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 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 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.
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Match Reports
Standings Pic: The 2005 World
League is producing some classic matches
including this contest between Serbia
and Montenegro (blue) and Poland
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Brazil concedes a set in second win over
Japan
 June
12, 2005 – Four time World League
champions Brazil snatched a hard fought
3-1 victory over Japan in Gifu City to
improve their record to five wins and a
loss while Japan have still to record a
victory in this year's competition. The
Olympic champions, who have now gone top
of Pool A but could be joined by
Portugal who play Venezuela on Sunday,
failed to make their mark in the
one-sided victory as they still develop
combinations but they showed glimpses of
their class, with a smooth combination
on attack and effective blocking
performance. Setter and captain Ricardo
Garcia managed to make the whole team
into a complete attacking machine.
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Match Reports Pic: Japan are
still building a young and exciting side
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Poland suffer first defeat as Cuba &
Portugal continue outstanding form
 June
11, 2005 – 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 over
previously unbeaten Poland on Saturday
in the latest action of round three of
the 2005 World League Intercontinental
Round. In other matches on Saturday both
Portugal and Cuba maintained their
scorching form with straight set
victories over Venezuela (25-18, 25-21,
25-14) and France (26-24, 25-23, 25-20)
respectively.
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Match Reports Pic: Venezuela try
to stop the block from Portugal's Andre
Lopes
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A who's who of Argentina Men's
Volleyball
 June
11, 2005 - Argentina is going through a
tough time on their return to the World
League. Currently bottom of Pool C, the
South Americans have got a lot to look
forward to over the remainder of the
tournament, starting with their second
match against Greece on Sunday as they
strive to add to their solitary victory
to date.
Meet the players
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Brazil win in straight sets as Greece
claim win No 3
 June
11, 2005 – Defending champions Brazil
restored some sense of normality to Pool
A, following last week's unexpected
defeat to Portugal, by beating Japan 3-0
(26-24, 25-20, 25-21) in their opening
match of round three in Gifu on Saturday
while Greece had five players reach
double figures in their 3-1 (25-21,
25-19, 19-25, 25-14) win over Argentina
in their Pool C match in front of 11,000
fans in Buenos Aires.
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Match Reports Pic: Ilias Lappas,
scorer of 12 points for Greece, is in
full flight against Argentina
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Bulgaria shock Italy with tiebreaker victory
 June
10, 2005 – Bulgaria, ranked 13th in the world,
pulled off a stunning 3-2 (18-25, 31-29, 25-10,
20-25, 15-13) upset win over world number two
and 2004 World League runner’s up Italy in
Roseto d. Abruzziin on Friday opening the third
round of the 2005 World League in sensational
style. The match, which lasted nearly two hours,
was full of drama, excitement and outstanding
play as both sides fought to the end in a tense
five set thriller infront of over 5,000
screaming fans.
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Pic: Bulgaria salut their fans after Friday's
epic five set win over Italy
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 June
10, 2005 – Having both recorded outstanding
results in the 2005 World League
Intercontinental Round thus far, Portugal and
Venezuela shape up against each other in round
three this weekend in what promises to be an
exceptional Pool A contest.
Portugal recorded an historic victory over
Brazil last weekend and with their confidence
flying high, they will be a daunting opponent to
anyone, let alone Venezuela, who after taking
three impressive sets off Brazil in round one,
collected two comfortable victories over Japan
last weekend.
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Pic: Portugal collected their first World
League win over Brazil last weekend
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 June
10, 2005 – France’s match against Cuba in
this week’s third round of the 2005 World
League Intercontinental Round is arguably
the match of the round in Pool B with
victory imperative for both sides. The young
and exuberant Cuban team have their tails up
with three wins and one solitary defeat
after two rounds, while France are desperate
to record at least one victory this weekend
to keep them in touch with the pool leaders.
More Pic: Cuba have been in red hot
form so far in the World League
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Italy must do the double - Simeonov
 June
10, 2005 –Italy’s Ventzislav Simeonov says
victory in this weekend’s 2005 World League
Intercontinental Round Pool B matches against
Bulgaria, his country of birth, is imperative if
last year’s silver medallists are to reach the
final round.
