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Kwiek: “All the matches are finals”

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, January 9, 2020 - Marcos Kwiek, the Brazilian coach of the Dominican Republic in the NORCECA Tokyo 2020 Women's Qualifier, says that in a short tournament all the games are finals while dismissing the label of favorite for his team despite the home factor.

Marcos Kwiek, coach of Dominican Republic: “It is a short tournament so you have to play every match as a final.  All four teams come here prepared. There are no favorites. You have to play all of them avoiding mistakes. Our team is an experienced one and will go out looking for the victory respecting the team on the other side of the net.”
On playing at home:

“You always like to play in front of your fans but it also can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes players get anxious but the visiting teams also feel the extra pressure.”

José Mieles, coach of Puerto Rico: “It is going to be a very interesting tournament for the four selections. We are going to take it step by step, game by game. Now the most important match for me is the one against Canada which is the first. We are optimistic trying to complete the Olympic dream. A lot of enthusiasm and desire. Knowing the situation of Puerto Rico (recent earthquake) we have a commitment with our people and our families.”

Tom Black, coach of Canada: “We are excited to compete and we have an excellent training block to prepare. There are three other high-quality teams in the tournament. We believe we have a talented group here and the team have been responding very well since last year.”

Gabriela Alarcón, coach of Mexico: “For the first time in many years we are able to put together our first team. I hope we can reach our optimal level after just two weeks of training in Monterrey. As far as we have the chance of the Olympic ticket we will be going after it. I am confident of the group of players I have this time.”