It's championship Sunday in Mar del Plata at the 2013 World League. It's been a very good tournament, and I wish I'd been around to see more of it. Damn these conflicting schedules! I must try a different strategy of watching next summer.
But it's a big final Sunday, as both medal finals are Olympic rematches. Last summer in London, Italy knocked off Bulgaria in 4 sets before the Russians staged one of the most remarkable comebacks in the sport's history to beat Brazil for the gold in a full five. Was history to repeat itself today?
The bronze medal final between Bulgaria and Italy was, of course, first. I had quite a lot of trouble getting a stream to stay open at the beginning of the match, so I missed out on the first few points. Italy led 8-6 at the first technical timeout. Bulgaria came even on 11-all when Todor Aleksiev hit around the triple block for an eaasier-than-it-should-have-been kill. After Italy's sideout, an ace for Simone Parodi put them up by two again. Bulgaria again equalled at 13's, only for Emanuele Birarelli's ace after the sideout to again make it a two-point margin. Anything you can do I can do better. This time Bulgaria didn't come level right away, as Thomas Beretta got Italy the sideout on 16-14, and the second technical timeout.
The sideouts kept flowing again, until Tsvetan Sokolov's kill on serve drew the Bulgarians even at 18's. They took their first lead of the match (I believe) on the next rally as the double block from Aleksiev and Tsvetoslav Gotsev rejected Luca Vettori on the right side. Italy called time there. It was another stretch of sideout after sideout for a while until a right-side kill for Viktor Yosifov inched them ahead by two on 23-21. Italy called their second and last timeout there, but they did not score again. A kill off the block and into the antenna for Sokolov ended the first set, a 25-21 win for the Bulgarians. Italy challenged, because why not, but the video evidence backed up the call in real time, that the ball hit off Ivan Zaytsev's block before hitting the antenna and not Sokolov's hit.
Set 2 started off an even exchange, as I gleefully found a stable stream. On the rally ending 4-all, ruled in favour of Bulgaria in real time as Zaytsev's hit was wide, the Italians challenged for a net violation to be called against Bulgaria. Replays didn't show it, so the call stood. Somehow, they kept up the chirping, Birarelli specifically, who was assessed with a yellow card. Really seems like video replays should be authoritative, but I guess the players just aren't used to them yet. A double block led by Italy setter Dragan Travica gave them the two-point lead on 7-5, and Zaytsev followed that up with an ace to bring us to the technical timeout.
After trading a few sideouts, Italy took the next service point, with the (indoor) mohawk superstar Zaytsev finding the floor to make it 13-9, after a great serve completely disrupted the offence on the Bulgarian side. The Italians did well to run a quick hitter on their side, as the still-disrupted Bulgarians hadn't really transitioned to defence yet. Bulgaria took their first team timeout there, down four. That margin held up to the second technical, coming at 16-12. Then my stream got choppy again….angryface….but came back as the teams headed for their benches on Italy's timeout with their lead narrowed to 19-17. Vettori found the floor with a kill from the right side to side the Italians out and get them to 20 first. And the sideouts flowed on and on, as Italy reached set point on 24-21. Bulgaria called timeout there, again because why not, but the set ended on serve for the Italians at 25-21, meaning we'd go at least four.
More connection troubles for me at the start of set three, but I was at least able to discern that Bulgaria took an early two-point lead but had it negated just before the first technical timeout. Zaytsev missed his serve on 7-all, and that brought us to the technical at 8-7 Bulgaria. The sideouts kept rolling through 13-12 on Bulgaria's serve, which Zaytsev terminated to also make for a sideout, but Bulgaria had multiple chances on that rally, getting a couple of free-balls that they did nothing with. They handed Italy the sideout on 14-13, as Aleksiev served about 10 feet long. At 15-all, Bulgaria kept the sideouts rolling as Danail Milushev found the floor. Libero Teodor Salparov jumped into his arms like Yogi Berra just before the teams headed to their benches for the second technical timeout.
