It started with an earthquake, but – as time shows – probably not with terrible consequences. After the defeat of 2: 3 with Iran in the first round of the Games, our world champions save us great nerves and spare us.
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The future of the 3×3 staff is questionable. “The idea for the band has run out”
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You can’t lose concentration this way
Two days ago, Poland defeated Italy 3-0, and coach Vital Heyen said that he already saw in the team’s attitude what it was about. After a 3-1 win over Venezuela, the overall Belgian coach can be satisfied again. Although, of course, the downside is the fact that the line-up: Fabian Drzyzga, £ ukasz Kaczmarek, Micha³ Kubiak, Kamil Semeniuk, Mateusz Bieniek, Jakub Kochanowski and Paweł Zatorski had problems in the third set and that he lost it, although at the last moment was supported by Bartosz Kurek (he joined Kaczmarek at 17:23 and stayed for the fourth set). Something like this should not happen to our team, because here it is difficult not to suspect the team of losing concentration.
Effectively it was not achieved, but the goals were achieved
The loser – and a high one – spoils our impressions a bit. But everything is correct in the points in the table, so it’s time to look further.
Two days ago, Kubiak only played for a moment. After the match with Iran, which had stopped in the square for the substitutes, the captain did not even want to reveal what was wrong with him. In the second round, seeing that we are leading and we will probably win 3-0 with Italy, he approached Heynen, said: “Vital, I will play” and actually played for a moment. And now, before the match with Weneuzela, he had to say that he was ready to play in full. It means that the medical staff dealt with the back injury of our most important – as Heynen repeats – volleyball player.
Kubiak played, Semeniuk and Kaczmarek played, although Kurek had to change that in the end. Maybe not in an effective way, but Poland achieved its goals in the match with Venezuela. The changers rusted – that’s once. Two: those for whom a moment of breath could already be useful rested. And finally three: Heynen was rotating, but we didn’t lose points.
Quarterfinals with Argentina?
Meanwhile, in other matches of the Olympic tournament there were many surprises. In our group A, Canada did not give Iran a chance (3-0, in sets to 16, 20 and 22). This result opened the way for us to the first place in the table.
In group B Tunisia urwa³a seta Stanom, a Argentina unexpectedly won 3-2 with France. Earlier, the Argentine fought against the Brazilians, losing only after the tie-break. Who knows, if they aren’t going to advance to the quarter-final. If so, it probably comes at a cost France. She was beaten in Tokyo USA (3: 0, in sets to 18, 18 and 22), she won only against Tunisia so far.
The French will play in the group with the team of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and with Brazil. Argentina – with Tunisia and with the ROC team. Theoretically, an easier rival for us in the quarter-finals would be Argentina than France. But let our volleyball players not deal with theories. Let them make sure that their practical lessons become better and better with the course of the Games.
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