The comeback success arrives in the debut of the men’s tournament: ends 26-28, 18-25, 25-21, 25-18, 15-11
A painful debut, but a winner for theItalvolley, outgoing Olympic vice champion, at the Tokyo 2020 Games: Blengini’s national team overturns 3-2 Canada. First set won by the Americans 28-26, with two set points wasted by the Azzurri; after a second run without challenge in favor of Glenn Hoag’s men (25-18), Italy equalized the scores in the third (25-21) and in the fourth (25-18). At the tie-break, then, the blue 15-11 decides the match.
–
A huge reaction of pride gives Italy a very heavy victory against Canada on the occasion of the debut in the men’s volleyball tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At the Ariake Arena, Chicco Blengini’s men overturn the double advantage of the Canadians and win. with a big tiebreaker. Great blow and response at the beginning of the first set, with the Azzurri who always manage to stay in contact with their opponents, only to find the advantage of 14-13 thanks to Juantorena’s frightening block on Vernon-Evans. Shortly before, Zaytsev had thought, with an ace, to ensure that Italy did not collapse to -3. Then we arrive at 18-15 with a second intention shot for Giannelli, the latter’s block on Vernon-Evans and the first half of Piano. Canada reverses the situation, but Michieletto puts an end to the longest and most beautiful exchange of the match for 20 equal. Italy wastes two set points; the North Americans take advantage of their second and win the first partial. Italvolley escapes 3-1 at the start of the second set with a good team point. He comes back four more times to the double advantage, but he always gets caught up: Canada goes on 9-10 with Van Berkel and Blengini call timeout. Hoag’s wall hurts us and Van Berkel’s powerful attack is worth 13-11 for the national team coached by Glenn Hoag.
Italy slips to -4 on the impregnable ace of Vernon-Evans. Canadian maximum advantage that extends, up to 25-18, with the hands-out of the number 13, which means a heavy 2-0. At this point it would take a company to completely reverse the result. The first shots of the third set would show that the Azzurri are not there with their heads. Thanks, however, to a devastating Vernon-Evans, author of the immediate 8-4. However, at 10-13, Italy found the strength to place a 7-0 run with the ace of Michieletto and the points of Juantorena and Galassi. Blengini’s national team keeps the advantage of +4 well and halves the distances in the sets with the 25-21 signed by Giannelli on the wall. Very well the Azzurri in the fourth set. Juantorena returns to be seen in attack who, together with Vettori and Anzani, drags Italvolley to 14-7. Michieletto’s ace makes us fly to +8 (16-8). The Italian management is perfect until the last interval before the tie-break. The comeback is completed (25-18) with Juantorena’s final point and everything is decided in the fifth set. Giannelli’s ace (8-7) turns out to be the turning point of the match: Italy takes off with Juantorena and Michieletto and, thanks to the narrow diagonal of the 19-year-old from Brescia (undoubtedly MPV of the match), snatches the 15 -11 final which is worth the first 2 points in the standings in group A. Monday will be the turn of Poland.
– .
