The final Iparralde Tournament of the year, the 14th Cesta de Nadau, was played in Pau (1--City--Wikipedia) (2--Fronton--Frontons.net) December 8, 15, and 22, 2023. It consisted of two Semi-finals and a Final. Full match videos are available for the second Semi-final and Final.
DECEMBER 22: FINAL
NO SPOILER
FULL MATCH VIDEO (CANAL + via CESTA PUNTA PRO TOUR YOUTUBE)
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Spoiler
15-14, 15-9 (30-23)
FULL MATCH VIDEO (CANAL + via CESTA PUNTA PRO TOUR YOUTUBE)
Linescores (match winners always listed first)
Set 1:
1-0; 1-1; 2-1; 2-4; 4-4; 4-5; 6-5; 6-6; 7-6; 7-8; 8-8; 8-10; 9-10; 9-12; 11-12; 11-14; 15-14
+1; =; +1; -2; =; -1; +1; =; +1; -1; =; -2; -1; -3; -1; -3; +1
8 equal scores; 4 lead changes
Set 2:
0-1; 1-1; 1-3; 2-3; 2-5; 7-5; 7-8; 12-8; 12-9; 15-9
-1; =; -2; -1; -3; +2; -1; +4; +3; +6
4 equal scores, 3 lead changes
Scoring (Canal +)
Set 1:
*=inferred from the other scores in order to make the outcome 15-14
Erkiaga +6 -5; Minvielle +4* -0
Goikoetxea +8 -2; G. Sorozabal +1* -3
Set 2: Canal + did not provide scoring but did provide partial scores for the fronts only
Total Scoring: Erikiaga +10; Goikoetxea +12
Match Preview (GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION ONLY--original has been removed from the site; (Section Paloise Pelote, Raymond Cazadebat):
The best professional pelotaris will be on the cancha of Jaï-alaï de Pau on Friday, December 22 at 9:15 p.m. to compete in the final of the Cesta de Nadaü. This 14th edition will pit two Franco-Spanish duos against each other who delighted the public in the two semi-finals. First named on the bill, Iñaki Osa-Goïkoetxea and Gorka Sorozabal, the Zumaia phenomenon 7 times World Champion, 43 years old, will bid farewell to the competition on the French side on Friday in Pau where he will be honored; he is associated with the young full-back Biarrot, revealed to be the best Frenchman of the year in his position at just 22 years old. He represented the USA at the last World Cup in Biarritz where he placed 4th with his younger brother Johan. Which Johan will have been pinned in the semi-final with the Palois Jérôme Portet.
Second to enter the stage, Aritz Erkiaga and David Minvielle; Lekeitio's forward is today the benchmark for the forward position; talented, precise “limpio”, formidable as soon as he picks up the ball; he is a gold medalist at the last two World Championships in Barcelona 2018 and Biarritz 2022. He is supported at the back by the Béarnais de Caresse-Cassaber Minvielle, trained in Salies then Biarritz via the Section Paloise with which he was titled several times nationally. The association worked wonders in the semi-final eliminating Jon Tambourindeguy and Zumaia's other galactic Imanol Lopez.
The finale promises; two masters of the game at the front, Goïko and Erkiaga, we can't wait to watch their performance; they know how to do everything, have all the tricks, all the most difficult technical gestures and know how to take the debate into their own hands. We saw the precise attacks in two walls slam, the rear “tornillos” ending up on the fence during the half; we are sure to appreciate these feats every time an opening emerges. The rear will hold their camp firmly; the young Gorka and Minvielle know the opposing strengths perfectly, having both played within the Biarritz Athletic Club and confronted each other regularly during their training sessions. The young Gorka dares everything, the Béarnais has achieved the serenity of the “briscard”; he is patient, measuring his blows with the erebot, tightens his balls on the left in the purest classic and puts his partner in a favorable situation. Cohesion and complementarity are assured, the show is guaranteed on Friday.
Match article (French--Section Paloise Pelote, Raymond Cazadebat)
Minvielle and Erkiaga
Superb final evening on Friday at the Jaï-alaï in Pau hosted by Philippe Othaburu. The four best professional pelotaris of the Cesta de Nadaü will have offered the public a first-rate performance, drawing from their incomparable technical background all the tricks necessary to sign spectacular actions of defensive attacks, counterattacks, raises to bring the game to life. game and entertain the audience.
The first round played neck and neck showed the proximity of the two formations and did not reveal any superiority of one camp over the other; the matter remained completely undecided. At 14-11, a serious option was then taken by Goïko and Sorozabal following two errors from Erkiaga; in the process he rectified the situation, intercepting the following goal to slash an unstoppable two-wall. Minvielle like a metronome, sure of his art, moved the lines, stuck his measured balls perfectly to the erebot and successively made his opponents make mistakes to win on the 15-14 wire.
