Here's a Group C matchup. Canada still have a chance to move on to the final round in Argentina. Finland realistically don't. But Canada do not control their own destiny. They enter this match trailing the Dutch team by a point, so if the Dutch team win out, and in 3 or 4 sets each night, they'll be assured of making it to the finals. Ideally, Canada will need them to lose a match, though being extned to 5 sets a couple of times will also do the trick.
Canada entered this match still missing their (literally and figuratively) biggest scoring threat Gavin Schmitt, as he's still out nursing injuries. Didn't seem like any hands were missing for the Finns. Olli Kunnari started the match on serve for the them, and immediately scored the first ace of the contest. Dustin Schneider got the service point right back, but his serve on 2-1 ended prematurely with an immediate whistle from the up ref. Not sure what happened, but typically when the whistle is blown that quickly foot fault is the call. On 3-all, the Canadians got the sideout with a nice little out-of-system rally, as Rudy Verhoeff wound up setting Adam Simac for the terminating swing. They went up two for the first time at 5-3, but a kill for Matti Oivanen quickly brought the Finns level again at 5's. Simac hit wide on 6-all, as he tried to angle his shot to avoid the blockers, but angled it a little too much. Oivanen followed that up with a service ace to give Finland the 8-6 lead at the technical timeout.
After a sideout, Canada captain Fred Winters targetted Antti Siltala with his serve — something Canada coach Glenn Hoag specifically mentioned during the timeout — and was rewarded with an ace to tie the set again. Finland went back out ahead 10-8 when Simac was whistled for a net fault, albeit well after the fault itself occurred. Canada called timeout down 12-9, and Hoag called on his men to have better footwork in serve reception. Their reception on the first serve after the timeout was clean enough to lead to a set and kill, and sideout. But it was a band-aid. With Siltala deftly hitting around Canada's triple block, Finland extended their lead to 14-10. At that point, Hoag brought in Toon van Lankvelt to sub for Winters, a bit curiously removing his floor captain. Right as Finland appeared to be on the cusp of bringing the match to the technical timeout, leading 15-11, Canada staged a small comeback. They successfully sided out and then Dallas Soonias scored two great kills from the right pin (those lefties, they get ya every time) to bring Canada back within one. The Finns did side out there, to make the score 16-14 at the second technical.
Canada shot themselves in the foot a bit in the points that followed. After their first two sideouts, the subsequent serves drilled. When they finally did get a serve in, on 18-17, they wound up getting the equaliser. After some more sideouts, the Finns turned to their serving specialist Olli-Pekka Ojansivu on 20-19, and he made coach Tuomas Sammelvuo look like a genius, getting an ace on his first attempt. Canada coach Hoag called his last timeout there, and the Canadians successfully sided Ojansivu out on the next rally. They got the service point to come even a little later, as a cut shot from the left side on 23-22 cut too much and landed out. The Finns called time there, and were prompted into another when a big triple block led by Josh Howatson made it set point for Canada on 24-23. Finland took their last timeout there, but if anything they iced themselves. A procedural fault — interference over the net — was called against them to give set 1 to the visitors 25-23.
The big difference in set 1 was errors. The Finns committed nine scoring errors to just 4 by the Canadians. Finland held the advantage in serving while Canada was better at the net, but those combined for effectively a wash. A +5 in errors was the difference in such a tight set.
Set 2 started off with an emphatic solo block for Soonias, but it was simply the beginning of a sideout pattern. The pattern broke on Finland's serve at 3-all, as the Canadians were called for a net fault. They immediately protested — the players on the court as well as the coach — but of course that changed nothing. They got the service point back on 5-all to again be able to serve with the lead, but they still did not take a 2-point advantage. A kill for Siltala on kind of an iffy two-handed push shot made it 7-6 Finland, and they reached the technical timeout ahead 8-6.
Canada brought the match level at 10's and then took the 11-10 lead as Gord Perrin's ace fell in front of a sprawling Siltala. He incredulously protested that he had gotten the up, but, again, that changed nothing. The crowd whistled their disapproval as well. A kill for the back-in-the-match Fred Winters made it 12-10 Canada, and Finland called time. Finland had several chances to come back level on the 13-12 rally, and finally did when Kunnari and Mikko Oivanen came up with the double block against Soonias. But give credit to Canada libero Dan Lewis, he worked his tail off on that point. It's not especially often that tremendous defence gets turned into successful offence, and this was no exception. But it was something to see. Canada led 16-14 at the second technical timeout.