Italy took three of the first four after the technical to take their first lead in quite a while (perhaps of the entire third set). On 18-17, a long rally went to Italy with Birarelli getting a big kill from the right side, one he celebrated rather emphatically. And you know, that I don't mind. Because that was a big point. It wasn't a sideout to make it 2-1 or something, like a certain somebody in the gold medal final would have celebrated just as demonstratively. But I digress. Italy missed their serve coming back to hand Bulgaria the sideout on 19-18, but they foot-faulted on their serve at 21-20 (confirmed by video challenge) to keep from coming even. Italy put up the double block to reach 23-20, and then Yosifov hit wide on the quick set from the middle to make it 24-20 and set point Italy. Bulgaria called time there, but Italy closed out the set on serve to go up 2-1.
After an even split of the first 10 points in set 4, Bulgaria took three straight to bring us to the technical timeout. Back-to-back fine net plays (a hit and then a block) from Aleksiev led to Bulgaria's 8-5 lead, and another happy libero jumping in for a bear-hug. Italy sided out on the first rally back from the technical and were gifted their service point to come a point closer, with Todor Skrimov hitting wide. They got it back on 11-8 when Birarelii hit into the top of the net. Wasn't even a particularly fierce block up on the other side, he just shanked his hit. But then on 11-9, Italy drew a point back again with a service ace for Birarelli, and Bulgaria called timeout. Their coach, who as you'll remember is Italian and speaks that language with his men, used some pretty noticeable profanity ("cazzo," which means "fuck," came up several times). I wonder if Italian-language broadcasters fall all over themselves to apologise for it the way English-language boadcasters usually do. He was surely cursing up a blue streak when Italy got their equaliser at 12-all with a quick middle hit. His boys actually did get the lead back pretty quickly, but Zaytsev got the ace at 15-14 to draw even once more. His next serve found the net, and Bulgaria led by a single point at the second technical.
Two straight blocks for the Bulgarians afforded them an 18-15 advantage, and Italy called timeout to try to slow the roll. On the 19-16 rally, there was a replay challenge initiated by Italy. Not sure for what, as the ball was obviously in on Italy's side. Maybe looking for a net touch, I don't know. That four-point lead was pretty solid as the set wore on, with the Bulgarians just looking like the team in control. Parodi's wide hit on 21-17 put Bulgaria ahead five much too late in the set for Italy to realistically mount a comeback. They called time there, probably to discuss the impending 5th set and trade platitudes about 'staying in it' or something. Bulgaria reached set point at 24-18, and Italy ably fended off three, but Birarelli missed his last serve to set up the race to 15.
The first big turning point in the decider set was a foot fault by Bulgaria, that made it 4-1. It was not at all an obvious call — it was only confirmed by Italy's replay challenge, and even then it was just the tippy tips of the toes that touched the line. Bulgaria called time there, but fell a further point behind by the side change, at 8-4. It got no better for the Bulgaria from there, as Italy extended to 11-5 at their second timeout. A couple of good hits from Milushev prompted Italy's timeout at 11-7, and whatever they talked about worked. The Bulgarians didn't score again, and Italy claimed the bronze by 15-7.
Italy d. Bulgaria (21-25, 25-21, 25-20, 21-25, 15-7)
I wish I had been better able to get a sense of this match, because what I saw through cruddy streaming options was awfully good. Congrats to Team Italy for a well-earned (and hard-fought) bronze medal.
All those boring sideouts I neglected to call came off the hand of Vettori, Italy's rookie star. I only used his name a couple of times, but he finished the match with an excellent 27 kills, and Bulgaria's coach and players commented after the match that they really had no answer for him. Look for #4 in blue a lot more in the future.
Aleksiev led the way for Bulgaria with 16 kills. Bulgaria actually had a very strong blocking advantage in the match, 17 to 9 over 5 sets, while Italy paid it back at the service line 8 to 1. The statistics reflect that it was a very even match, one that you may expect to come down to a race to 15.
Click below for the gold medal match report.
Here we are once again, a final match between who you'd have to say are the two best teams going. An epic 5-set final in London, an epic 5-set final earlier this week in Mar del Plata….I certainly had high hopes for this match. But Brazil entered the match carrying injuries sustained this week, while the Russians were still at full strength (or at least as full as they were at the beginning of the World League).
