Root root root for the home team and all that. I also focused on this match in the hopes of being able to squeeze in a Cuba/Serbia write-up afterward, but it didn’t really happen that way.
The Canadians entered this match with the opportunity to surge to the top of the Pool C standings with a win, as already no one is left undefeated in the pool. Canada’s big hitter from the first weekend (and the first Portugal match) Gavin Schmitt didn’t play, being kept on the sidelines with a minor injury.. Elsewhere, regular setter Dustin Schneider rode the pine to start the match, in favour of Josh Howatson.
Alex Ferreira started the match off on serve for the Portuguese, with two nearly identical serves. One fell just in for an ace, the other just out for a Canadian sideout. Canada captain Fred Winters got the point on serve back almost immediately, deftly angling a shot that had no chance to beat the triple block. It rebounded off the block and out. It was pretty well a stalemate through to the first technical timeout, coming at 8-7 Portugal. An unforced error from the Canadian right side put the Portuguese team up two for the first time in the match, and then a hitting error from Winters on the left side. Unsurprisingly, that prompted a timeout from Canada coach Glenn Hoag. During the timeout, cameras caught Portuguese middle blocker Ruca Dos Santos getting two of his fingers taped together. It always amazes me that people can play like that, though I suppose it’s easier for a middle than, say, a setter.
The run continued after the timeout. A net fault called against Gord Perrin and a service ace for Alex Ferreira put the Portuguese up 5 before the Canadians next sided out. The two sides played mostly sideout volleyball from there, but of course that favoured the Portuguese. A service ace for Andre Reis Lopes made it 16-11 at the second technical timeout, during which Canada coach Glenn Hoag implored his men to commit a little more on service reception and “solve the error problem.” Portugal extended their advantage to six at 17-11 with a double block coming out of the timeout. They extended to seven at 19-12, prompting Hoag to take his last timeout.
At that point, the Canadians finally stopped looking like deer in the headlights, coming up with three of their own on Perrin’s serve, lastly an ace. At 19-15, Portugal called their first timeout. You always like to see a team continue to fight, because even if it doesn’t necessarily bring you back in this set, getting into a better rhythm can pay dividends later on in the match.
And that proved to be the story at least for set 1, as the Canadians came no closer than four, ahead of the 25-19 first set final. LP Mainville had staved off the set point at 24-18 and it looked for a moment like the Canadians would have one more life, after a remarkable save on 24-19, but the Portuguese still put the point away.
Canada started off set 2 well, winning a long rally on serve and then going up two as early as possible with a left-side triple block. 2-1 was an awkward rally, as the Canadian libero Dan Lewis wound up flat on his back in the middle of the court one point, making people need to hop over him to play the ball. The rally ended with a block against Dallas Soonias, as the lefty wasn’t really able to uncork a full swing. On 4-all, a very long rally ensued, as neither side looked altogether in-system. It ended with a double block against Nuno Araujo Pinheiro, who collapsed and pounded the sport-court in frustration. Canada took the next two on Soonias’ serve to make it 7-4 and prompt a curiously-timed timeout from the Portuguese (just one point ahead of the technical).
Portugal took two after the timeout, including a beach-esque pokie shot by Alex Ferreira to draw within one. Canada sided out ahead of the technical to make it 8-6. Canada got their lead up to 10-7, but Portugal staged a pretty dramatic turnaround at that point, taking six of the next seven to prompt a Canadian timeout. This run included some very long rallies and some downright exemplary blocking from the Portuguese. After a Fred Winters hitting error made it 14-11 Portugal, Mainville re-entered the match, as well as Toon van Lankvelt, to try and stop the bleeding a little. Two rallies later, Dustin Schneider and Rudy Verhoeff also entered, but it really didn’t make a lot of difference. The second technical timeout came with Portgual still up by 3, at 16-13.
Both teams wanted a call on the 17-13 rally, as some awkward net play resulted in an interference call going against Portugal. From 18-15, the Canadians closed back to within a point with a big kill from the pipe (Mainville, I think, though I didn’t see clearly) and a double block led by Verhoeff for his first World League point. That prompted a Portugal timeout, but afterward, Verhoeff and van Lankvelt came up with another block to draw the set even at 18’s. A kill from the pipe for Van Lankvelt and a service ace for Verhoeff (the Portuguese libero Joao Coelho and Nuno Pinheiro seemed to trip over each other each trying to play the ball) made it 20-19 Canada. A block for Adam Simac put Canada up 22-20, and the roll just continued from there. Canada reached set point at 24-20 and sealed an 11-2 run to close the set.