With the winner of each of the three pools
guaranteed a spot in the final round, Italy are
currently in second place in their group with
two victories and two defeats, just ahead of
France on set ratio but behind the leaders Cuba,
who have only suffered one defeat (at the hands
of Italy in round two) from their four matches.
Bulgaria are fourth in the group with only one
victory.
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Pic: Italy have split both their matches
against France and Cuba in the first two opening
rounds
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Giba and Gustavo prepare to change from
supporters to players
 Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, June 9, 2005 - For Giba and
Gustavo, the beginning of the 2005 World League
has been very unusual. Instead of being on court
for Brazil during the opening two rounds against
Venezuela and Portugal the two Brazilian
superstars have been watching from the
sidelines. Giba has been recuperating from a
virus, while Gustavo earned a rest following a
tough schedule in the Italian Championship.
It has been little more than a week, that the
two key players have been working out at the
Brazilian Volleyball Development Center in Rio
de Janeiro and now both are eager to return to
the national team and contribute towards seeing
the Olympic champions claim their fifth World
League title and their third in as many years.
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Pic: Giba with his wife and 10-month-old
son
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Intercontinental Round nears halfway
stage as Poland put unbeaten record on line
 Lausanne,
Switzerland, June 8, 2005 – Following four
victories from as many matches during the
first two rounds of the 2005 World League
Intercontinental Round, world number seven
Poland travels away from home for the first
time with two riveting Pool C encounters
this weekend against last year’s bronze
medalists Serbia and Montenegro. It promises
to be a sumptuous clash between two of the
most powerful sides in the competition in
this the third week of six of the
Intercontinental Round. Serbia and
Montenegro coach Ljubomir Travica has vowed
his side, who collected their first win of
the tournament last weekend in Argentina and
are preparing to play in front of their home
fans for the first time, will try their
utmost to break Poland’s record.
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Injury relief for Poland
 June
8, 2005 - Poland coach Raul Lozano has
breathed a big sigh of relief having been
able to call in two new – yet experienced
faces – into his injury-hit squad as he
prepares his side, the only unbeaten team in
the Intercontinental Round after two
weekends, on a 10-day journey away from
home. Poland have played the first two
rounds of the 2005 World League in front of
their passionate home fans and lead Pool C
with four wins from as many matches but now
the world number seven must test the water
in foreign territories when they visit
Serbia and Montenegro this weekend followed
by a trip to Greece in round four.
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Pic: Poland will have to play away from
this kind of support for the first time
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Argentina trip crucial for Greece
says Charitonidis
 June
8, 2005 – Despite coming off two straight
defeats at the hands of Pool C leaders
Poland last weekend, some injury problems
and a long away journey to Argentina, Greece
coach Kostas Charitonidis has his sight
firmly set on two victories for this
weekend’s round three of the
Intercontinental Round of the 2005 World
League.
Two wins will help Greece, who have an
overall record of two wins-two defeats, keep
in touch with the undefeated rivals in the
group Poland and help keep their heads in
front of both Argentina and final round
hosts Serbia and Montenegro, who have one
win a piece.
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Pic: Greece lost to Poland 3-2 & 3-0 in
round two
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Japan versus Brazil: Smashes by Satellite!
Lausanne,
Switzerland, June 8, 2005 - For the third
weekend of the World League, the FIVB will
provide a live satellite broadcast of the
match between Japan and Brazil on Sunday 12
June at 4 a.m. GMT (1 p.m. local time) at
the Gifu Memorial Centre in Japan.
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French
Spanish
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Serbia and Montenegro hoping to upset
Polish record
 Belgrade,
Serbia and Montenegro, June 7, 2005 – Final
round hosts Serbia and Montenegro are
quietly confident of improving upon their
record of one victory so far in Pool C of
the 2005 World League when they host
undefeated Poland in round three of the
Intercontinental Round this weekend. Last
year’s bronze medallists have started with
two defeats against Greece and a win and a
loss in Argentina while coach Ljubomir
Travica bloods new talent and this weekend
they face a red-hot Polish side, who have
done the double over Argentina and Greece,
in Novi Sad on Saturday and Belgrade on
Sunday.
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Pic: Serbia and
Montenegro coach Ljubomir Travica
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Competition Formula
