He Argentina men’s volleyball team already signed a historic performance in the 2023 edition of the League of Nations: for the first time since the birth of the tournament, in 2018, he managed to get past the first phase and will have the pleasure of playing the Final 8 in Gdansk, Poland, between July 19 and 23. But those led by Marcelo Mendez they do not settle and they will look for something more in that final phase. And this Sunday, the rival they will face in the quarterfinals was confirmed: Italia.
The results of the closing action of the last weekend of the initial stage in Pasay City, Philippines -victories of Canada over China, Slovenia against the Netherlands and Poland against Japan-, determined that the Argentines (5th, with 26 points , 9 wins and three losses) will face the Italians (4th with the same record) in one of the clashes that will open the playoff action, on Wednesday the 19th, with a time yet to be defined.
Italy appears on paper as a tough rival for Argentina. The European team is the reigning European and world champion -defeated Poland 3-1 in the final of the ecumenical tournament that was held last year in Poland and Slovenia-. And he is second in the world ranking of the Volleyball World, international federation of this sport. However, there are a couple of very fresh backgrounds that feed the illusion of the Albiceleste team, seventh in that classification.
With a tremendous performance by Bruno Lima, Argentina beat Italy at the start of the 2023 Nations League. Photo Volleyball Nations League
The most recent, the duel they played on June 6 in Ottawa, Canada, for the first weekend of this event. On that occasion, the Argentines played a great game and won by a clear 3-0 (parts 25-22, 25-23 and 25-18), with enormous performances from Bruno Lima (17 points), Luciano Palonsky y Luciano Vincent (11 each).
The other? Nothing less than that clash for the quarterfinals of the tokyo olympicswhich was left in the hands of the light blue and soft team 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 25-22, 14-25 and 15-12) and which was a huge step on the road to the conquest of the unforgettable bronze medal.
On August 3, 2021, in the Japanese capital, Italy appeared as the great favorite. She had finished second in her group with four celebrations and only one fall (against Poland). And he had the record in his favor: 3-0 in decisive duels in Olympic events.
Conte was one of the figures in the duel against Italy for the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics. Photo EFE/EPA/WU HONG
Argentina had finished third in theirs, with a 3-2 record. But Luciano DeCecco and company surprised and staged a good comeback, after losing the first set, led on the scoreboard by Facundo Conte (19 units) and Ezekiel Palacios (18). The rest is history: loss to France in semis and epic victory against Brazil to climb to the last step of the podium.
That victory two years ago in the Ariake Arena of Tokyo tasted like a feat. Today, the clash that they will play in ten days in Gdansk is shaping up to be a more even duel. It is true that Italy continues to be a careful rival, but Argentina took a step forward -or several- driven by the Olympic bronze and today enjoys a huge present.
It is enough to review the statistics of the League of Nations to confirm it. Augustine Loserfor example, leads the list of the best blockers in the tournament, with an average of 4.25 per game (second is the Iranian Mohammad Mousavicon 2,91).
Loser, in action in the game against the United States, is the best blocker in the tournament. Photo Volleyball Nations League
Palonsky He is the seventh highest scorer with 178 points, in a table led by the Dutchman Abdel-Aziz Nimir with 217. And he also appears as the seventh best attacker and the third best server
Y Santiago Danani He is the second best receiver, with an efficiency of 32.34 percent, only behind the Slovenian Jani Kovaciccon 36,28.
The enormous tournament that Palonsky (24 years old) is doing shows another reason for the good moment that the national team is experiencing: although after Tokyo the change was promoted and several young talents joined the senior team, those players settled well in the group and have already earned their place, guided by the most experienced.
Another of the “new” names is Luciano Vincent23 years old, who has scored 130 points and is the team’s fourth scorer, behind Palonsky, Agustín Loser (158) and Bruno Lima (133), the third best spiker and second best blocker.
Palonsky, in full attack against Iran, is the seventh top scorer in the tournament. Photo Volleyball Nations League
“The team grew a lot. Many of us, the younger ones, who were taking our first steps last year, today we already feel very good within the team and that is thanks to the more experienced players and the coaching staff, “They showed us the way to go. We listen a lot to what they tell us and we try to apply it day by day. Today it is reflected on the field with results,” Vicentín commented in a chat with Clarín, before the start of the week of competition in Anaheim, where Argentina closed its participation in the first phase.
Hand in hand with the “veterans”, with captain De Cecco at the helm, and with that new blood hungry for glory, the light blue and white team completed a historic performance in the initial stage of the tournament -in which they also beat France , Olympic champion in Tokyo – and now he will look to put the finishing touch to an unforgettable season in the Final 8. Italy will be a tough first obstacle in that mini tournament. The freshest background against that rival and the great present of the Argentines excite.
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2023-07-10 01:13:35
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