And the Canadian roll continued early in set 3 as they took four of the first five. Notably, they did not go back to their starting lineup to begin this set. It was the unit who had looked so terrific toward the end of set 2 that remained intact for the 3rd. The Portuguese, though, kept their wits about them and quickly equalised at 5-all. Both sides looked to be playing with a little more intensity as the match went on, and the crowd were really getting into it, too. Portugal led just 8-7 at the first technical timeout, though a kill for Andre put them up two coming out of it.
On 9-7, a terrible service reception whiff was saved momentarily by some hustle from Perrin and Van Lankvelt, but the Portuguese easily put away the free-ball return. When the deficit reached 12-7, Canada captain Winters re-entered the match in place of Van Lankvelt. It went pretty much sideout after sideout to the second technical timeout at 16-11 Portugal. As the set wore on, some of the match starters, like Soonias and setter Joshua Howatson came back in. Still it made very little difference, as the margin remained pretty fixed at 5, and eventually Mainville and Schneider came back in again themselves to negate the subs. Canada expended a timeout at 21-16, and Hoag implored his men to play with a little attitude, feeling that the Portuguese were doing so. Still it made little difference, as the 5-point lead held to 23-18, and then the Portuguese added two more on serve to close out the set.
Honestly, it was a pretty boring side0ut-fest. The margin remained the same between 12-7 and 23-18.
The deadlock that dominated the second half of set 3 really continued in set 4. The two sides split the first 12 points before Portugal went ahead 8-6 at the technical timeout. Hoag had some pointed words for Adam Simac on the bench, believing that he wasn’t exploiting an apparent weakness in the Portuguese block. 9-7 was a very long rally, ending with a kill from a middle quick-set by — who else, to fit the narrative? — Simac. That got the crowd up on their feet, but Perrin’s service error sided the Portuguese right back out. A right-side double block led by Ruca put them up three for the first time in the set. On 11-9, Canada got a big point on serve with a dig by Simac and a kill for Winters to draw back within one, as they tried to keep this set from getting away from them. On 12-10, Alex Ferreira was denied on the left side, leading him to grasp the net and pull it backwards as the play ended. I don’t think you’re exactly allowed to do that, but he wasn’t carded. Portugal got a big point omn serve with a left-side block to make it 16-13 at the technical.
The Canadians brought it back even at 17’s after the technical, though as my feed chose right then to cut out I’m not entirely sure how they did it. A middle block from Simac was the equaliser. On 19-18, a kill by Alex Ferreira gave the Portuguese the potentially-crucial late 2-point lead. At 21-20, Canada got the equaliser on serve, with Howatson, Verhoeff, and van Lankvelt combining for a huge triple block to really get the crowd into it. On 22-21, Andre beat the double block on the left side for a kill off the block and out, putting Portugal on the cusp of match point. A service error made it a 1-point set again. Portugal reached match point at 24-22, at which point Schneider subbed in for Howatson. Perrin staved off the first match point, sending Schneider back to serve, but after a long rally on 24-23, a hitting error by Perrin ended the match in favour of the Portuguese.
Portugal d. Canada (25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 25-23)
Canada actually had more scoring blocks than Portugal in the match — 11 to 10 — but it was pretty clear that Portugal’s front-line was superior. I think some of this has to be traced back to the starting lineup, which was pretty clearly not the team’s best six. I guess it’s just an attempt to get everyone some World League experience, and I certainly thought Portugal were the weakest team in the pool, so that could have been the mindset. Sure didn’t work out that way. This now puts both teams on 2-2, and neither are necessarily in the driver’s seat in Pool C.
Winters and Perrin each had 10 kills to be equal-best for the Canadians. The match high-scorer was Alex Ferreira was 13. Portugal used a much shorter bench than the Canadians, with only 2 bench players seeing action at any time.
Canada have their final homestand next week, against Korea. Portugal don’t play again until the 22nd and 23rd, at the Netherlands.
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