Portugal, Cuba and Poland top of the
pools at halfway mark
 June
12, 2005 – Not many people would have
picked it at the halfway stage of the
2005 World League Intercontinental Round
but Portugal, Cuba and Poland are the
three pool leaders at the end of round
three after each team collected
contrasting results during round three
which finished on Sunday.
Portugal continued their majestic form
in Pool A by collecting two straight-set
victories over Venezuela (25-18, 25-21,
25-14) and (25-23, 25-23, 25-21) in Vila
do Conde to lead the group with five
wins - their most ever in World League
history - only on set ratio ahead of
defending champions Brazil, who beat Japan twice 3-0 (26-24,
25-20, 25-21) and 3-1 (25-17, 25-19,
27-29, 25-18) in Gifu.
Pic: The 2005 World League is
producing some classic matches including
this contest between Serbia and
Montenegro (blue) and Poland
"I am very satisfied,” Portugal coach
Orlando Samuels said “We have three
consecutive straight set victories. The
team is motivated and despite the fact
that the players may be tired we were
able to win." Portugal must now prepare
for life on the road for the remainder
of the Intercontinental Round having
played all of their matches at home for
the first three weeks.
In Pool B, Cuba hold a one-win lead over
Italy and France after beating the Tri
Colours 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-20) on
Saturday before losing 3-2 (25-19,
18-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-7) in Metz on
Sunday. The mixed results mean France
keep their final round hopes alive as
did Italy, who also split their matches
against Bulgaria in two tough five-set
thrillers, losing 3-2 (18-25, 31-29,
25-10, 20-25, 15-13) on Friday before
gaining revenge on Sunday in a 3-2
(25-19, 24-26, 15-25, 25-19, 17-15) epic
in Ancona.
“The win helped us from a psychological
point of view,” Italian coach Gian Paolo
Montali said. “I would congratulate my
team even if they had lost. It is a very
important result that still leaves us in
the running for the final round in
Belgrade.”
“Maybe with more accuracy in serving,
the story would have been different,”
Bulgarian coach Martin Stoev said. “The
final round? The turning point will be
in Cuba. There Italy and Bulgaria will
compete to find their way to the 2005
World League final round in Belgrade.”
Pool C, meanwhile, sees Poland still in
pole position with five victories and
one defeat after splitting their matches
with Serbia and Montenegro on the
weekend. An incredible 35 point haul
from Dejan Bojovic led Serbia and
Montenegro to a sensational 3-2 (30-28,
16-25, 25-23, 22-25, 21-19) win on
Saturday before the Poles restored order
by collecting a 3-1 (25-19, 25-22,
22-25, 26-24) victory on Sunday. The
other results in Pool C saw Argentina
and Greece split their matches in Buenos
Aires with Greece winning the opening
encounter on Friday 3-1 (25-21, 25-19,
19-25, 25-14) before Argentina, cheered
on by more nearly 12,000 singing fans,
claimed the honours in the second match
on Sunday 3-2 (17-25, 23-25, 25-23,
30-28, 15-13). |
Competition Formula