The The Argentine team led by Marcelo Méndez fell in the quarterfinals 3-1 with partials of 16-25, 25-23, 22-25 and 21-25 against the Brazilian team who played the last five World Cup finals. This is how he said goodbye to the World Cup in Poland and Slovenia in the Polish city of Gliwice and closed an irregular tournament, with some very high points and others lowbut thanks to the potential of its players it allowed get into the top 8 after 20 years.
The match against Serbia in which the national team had played at an excellent level by beating the Balkan team 3-0 had given him an air of renewal and enthusiasm for this Thursday’s game against Brazil that was, a priori, favorite.
Argentina played a good game, at times with ups and downs, but it was not enough against a cBrazilian team that plays superlative volleyball and has attackers with tremendous power like the Cuban nationalized Brazilian, Yoandy Lealwho was the figure of the match with 25 points.
The first set was comfortably won by the Verdeamarela 25-16. There were problems in the transmission worldwide due to weather problems in Poland that lasted the entire match that could also be seen on some streaming. In the second set, the National Team was able to improve its level, press from the serve against a Brazil that was not as overwhelming as the rest of the match and was able to take it 25-23.
During the third set, the three-time world champion began to defend all the balls and the Argentine attack stopped hurting as he had done in the previous partial. An outstanding game began to be seen that was very difficult for Argentina to sustain, reaching the final stretch two points down and lost it 25-22.
In the last part, the national team improved again and the hope of a tie-break that would recall what happened in Tokyo 2020 was reborn. Argentina was up 14-10 but Leal immediately turned off the illusion and tied the match at 16. The match was diluted without much reaction for the albiceleste team and Brazil reached its tenth semifinal in the last eleven editions.
This Saturday they will seek to be in a World Cup final for the sixth time since 2002 against Poland, who yesterday beat the United States 3-2 (25-20, 27-25, 21-25, 22-25 and 15-12). The Brazilian team won the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups and was runner-up in 2014 and 2018, a true predominance of one of the owners of this sport who wants to consecrate himself again.
Balance in the tournament
Although the level in the last Olympic Games had been superlative, it was going to be difficult to repeat the same, taking into account that there was a small change in the team and that 6 of the 14 summoned had not been in that process.
The National Team had a first phase with many ups and downs in the game. In the first match with Iran he had a very good start during the first set and part of the second, but after a couple of errors the level fell and although the match could be taken to a tie-break, Argentina lost to an even rival . In the second match against the Netherlands the national team was in a 2-0 lead but with an intractable Nimir, the Dutch opposite was the top scorer of the opening phase, added another loss in five sets. The last rival, Egypt, was the weakest. The match was hard fought but in the fourth and fifth set the difference was noticed in the game and Argentina took the victory that placed it among the 16 best.
The story with Serbia is already known, Argentina swept it 3-0 with a totally different level from the first half and thus fueled its illusion to get into the semifinals for the second time in history until.
The most outstanding and regular Argentine player of the tournament was Agustín Loser. The center-back showed throughout the World Cup as in Tokyo that he is one of the best in the world. On the other hand, Luciano De Cecco reached 40 World Cup matches in five editions.
Argentina had the absence of Ezequiel Palacios in the first phase, which also affected the operation although debutant Luciano Vicentín had a good tournament. Facundo Conte and Bruno Lima had glimpses of what they had delivered at the Olympics but they could not maintain a constancy at that level. Meanwhile, libero Santiago Danani is the best receiver in the World Cup so far.
The team had very good moments and other bad moments related to unforced errors, especially in the serve. It will be time to shuffle and give again to continue with a work process led by Marcelo Méndez to reach Paris 2024. Replacement times with a lot of potential are coming, but perhaps with great absences.
The fourth was played all or nothing, but Brazil was superior and celebrated the victory
With the score 2-1 down, the National Team has to put everything on the court and reduce their errors to force a definition in the fifth set. Brazil started finer in attack. But the National Team does not lower its arms, it turned it around and went up 13-15. Brazil, with Leal intractable, returned to even the score 16-16. The Argentine team could not withstand the attack of the classic rival that was up 24-20 and one point from the semifinals, to finally close the match 25-21.
The third was for Brazil
The parity of the second set is maintained in the third set, although now it is Brazil with a greater efficiency of its attackers that has the advantage and escapes 10-6. Good reaction from the Argentines to get back into the game and reduce the difference to 11-9. However, Brazil does not loosen its pressure and is now 6 ahead: 20-14. The National Team needs to adjust the details in the serve and the block to get back into the game. Along this path, with more tactical serves, Méndez’s team managed to reduce the difference: 22-20. With Leal in full force, Brazil came within a shot of the third set 24-22 and just closed the sleeve with the nationalized Cuban 25-22.
The National Team released its game and evened the score 1-1
The National Team, in which their figures have not yet finished appearing, needed to release their game to cut the momentum of the Brazilians. After an even start to the second set, the National Team took a slight advantage that it maintained until Brazil went ahead 19-18. Méndez asked for a minute to try to calm down the one directed by him. Thus, with two good interventions by Conte, and a tremendous shot by Ramos, Argentina was once again up 21-22. Now it is the Brazilian coach who requests time to speak with his players. The definition of the second round is approaching, the National Team is 22-24. The first set point fails. In the second, Lima from San Juan does not forgive and with a tremendous shot secures the second set for the National Team 23-25.
Brazil prevailed in the first set
At the start of the first set, Brazil dominated and quickly took advantage that they kept until midway through the set; Near the end, they took advantage of the pressure on those led by Méndez and ended up winning the first quarter 25-16. There are problems with ESPN’s live broadcast of the game.
After the warm-up… the hymns, it’s starting
This will be the first time that Argentina and Brazil meet in a Volleyball World Cup and the players are already warming up at the Gliwice city stadium, in Poland. The last time the South American volleyball classic was played, it was with a victory for Argentina, no less than for the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, after a meritorious 3-2 victory, which ended in partial 25-23 , 20-25, 20-25, 25-17 and 15-13.
The coaches confirmed the teams
ARGENTINA: 1. Matthias Sanchez; 3. Jan Martinez Franchi; 4. Joaquin Gallego; 7. Facundo Conte; 8. Augustine Loser; 9. James Danani; 12. Bruno Lima; 13. Ezekiel Palaces; 15. Luciano De Cecco (C); 16. Lucian Palonsky; 17. Lucian Vincent; 18. Martin Ramos; 22. Nicholas Zerba; 25. Paul Koukartsev; DT: Marcelo Mendez.
BRAZIL: 1. Bruno Mossa Rezende (C); 6. Adriano Fernandes; 8. Wallace De Souza; 9. Yoandy Leal Hidalgo; 11. Rodrigo Leão; 14. Fernando Gil Kreling; 15. Maique Reis Nascimento; 16. Lucas Saatkamp; 17. Thales Hoss; 18. Ricardo Lucarelli Souza; 19. Leandro Santos; 21. Felipe Moreira Roque; 23. Flavio Resende Gualberto; 28. Darlan Ferreira Souza. DT: Renan Dal Zotto.