Kobe, Japan, November 2, 2006 -- After two days of action in Pool C of the Women's World Championship, Brazil and the United States top the standings with two wins out of two, followed by the Netherlands and Puerto Rico with 1-1 records and the winless teams of Kazakhstan and Cameroon. But statistics don't always tell the whole story. The two winless teams, for example, have both impressed, in different ways, in their opening two games.
Kazakhstan found itself with a seven-point lead in the final set against the United States in its opening game and really should have gone on to claim what would have been a famous victory, but it seemed the Americans had more belief in themselves than their opponents and they took the tiebreaker 16-14.
From the Kazakhstan point of view, it was a moral victory; Captain Yelena Pavlova was the tournament's top scorer (with 40 points) on the opening day as she pulverized the U.S. defense with a breathtaking series of spikes.
But on the following day against Brazil, the Kazaks wilted, pulling Pavlova after the first set and conceding that they were never likely to beat the South American giants.
"Brazil is such a strong team, we really didn't expect to win," Pavlova said after the game. Coach Shapran Vyacheslav opted to rest his captain and several other players ahead of Friday's crucial match against Puerto Rico, which is seen as critical for both teams. Brazil, the United States and the Netherlands are favorites to clinch the top four spots and Cameroon's participation is not expected to last beyond Friday, so the fourth qualification spot will likely be fought out between Kazakhstan and Puerto Rico.
"It's a critical game," Puerto Rico coach Juan Carlos Nunez admitted. "As with Cameroon, we don't have much information about the team. We saw them against the USA and one player (Pavlova) sored 40 points. She was very aggressive, so we feel we have to be aggressive too. It's a very important game for advancing to the second round and that is our goal."
Nunez says he will pay attention to the Kazak captain but not be blinded into ignoring other threats.
"We will make sure she's covered," he says. "But it's a game against the entire team, not just against her." Puerto Rico lost to Brazil on the opening day and beat Cameroon on the second day. Nunez says he is happy with his team's performance so far, but looking for more aggression going into the final three days of the group.
The Puerto Rico-Cameroon game gave the African team its best chance of claiming a set in the tournament, the stated aim of head coach Peter Nonnenbroich.
"We came here and said maybe it's a dream to win a set or take a match if everything goes well on one day. Maybe this was the chance today," the German stated after the Puerto Rico game. "Against the USA, I don't think so; against Brazil, I don't even talk about it. Against Kazakhstan, if all our serves go in and we don't make one mistake, maybe we have a small chance."
While the German is happy to play down his team's chances, the team themselves have shown plenty of courage, enthusiasm and, it must be said, skill. What the team lacks more than anything is consistency. They have genuine spiking talent in Rebecca Rose Ngo Nkot, Ruth Diboue and Marguerite Messina Ondoua, as well as an excellent libero in Patricia Ndolo Ngombi.
"They are a very athletic team," Puerto Rico's Nunez notes.
They are also great fun to watch. With Rebecca Rose urging her teammates on with cries of "Allez! Allez!" the Cameroonians throw themselves around the court with abandon, jumping brilliantly and spiking with enormous power. The talent of Africa could surprise many in the future.
But the cream of Pool C can be found in the big three of Brazil, the U.S. and the Netherlands.
At 1-1, the Dutch have shown both stunning power and a slight fragility. While their comeback against the United States in Wednesday's ultratight five-setter showed that they have hidden reserves, their collapse in the tiebreaker from 7-7 to 7-15 showed their is some room for improvement.
In terms of physical talent, the Dutch are sensational. Manon Flier, Chaine Staelans and Alice Blom are dynamic spikers, while setter Riette Fledderus commands the front court. But do they have mental strength to match their physical talents?
"The players are not machines," head coach Avital Selinger cautions. "There are many emotions involved. We had to 'get a shower' today and we put ourselves in a position to change the momentum. Unfortunately, We got stuffed in the fifth set. It’s Russian roulette, but this is sport. You win some, you lose some."
Selinger is keen to put the results into perspective.
"You have to go to sleep at night and get ready for the next match," he points out. "You have to handle the disappointment and test your spirit as athletes."
The spirit of the Americans was tested in their first two games (against Kazakhstan and the Netherlands), which both went to five sets. Their wins were a testament to their mental strength as much as their physical talents, but it also showed a great all-around team effort by the U.S. squad.
The big hits can come from 200-cm Tayyiba Haneef, the dominating Heather Bown (188 cm, 90 kg), powerhouse Nancy Metcalf or 34-year-old Danielle Scott, whose brilliant blocking in the tiebreaker against the Netherlands sealed the match. Controlling everything is tough Hawaiian captain and setter Robyn Ah Mow-Santos. Not even a spike in the face could stop her against the Dutch. "We're getting better game by game," she warned.
The Americans' big test will come on Saturday afternoon when they face the Brazilians. The South American powerhouse started off sluggishly with a workmanlike 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico, but against Kazakhstan, they were flying. Jaqueline Carvalho has had a sensational start to the tournament with massive spikes and breathtaking defense. Fabiana Claudino, Sheilla Castro, Welissa Gonzaga and Walewska Oliveira have also all been big hitters, while the Brazilians' defense has been equally impressive. More than anything, by Game 2, the Brazilians were obviously enjoying their game.
"The players were all very relaxed throughout the game," Brazilian captain Fofao (Helia Souza) said after beating Kazakhstan. "We were able to progress at our own pace."
Brazil faces the Netherlands on Friday and the United States on Saturday before finishing off the group stage against Cameroon.