20th august 2008
Beijing (CHN)



RUSSIA–BULGARIA 3 - 1

(20/25) (25/16) (25/22) (25/21)

From the technical point of view, this match followed a predictable pattern. Both, Russians and Bulgarians have similar technical characteristics: strong serve, powerful attack and good block.
Today, the Russian performed much better than usual in the defense and block organization. They succeeded in switching the players’ block position according to the opponents hitting characteristics. Moreover, they were successful in managing the serve risk level and they displayed the right defense attitude.
From the emotional perspective both teams tried to improve their weakest points.
In the Volleyball world, Bulgarians are considered litigious and Russians spiritless. Therefore, Bulgarians kept on excusing each other with an unusual politeness and Russian always gathered to celebrate together. Both behaviors seemed to me a little studied and unnatural but, on Russian side, it helped a lot.


ITALY–POLAND 3–2

(25/19) (25/22) (18/25) (26/28) (17/15)

Italy-Poland was the most thrilling Volleyball match since the beginning of the Olympic Games. Italian team won the first two sets playing accurately and with few errors. In the third frame the match abruptly changed rhythm because of the Polish defense improvement.
In the fourth game, Poland quickly leaded 8-2 but Italy tied. Then, the two teams advanced together until 22-22, when Poland gained a double set point.
In the first one, Zagumny set to Wlazly, who failed hitting out. The polish setter insisted, setting again to his diagonal spiker who made the same error (24-24).
Lozano called a time out and everybody was asking where Zagumny would set.
He did the most unpredictable , setting for the third time in a row, to Wlazly, who scored.
Did Zagumny act courageously or was just crazy?
In this condition the difference between courage and craziness is extremely thin and no one should judge the player’s choice after the action is completed, as reporters are often used to do.


BRAZIL–CHINA 3-0

(25/17) (25/15) (25/16)

The match against China was just a “good test” for Brazil. It could be wrong defining an Olympics quarter-final game as “a good test”, but the gap between the two squads actually are too wide.
Take a look at the numbers of the game: Brazilian got 12 blocks and Chinese 0 (zero!). Also the attack percentage was incomparable 61% versus 39%.
Bernardinho’s players exploited the match to recover their astonishing speed and they were successful, though they wasted some opportunities attempting the impossible.
However, it might be useful to recall that in the last six years, the Brazilians succeeded in making possible what was commonly considered not possible.
The next step for Brazilian athletes will be the semis against Italy and it definitely won’t be a “test”.


SERBIA–U.S.A. 2-3

(25/20) (23/25) (25/21) (25/18) (12/15)

Only a few hours later, Italy-Poland lost the right to be “the most thrilling Volleyball match since…”. The match between Serbia and USA was emotionally as exciting as the previous one and technically played slight better.
Serbian players were fully active from the beginning while US team needed an entire set to completely switch on. Serbians are naturally competitive and the game against the US players puts even more stimulus on them. Us players instead, don’t need any special motivation to struggle each point, they always do it.
And the match was a tough struggle: just a small drop of Serbians players in the last points was decisive to give the victory to US team.


Bye bye andrea zorzi