Brazil jumped out ahead immediately, siding out off Alexey Spiridonov's serve and getting one on their own with Dante Amaral on the service line. A wide hit from Nikolay Pavlov on the right side (kind of still the middle, but more RS) made it 3-0, and then a reception fault on the Russian back-row made it 4-0. A double block led by Isac Santos made it 5-0, and an early timeout by the Russians. Evgeny Sivozhelez at last got the Russians their sideout, on a hit that snuck past the double block and found the right sideline. Nikolay Apalikov paid off this effort by netting his serve. It looked as though Brazil had gotten the sideout to take us to the first technical timeout at 8-3, but Russia challenged and successfully got the call overturned, meaning we played on. Sivozhelez' serve on 7-4 fell in for an ace. Pavlov hit off the block and out to bring it to 7-6, and then Wallace de Souza hit wide to erase the early horror story for the Russians, as we were tied 7-all. Surely, Brazil coach Bruno Rezende wanted to wait for the technical timeout, his side having been ahead 7-3, but he expended a charged timeout here at 7-all. Sivozhelez netted his serve (still a fantastic run for him) to bring us to the first technical timeout at 8-7.
Spridonov got his first kill of the match on the first rally after the technical, and as if you need me to tell you, he postured afterward. He and Pavlov put up the double block on 9-all to give Russia their first lead of the match, and then Apalikov and Pavlov did the same to make it 11-9 Russia. Brazil setter Bruno Rezende did well to catch the Russian front row off guard with a dink to sideout and draw within a point (no blocker was up). 13-11 was a wild rally, with several odd moments (such as Dmitriy Muserskiy being pressed into setting at one point and Isac hitting, being blocked, and having the ball rebound off his head and back into play on the other side). It was ruled in real time as a kill for Apalikov, and Brazil challenged. This was perhaps the most time-consuming challenge of the week. The crux was apparently a perceived centre line fault on the Russians, and the video evidence showed the Russian player's foot was indeed on the Brazilian side, but it didn't show whether it touched the ground on the Brazilian side, which is necessary for it to be whistled a fault. So the play stood as called in real time. On 15-11, both teams' offences got a little silly-looking, as nobody was what you would call in-system. Brazil wound up getting the kill and sideout, sending Isac back to serve. The young man found the floor for an ace to bring Brazil back within 15-13, before netting his next serve to bring us to the second technical timeout.
In keeping with tradition, I lost my connection for a few points. I came back to see Brazil come level at 19-all on a disputed cross-court hit from the left side. The Russians squawked about, not least their leading squawker, but did not challenge. Spiridonov got the sideout to get Russia to 20 first at 20-19. After a Brazil sideout, they got a fantastic dig from their libero Mario da Silva Pedreira Junior which was paid off with a right-side winner for Wallace. Brazil led 22-21, and then I missed the points that led to Russia's set point on 24-22. Ricardo Lucarelli staved off the first set point with a very beach-esque cut shot. Brazil had a shot to come to deuce — several of them in fact — but Muserskiy and Spiridonov put up the double block to end set 1 25-23 for the Russians.
Russia scored the first service winners in set 2, a kill for Muserskiy off the block and out and then back-to-back solo blocks by Spirodonov and Muserskiy. Muserskiy's normally pretty quiet, but even he made a little finger-wagging motion as he came away from the net on his block (Of course Spiridonov celebrated his like he just won Olympic gold). A cross-court kill by the equal parts talented and cocky outside outside hitter made it 6-2, and Brazil called time. A kill for Dante, possibly his first of the match, got Brazil their sideout on 6-3. The margin at the technical timeout was 8-5.
Brazil closed back to within a point at 8-7 following the technical, before a left-side hit from Pavlov got them their sideout. Brazil libero Mario walked away from the play holding his hand up in the air, as if to say "Yep, I shoulda had that one." In Portuguese. Russia claimed the next points on serve, with winners extending their lead from 12-10 to 15-10, Muserskiy slamming home the last of those points after an overpass. The margin was still five, 16-11 at the second technical.
