Belgium and Germany steal the show in Pool B and Pool D of 2011 CEV Men’s Champions League
Pool B of 2011 CEV Champions League comprised of the men’s volleyball teams from Spain and Belgium. Both teams contested their attack and defence capabilities on court with Belgium being stronger of the two. The matches were hosted in the Spanish city Teruel
on Thursday, January 6, where Belgium’s team dug up success. The home team failed to penetrate the power of visitors and accepted defeat after four-set play. Around 2,500 spectators witnessed the action live in the sports arena. On the same day, Romania’s
Remat ZALAU clashed with VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN of Germany in Pool D. The German hotshots launched their authority on the Romanian team in front of 1,000 spectators, clinching success in the match.
Pool B: Belgium vs. Spain 3:1 (30-28, 26-28, 25-19, and 25-22)
The early phase of the game was full of serve errors from both sides. The players of both teams took time settling down in their athletic shoes. Gradually, Belgium’s team gained stability and started hitting nice shots to the opponents. The shots mostly
came from back row and the rival side could not counterattack them effectively. Soon the Spaniards built a lead of 8-7 at the first technical timeout. The Spanish squad was equally active in throwing the ball over the net as well. The score soared up with
a narrow gap of points. Belgium girls continued with their effort and managed to hit the equalizer at 20-all. The point-to-point battle continued, while both teams kept busy in hard-hitting. Belgium strengthened the defence line and were able to save many
crucial points. At the same time, the attackers did a great job and put a surprising end to the first set at 30-28.
The home side hit back angrily in second set but they faced a huge resistance from the opponents. Belgium’s team was full of energy after claiming the first set. They earned consecutive points and remained ahead in the game, leading at the second technical
timeout. Nonetheless, the home team formulized a different strategy and tied the score at 15-15. From this point onward, they worked out great performance and managed to steal points from Belgium. The home team came out of blues and successfully captured the
second set by posting 28-26.
The victory in second set restored home-players’ confidence. The local spectators made huge noises in support of their team. However, Belgium was infuriated with the loss of second set. They formed new combinations and developed good chemistry to dismantle
the power of Spanish team. Once again they rocked the podium with spectacular performance and managed to beat home side with a six-point lead (25-19).
Fourth set was another display of incredible show from visitors. They performed brilliantly and added consecutive points. Despite great efforts, Spanish team couldn’t achieve the desired results, failing to make a comeback in the game. Ultimately the Spanish
side dropped the fourth set as well and Belgium declared match victory, marching as winners.
Pool D: Romania vs. Germany 0:3 (23-25, 21-25, and 22-25)
In the fifth match of Pool D, Germany once again remained victorious and clean-swept the Romanian Remat Zalau. It was memorable match as both sides staged a breathtaking play. The first set ended in Germany’s favour with just 2-point margin. The second set
also came successful for Germans and posted a score of 25-21 on the board. Remat’s team fought bravely but couldn’t avoid the chances of defeat in third set.
The head coach of German team, Stelian Moculescu commented: “We were expecting to have a strong opponent, but we played pretty well in defense and blocking. The first set was a bit difficult, but finally we managed to come back, which gave us confidence,
that could be seen in the second and third set.”
While the head coach of Remat ZALAU, Mircea Dudas stated: “I think that today the guests proved that they are a strong team, using 3-4 players that have been playing for VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN since the last season. We didn’t have the same strength and we had
to manage with our players. Our goal is to play at a high level, better that today.”
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