargarai match, due to an injury to Ibargarai. By rule, N-U receive 3 tournament points, I-I receive 0.
Liga match
Landeta-Ibai Perez (1-2; 5-8; 5) 3
Fusto-Gordon (2-1* 8-3; 8) 2
(3-10, 10-4, 9-10, 10-8, 10-1) (42-33)
Source for match and joko scores: Diario Vasco Cartelera
November 9 Table
Fusto-Gordon (2-1*; 8-3) 8
Necol-Urrutia (2-0*; 6-1) 6
Landeta-Ibai Perez (1-2; 5-8) 5
Gaubeka-Garate (1-1; 3-4) 3
Ibargaren-Ibargarai (0-2*+; 0-6) 0
* I have given F-G credit for a forfeit match win (see Liga Jornada 2 ), which has no bearing whatsoever on the Liga Table). I have given N-U credit for a forfeit match win, which has no bearing whatsoever on the Liga Table (see Liga Jornada 3). I have given I-I 2 forfeit match losses, which have no bearing on whatsoever on the Liga Table (see Jornada 2 and 3). For each of those losses, the winners received 3 Liga points, as per specified rules of the competition. I-I have 0 Liga points. For Fusto-Gordon, last year's runners up, it was a season of 3 parts. They began by winning their 1st 2 matches (6-0 joko score--although 1 of the matches was a forfeit. They then lost their next
*+ Two forfeit losses
+++++
November 2
Jornada (Day) 2
Exhibition match
Fusto-Urrutia (substituting for Gordon) 3
Ibarguren-Gordon (substituting for Ibargarai) 2
(10-6, 10-7, 8-10, 8-10, 10-7) (46-40)
Note: due to an injury suffered by Ibargarai, it appears that this match is not being counted in the Liga Table (added November 9, 2019)
Liga match
Gaubeka-Garate (1-1, 3-4; 3) 3
Landeta-Ibai Perez 0-2, 2-6; 2) 1
(10-7, 4-10, 10-2, 10-7) (34-26)
Source for Match and Joko Scores: Diario Vasco Cartelera)
Match article (Bizkaia Frontoia Facebook via InnPala Fronton Facebook). Article is in Castilian and Basque. It discusses the improvement of Garate as a back as the competition progresses.
November 2 Table
Fusto-Gordon (2-0*; 6-0) 6
Necol-Urrutia (1-0; 3-1) 3
Gaubeka-Garate (1-1; 3-4) 3
Landeta-Ibai Perez (0-2; 2-6) 2
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-1*; 0-3) 0
*F-G received 3 joko points due to Ibaragai's injury that kept I-I from playing at all. I have treated that as a "forfeit" in terms of win-loss records, which are irrelevant in this competition.
+++++
October 26
Jornada (Day) 1
Fusto-Gordon (1-0; 3-0) 3
Gaubeka-Garate (0-1; 0-3) 0
(10-4, 10-5, 10-7) (30-16)
Necol-Urrutia (1-0; 3-1) 3
Landeta-Ibai Perez (0-1; 1-3) 1
(10-7, 6-10, 10-8, 10-9) (36-34)
Source for match and joko scores (Diario Vasco Cartelera)
October 26 Table
Fusto-Gordon (1-0; 3-0; 3)
Necol-Urrutia (1-0; 3-1; 3)
Landeta-Ibai Perez (0-1; 1-3; 1)
Ibarguren-Ibargarai (0-0; 0-0; 0)
Gaubeka-Garate (0-1; 0-3; 0)
=============================
=============================
Winners of the Liga competition going back to 2006 (sources: InnPala, Toute sur la Pelote Basque Youtube, Diario Vasco Cartelera, Naiz Cartelera, various newspaper articles, Haixeder Blog).
Deportivo de Bilbao 2006 Parejas (?)
Fusto-Torre 45 Urkia-Rekalde 37 (Dairo Vasco Cartelera)
Match article (Diario Vasco)
=================
Deportivo de Bilbao 2007 Parejas (?)
Imanol-Urkia 45 Gaubeka-Velilla 33
Partial linescore
24-13; 45-33
Match article (Diario Vasco)
=================
Deportivo de Bilbao 2008 (?)
=================
Deportivo de Bilbao Parejas 2009 (?)