Canada extended their lead to three for the first time in the set at 18-15, and the Finns started to run out of road. They still sided out okay, which got the crowd off their hands, but Sammelvuo looked consternated. At 19-17, he turned to Ojansivu again to serve and while he didn't get an ace, he did disrupt Canada's offence. Soonias' attempt at a very beach-esque pokie landed wide, and the Finns closed to within a point. Smartly, Canada called time there. Ojansivu's next serve was similarly effective, and Canada could only return a freeball. However, the Finnish hitter who got set for the return volley (believe it was one of the Oivanens) completely shanked his hit, keeping Canada in the lead.
Matti Oivanen's ace to make it 23-22 prompted Canada's final timeout. And that timeout did the trick, as Canada got the sideout behind Simac's block to reach set point. And then Simac sealed it on serve by winning an awkward joust up the middle.
Canada enjoyed a big blocking advnatage in set 2, getting five scoring blocks to just one for Finland. Errors were again in their favour, as in set 1, with the Finns spotting them 11 points to 8 errors committed by Canada.
This match took a fully-fledged 'halftime' between sets 2 and 3, something I'd not before seen in an international match. College matches commonly will extend the interval between 2 and 3 from three minutes to ten (except in the case of multiple matches being played on one day), but this was the first time I could rcall seeing it at the FIVB level.
The visiting Canadians came out of the gates strong to start set 3, not feeling any loss of 'momentum' (something which I generally think is a crutch at best and a crock at worst). They claimed the first three points of the set. The rally ending 3-0 was remarkable, easily the best point of the match. Canada libero Dan Lewis far and wide, time and again, keeping balls up. Somehow, this ended with a kill off the middle attack for Adam Simac. A kill for Soonias and an error for Ojansivu (who started the set) made it 6-1. At that point, Sammelvuo went to his bench, bringing in Eemi Tervaportti in favour of Mikko Esko at the setter position. But it really didn't change much of anything. Finland took a charged timeout down 7-1.
At 7-2, Ojansivu rotated to serve, but the Canadians sided out. I was curious to see if Ojansivu would return, or if this would be the Charlie Wade-Johann Timmer strategy all over again. Unlike UH, Sammelvuo did stick with Ojansivu throughout his later non-serving rotations. Canada reached an eight-point lead for the first time at 11-3, a rally they looked like they won a few different times but finally did finish with a dump by Howatson. On 11-3, the point was awarded to Canada, but I didn't really see why (nor did I see the referee's signal). The replay didn't appear to show an obvious fault, and the crowd certainly whistled their displeasure. On 12-4, after a beauty of a serve from Matti Oivanen completely fouled up the Canadian offence, the crowd gave what would have been called a Bronx cheer if they were in the US, as a pretty obvious carry was indeed called on Dan Lewis.
At 15-6, Finland subbed in Jukka Lehtonen for Konstantin Shumov, who I'm kinda surprised I haven't named yet in this recap (though perhaps I should have and just missed it). This was after they were called for 4 hits on a play which again had the crowd (and Sammelvuo) howling in disapproval. Replays showed it was a correct call, though — Matti Oivanen's swing hit only the top of the net before it rebounded up. The next hit, therefore, was the 4th. Canada reached the second technical with a commanding 16-6 lead.
At 17-6, it looked like a call may have gone in Finland's favour, with Siltala's hit rolling on the top of the net and into the antenna. It was ruled off the Canadian blocker and into the antenna, for a point to Finland. At that point in the set, though, it really didn't matter. A double block for Perrin and Graham Vigrass brought us to match point at 24-14. The Canadians needed a few shots at it, but Perrin did put away match point for a 25-17 final.
Canada d. Finland (25-23, 25-22, 25-17)
All-around solidly played match by Canada. They didn't really have any business taking set 1, but they led most of the way in set 2 and set 3 was not as close as even 25-17 would make it appear (and 25-17 is not a competitive score). And it was good to see them rotate some people through (and still win while doing it). Dustin Schneider started the match at setter, but Josh Howatson finished it. A number of 'front-row' type players rotated through late, including Jason DeRocco for his first national team 'cap' of his career. Congrats Jason. Dallas Soonias led all scorers for Canada with 15 kills. Gord Perrin followed closely behind with 14. Olli Kunnari had 10 to lead Finland, only one better than Canada's third scorer Fred Winters. The blocking ended up favouring Canada by an 11-3 count.
Honestly, I didn't think it was an especially poor showing by the Finns. At least, not in sets 1 and 2. Set 3 kinda got away from them, and it was effectively over before you could catch your breath (certainly by 17-6 the writing was on the wall). In the grand scheme of things, they're right about where I'd expect them to be — middle of the pack in Group C. Here's hoping they can give the Dutch team a run for it next week because, as mentioned in the open, the Canadians still don't control their own destiny.
The Canadians head to Japan next weekend.
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