Women’s Volleyball World Cup, Italy loses at the tie-break with Brazil. Danesi: “We did it all”

The first defeat: the blues stop against Brazil in the first match of the second phase of the women’s volleyball World Cup. In Rotterdam, Italy loses at the tie-break, 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 25-21, 17-15), but after the five consecutive victories in the first phase, the chances of qualify for the quarter-finals: in the standings he is still ahead of Brazil (16 points to 15) thanks to the two sets won which are worth an extra point. But the disappointment is strong, after the Nations League final dominated in July with the Brazilians, and a comeback that after the first lost set had led the blue to conquer the second and third, giving the impression of being able to quickly close the match. match. The 37 points of Paola Egonu, of which 3 on the wall and 1 on the service. The tiebreaker was in balance for a long time, but it lacked the accuracy – 33 direct errors – and the nastiness to win it compared to the Brazilians who exhibited splendid Gabi (30 points). It is a decisive junction for the World Cup, which not even twenty-four hours later, Wednesday at 2.15 pm (Rai 2, Sky Sport 1 and Sky Sport Arena), will play against Japan who beat Brazil 3-1 in the first round .

Sylla: “We had the game in hand, then the loss of attention”

“We did it all,” he explains at the end Anna Danesi. “Limiting the mistakes we made will allow us to play better. Now let’s try to put this defeat behind us and think about Japan.” Miryam Sylla: “We weren’t good at scoring points. We had the game in hand, we reduced attention and they are not here to give anything to anyone. It happens, it’s normal, no one said we had to finish the World Cup unbeaten ”. “In the middle of the fourth set” analyzes the coach Davide Mazzanti“we took a little off the gas in the serve, and the frenzy of the shots of the first set is back: at that moment we missed the game, while Brazil remained lucid. We must immediately start again, with Japan we will need quality in attack, so to demonstrate again what we are able to do “.

The shots of Gabi and Taimara

There is Brazil, but not Italy, in the first set. The initial 3-0 is illusory, soon Gabi e Tainara they begin to grind blows to which the blue do not oppose a watertight defense. The only point on the wall by Danesi is warning light of the discomfort, while the green-golds even place two consecutive ones that dampen the comeback attempts. On 21-17 the coach Mazzanti warns: “The world championship begins, girls, and we are bigger than this”, almost an input for the second set as the first slips away.

Egonu turns on

Author of 6 initial points, Paola Egonu lights up in the second, assisted by a team that rises in defense (3 points against the wall by Danesi which at a certain point are worth 18-11). Fersino enters on 20-14 instead of Pietrini to give depth to the rear, in the final it’s up to Sylla who makes a miraculous recovery that dampens the Brazilian comeback and activates Egonu for the diagonal that is worth 1-1: between the 8 points of the opposite shots that overcome the 105 km / h barrier (in Nations League against the Brazilians it touched 112) , a balance that could be richer if an ace and a dunk were gone for nothing. Pietrini also grows (4 points).

The Push of Sylla

Sylla’s entry is a burst of energy for an Italy that has recovered, as much as Brazil, beyond Gabi, has lost the relentlessness of the first set. The spiker performs with lobs, powerful conclusions and walls (1 point), the blues gain confidence, expand the variety of shots, Orro to the dribbles he adds an ace and a point to the wall, like Danesi who also guesses an attack. De Gennaro is in the mood for an undertaking on the recovery of 16-14. Then there is Egonu, a compendium of emotions as his score takes off: he shoots out the diagonal of the possible 20-17, and is immediately forgiven with a dead-leaf ace, heavy discharge three points that close the set at 25-22 : 6 points for her, including 1 on the block and 1 on ace.

The referee’s decision

The blue push runs out, Gabi keeps Brazil in the running and throws it towards the tie break. The first extension produces a 16-13, immediately deflated by the comeback that Egonu’s wall up Pri Daroit, the diagonal of Pietrini on the line, the slash of Danesi make it concrete. There is an arbitration decision that stops and perhaps deconcentrates the blue, when the coach Zé Roberto calls the floor touch confirmed by the referee, who sees the ball on the ground while Sylla claims to have blocked the trajectory with his hand. It is a moment, and Brazil closes with Gabi who also allows himself to miss a service.

The epilogue

The last act is played point to point, but at the first draw of the Brazilians Italy fails to respond by reversing the score. Egonu makes the 2-1 from the second line, unloads shots that do not allow the rivals to escape, misses a joke (12-13, immediately after the similar mistake of Pietrini), scores 7 points out of 15 of the blue who however yield in front of Carol (2 points to the wall out of 5) and Gabi. Today with Japan you can no longer go wrong.

The ranking

Pool E (Rotterdam): Italy 5 wins 16 points, Japan 5V 15p, Brazil 5V 14p, China 4V 12p, Belgium 4V 12p, Holland 3V 9p, Puerto Rico 2V 6p, Argentina 2V 5p.