MATCH INFO

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 7, 2011 – Argentina is the is the first placed team of Pool F while Serbia is still fighting for its qualification as both teams clashed on Sunday afternoon in their last matches in the second round of FIVB Men´s Junior World Championship in Rio de Janeiro. Serbian 3-2 win (24-26, 25-18, 20-25, 25-10, 15-9) qualified the South American side to the semifinals, while the European will have to await the match between host Brazil and India.

First world-ranked in Youth and Junior, Argentina has now seven points and is assured in the pool's first place. In the semifinal, the South American will face the second placed team of Pool E, which will be decided later today in the match between Russia and the Unites States.

The five-set win allowed Serbia to reach five points and, temporarily, the second place of the group. The Europeans will advance to face the first placed of Pool E only if hosts Brazil, which has three points, does not defeat pointless and already eliminated India in the closing match of the day.

Opposite Aleksandar Atanasijevic and middle blocker Vuk Milutinovic were essential in Serbian win scoring 25 and 19 points, while Argentinean opposite Ivan Castellani added 18 to his side.

The first set of the match had many turnarounds and started with Serbia scoring 13-11 with outside hitter Lazar Koprivica. The Argentineans scored four points in a row and, after a spike of Agustin Ramonda, reached a 15-13 lead. Serbian tied it at 20-all with a block of Dusan Petkovic, but the South American recovered for a 23-21 lead through Federico Martina. Serbian Srecko Lizinac tied the set again 23-23, but Nicolas Mendez spiked against Serbian block to close the frame 26-24.

Serbia was also the first to lead the second set as Kovacevic blocked Castellani to score 8-5. In a mistake of the same Kovacevic, Argentina closed in, but Serbia remained ahead and improved its lead to 15-10 with a serve point of Vuk Milutinovic. When the European side had a big 20-13 advantage, Argentinean head coach Juan Manuel Cichello made several substitutions and the South American scored three points in a row, but it was not enough to avoid Serbian's 25-18 win. 

Argentina started the third partial ahead helped by a block point of Martina that put the score 4-1. Serbian captain Atanasijevic tied at 4-all, but the South American took advantage of a mistake of the same player to go in ftont 9-7. Commanded by captain Juan Ignacio Finoli, the Argentina scored 16-13 following two spikes of middle blocker Martin Ramon. At the end, the world ranking leader scored 21-15 before winning the frame 25-20 with Castellani spiking.

Playing its last chances to advance to the semifinals, Serbia started the fourth set well, scoring four points in a row. The lead improved to 8-1 after a spike of Atanasijevic. In the second technical timeout, the score read 16-6 with a block of Milutinovic. With Argentina showing no reaction, a block of Lisinac sealed Serbian easy 25-10 win.

The deciding set was commanded by Serbia since its beginning. When Atanasijevic spiked to score 7-2, head coach Cichello called for a time-out. The team did not react and Serbia won 15-9 with Kovacevic spiking.