Muserskiy made it six with a service ace at 17-12, and Lucarelli hit into the double block to make it a seven-point difference. After the last two matches between these two teams were exciting five-setters, it looked like this was gonna be a quick night at the office. A rare service reception miscue on the Russians' part led to a dug swing and an easy chance on offence for Wallace, making it a five-point set again on 19-14. A service ace from Bruno made it four at 20-16, but the damage was done. The hill was too steep to climb, and they ran out of road, and all other metaphors. They called time trailing 23-17, and it was sideout after sideout to the finish, a big swing from the big man Muserskiy sealing the deal.
A service ace for Sivozhelez, one of the real unsung heroes on the Russia team, provided for the first service point and 2-point lead in set 3. He followed that up with another to make it 5-2, and Brazil called time. It only opened floodgates, as errors on the Brazilian side piled up to make it 8-2 Russia at the technical timeout. After the technical, Brazil got a sideout with a line kill that was kinda close in/out. Spiridonov protested and was yellow-carded. And so it goes. Sivozhelez got one of his own a little later, proving that it's not just Spiridonov who likes to talk (it's not all of them — as I said, Muserskiy is usually pretty humble — but it's not juist one bad boy either). Russia's lead reached a truly ridiculous 12-4, and Brazil called time.
Perhaps in a little bit of desperation, Brazil turned to Leandro Vissotto when down 13-5, and he provided a nice lift. He got the kill to sideout at 13-6, and then went back to serve. He didn't get any aces, but he did touch off good serves that disrupted the Russian offence, if slightly. Brazil won two long rallies in a row to crawl within 13-8, and it went sideout after sideout from there to the technical timeout, with Brazil receiving serve at 16-10.
The sideout string continued after the technical, favouring Russia. Vissotto broke the string for a moment by slamming home an overpass to draw brazil to within 19-15, though Russia got that point back in a hurry. He found the floor for an ace at 21-17. Russia challenged, but it was clear in real time that the call was correct, and indeed the video evidence upheld the original call. Apalikov got the sideout on 22-17, and Russia tasted the blood in the water. A great dig from Spiridonov led to a cross-court winner for Maxim Mikhaylov, setting up match point on 24-18. Russia sealed it on reception, Pavlov getting the final kill.
Russia d. Brazil (25-23, 25-19, 25-19)
A decidedly anti-climactic ending to a great week of volleyball. Congratulations to Team Russia, they played marvelously this week (even in the match they lost against Canada, I thought it was solid play by both teams), but it's not like Alexey Spiridonov's head needs to get any bigger. I hope I won't still be on about this the next time I see the Russians in international play. And it's not just him either, but he is the worst offender. They could all take a lesson from Muserskiy and go about their jobs with a quiet, professional efficiency. I'm not against showing emotion, but don't scream and posture when you sideout on 3-2 in set 1. Save it for when you actually do something.
Pavlov had a terrific match, notching 22 kills in just 3 sets. That's the sort of performance that may, may, even lead to talk of him displacing Mikhaylov on a regular basis. Maybe. Certainly, it's a nice problem to have, two opposite hitters of such strength. If one of them could go to the outside and move Spiridonov off the floor, it wouldn't break my heart. Sivozhelez had 10 kills (and 4 aces), and Muserskiy had 8 kills to go with 3 blocks. All of them outscored any Brazilian player. Lucarelli had the most for Brazil — a paltry 8. It bears pointing out that Brazil's quick 5-0 start in set 1 was almost entirely Russia errors. Very little went right for them this evening.
Here were the tournament awards:
MVP – Nikolay Pavlov (Russia)
Best Setter – Bruno Rezende (Brazil)
Best Opposite Hitter – Tsvetan Sokolov (Bulgaria)
Best Outside Hitters – Ivan Zaytsev (Italy) / Ricardo Lucarelli (Brazil)
Best Middle Blockers – Emanuele Birarelli (Italy) / Dmitriy Muserskiy (Russia)
Best Libero – Mario Junior (Brazil)
Three cheers for a nice tournament. I'm not sure when exactly I'll be covering men's international indoor volleyball again (possibly the World Grand Champions Cup over the winter, maybe some continental championships in the fall), but I look forward to it anxiously. There's nothing quite like seeing the best in the world go at it. And I think this week proved that pretty well.
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