Gaubeka-Beldarrain 45 Urkia-Lujan 35
Match article (Diario Vasco)
=================
Deportivo de Bilbao 2010 (?)
=================
Liga de Parejas 2011
Fusto-Garma 3 Altadill-Ayerbe 1 (10-5; 10-7; 9-10; 10-6) (39-28)
Third place: Gaubeka-Larrinaga 3 Zulaika-Lujan 2 (2-10, 10-8, 3-10, 10-3, 10-8) (35-39)
Source for Joko scores for both matches: (Naiz cartelera)
Source for Joko scores for both matches: (Naiz cartelera)
=================
Liga de Parejas 2012
Gaubeka-Larrinaga 3 Urkijo-Ibargari 2 (12-5, 12-11, 7-12, 9-12, 12-11)
(52-51)
(52-51)
Third place: Altadill-Imanol 3 Garcia Aierbe 1 (12-3, 12-11, 8-12, 12-6) (44-32)
Source for joko scores of both: Diario Vasco Cartelera
=================
2013 Liga Innpala de Parejas
Fusto-Ayerbe 3 Gaubeka-Imanol 2 (10-7, 7-10, 10-7, 7-10, 10-4) (44-38)
Third place: Altadill-Lujan 3 Garcia-Ibargari 2 (10-9, 7-10, 10-9, 9-10, 10-4)
(46-42)
(46-42)
Final Table (InnPala)
Joko scores for final and 3rd place (InnPala)
=================
2014 BBK Liga
Fusto-Ibai Perez 3 v Gaubeka-Larranaga 0 (10-7; 10-7; 10-2) (30-16) (Diario Vasco Cartelara)
Final Table (Innpala)
Entire Tournament results (Haixeder Blog) all but the final
=================
2015 Liga BBK
Necol-Imanol 3 Fusto-Ayerbe 1 (10-8; 10-4; 5-10; 10-4) (35-26)
Match article (Naiz)
Schedule and regulations (Innpala)
=================
2016 Liga Kutxabank
Gaubeka-Ibai-Perez 3 Necol-Ibargari 0 (10-4; 10-7; 10-9) (30-20)
Complete coverage of the entire tournament is available in another post in this blog. Unfortunately, the EITB videos are no longer available.
=================
2017 Liga Kutxabank
Gaubeka-Gordon 3 Fusto-Urrutia 2 (10-8; 10-9; 9-10; 3-10; 10-6) (42-43)
Full match video (Toute sur la Pelote Basque Youtube)
Jornada 2 matches:
Full match video (Toute sur la Pelota Basque Youtube)
Landeta-Brefel 3 Necol-Ibargari 2 (8-10, 10-4, 8-10, 10-8, 10-7) (46-39) (1st match on video)
Fusto-Urrutia 3 Zubiri-Ibai Perez 0 (10-9, 10-8, 10-5) (30-22)
Jornada 6 match: Fusto-Urrutia 3 v Landeta-Brefel 1 (10-9; 10-9; 6-10; 10-9)
(36-37)
(36-37)
Full match video (Toute sur la Pelote Basque Youtube)
Journada 8 match:
Necol-Ibargari 3 Zubiri-Ibai Perez 1 (5-10, 10-5, 10-8, 10-3) (35-26)
Full match video (Toute sur la Pelote Basque Youtube)
=================
2018 Liga Kutxabank (BLOG POST THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE TOURNAMENT, WITH LINKS TO SCORES, MATCH ARTICLES, AND SELECTED FULL MATCH VIDEOS, INCLUDING THE SEMI-FINAL AND FINAL.
Necol-Urrutia 3 Fusto-Gordon 0
(10-6, 10-8, 10-7) (30-21)
Winners (2006-07, 2009, 2011-2018)
Delanteros (fronts)
Fusto 4
Gaubeka 4
Necol 2
Imanol 1
Zagueros (backs)
Ibai Perez 2
Torre 1
Urkea 1
Imanol 1
Beldarrain 1
Garma 1
Larranaga 1
Ayerbe 1
Gordon 1
Urrutia 1
For complete records, rankings, and results of all InnPala players, see the InnPala Player cumulative win loss table on the right side of the blog.Up to date records for the 2019-20 season, complete records and rankings for the 2018-19 season, and partial records for the 2016-17 season are available.