The second round will be marked by a series of five points on both sides and a tie at 7 then at 8. The greens will then take the ascendant moving the game up, bringing up Sorozabal who spectacularly captures impossible balls but is out of balance and must be out of balance. limits to wanting to immediately conclude the point. They made the break at 12-8 but nothing was certain; the challenge remained legal; Erkiaga signed a new attack in two walls raised by Goïko and countered with the same gesture raising the enthusiasm of the public. The two final points (15-9) will fall into the hands of Erkiaga and Minvielle according to the same codes of mobile and tight play for conceded faults as in the first round. The reigning World Champion and Caresse Cassaber from Béarn were able to wear the beret of the winners of this 14th edition and lift the trophy.
Zoom
Emotional sequences at the opening and closing of the evening with President Gérard Pierrou paying tribute to the Casty family for the 10th anniversary of the departure of Jean-Pierre, the Grand Chistéra champion, and of Bernard Casty, his predecessor at the helm of the Section, to Jean-Pierre Altuzarra, another great champion of the Section who recently passed away.
Tribute to Bernard Laporte-Fray, President of Pau Football-Club, and his team’s exceptional start to the season. Tribute to Paul Caparrus (18 years old) the Palois of the Cesta-punta World Vice-Champion Section of the Under 22s in Mexico.
Final tribute to the champion Iñaki Goïkoetxea who bid farewell to the French public in Pau by the dancers of the Dantzeroak group from Lagun Eta Maïta who, after providing a popular first act of the evening, performed the traditional “Erreberenzia” in his honor.
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December 15: 2nd Semi-final
JON TAMBOURINDEGUY (substituting for Jean Olharan)--IMANOL LOPEZ 0
15-9, 15-10 (30-19)
FULL MATCH VIDEO (SECTION PALOISE PELOTE FACEBOOK). Note: this is not a commercial quality video, but it is a pretty good video. There is no score shown so you will have keep score.
Match article (French--Section Paloise Pelote, Raymond Cazadebat)
GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The show lived up to the level expected on Friday at the ja-alaï for the second semi-final of the Cesta de Nadaü. The four tenors, including the two reigning World Champions, played their part to the fullest, each in their field of reference. The winning duo will have demonstrated more cohesion and efficiency in scoring. Best on the cancha, Aritz Erkiaga dazzling class, perfect in reading the opposing game and brilliant in the solutions provided in the conclusions; he will have impressed during the attacks of his opposite side going on the counter to sign a winning point each time. His balls shot at the two walls systematically flirting with the line and the outer limit proved impossible to catch. David Minvielle will play the metronome in the classics from the back; with his experience, he achieved a serenity which this year brought him to the end of all competitions; hold the exchange, tighten to the left, "erebote" by varying the return lengths, he will put the great Lopez at fault several times. Opposite Jon Tambourindeguy will show his valor, going for the most difficult balls in defense, returning from the back wall but will leave a lot of energy with his stunts on the ground by supporting these raises. This will be missing in the attacks that Erkiaga will face. Imanol Lopez will push his balls to the corner of the back, shorten his trajectories to move Minvielle but the Béarnais from Caresse-Cassaber will not give up an inch of ground to the champion, skilled in his holds of the ball even when cornered against the back wall. The great Spaniard will not find a solution to reverse the situation. Erkiaga and Minvielle led the score throughout the two sets, reaching 15-9 and 15-10.
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December 8: 1st Semi-Final
12-15, 15-7, 5-1 (32-23)
There was no full match video for this match.
Match article (French--Section Paloise Pelote, Raymond Cazadebat)
GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Goïko and Gorka Sorozabal in the final
The Cesta de Nadaü program will have had to undergo some modifications due to the postponed return to competition of Jean Olharan and the farewell of Goïkoetxea on the international scene in the coming days. Initially scheduled to play the second semi-final on December 15, the colossus of Zumaia found himself obliged to respond to the American request from the USA where he played most of his long professional career.
The Galactic therefore teamed up with the young Gorka Sorozabal (22 years old), currently the best French fullback. The duo thus seemed favorites in this elimination game but it was Johan Sorozabal (brother of Gorka) and Jérôme Portet who won the first round. The two opposing brothers measured each other as usual in this case, playing at a brisk pace. Johan attacked at all costs and Gorka defended wonderfully, capturing balls that seemed impossible to take and moving forward to cover with release and cortadas. Goïko signed his first thrusts and punishing counterattacks for a promising 7-2. Portet will find his marks to compete and often take the advantage; equalization at 8, at 12 then thanks to an effective erebot game and two perfect walls from Johan, the challengers won the first round. The second started well with an encouraging 7-5, we began to hope to see the Palois take a serious option on the ticket for the final. Goïkoetxea, sensing the danger, moved back from his usual position to relieve his rear, free up the front space and take control. We will then see the best Goïko, sure of his choices, precise, flirting with the limits and excelling against his opponent's attacks. It's a 10-0 that Johan and Goïko will inflict on their opponents for a clear round victory. The use of the 5-point decider called everything into question. Wanting to score too quickly, the blues made mistakes 4 times and a winning point was enough to give victory to the reds (5-1), who dominated this semi-final.
