Downfall starts for Mexico and Russia in FIVB Volleyball Championship, Italy
It has been a great year for Mexico’s National Volleyball team, as they reached the second round of the FIVB Men’s World Championship in a long time. The Mexican team beat Venezuela in the first round and qualified for the second round.
The team was credited for making a historic move but the happiness was short lived. Mexico is included in Group H in second set along with teams from Cuba and Serbia.
Mexico played its first match against Cuba and regretted the loss of the game. Cubans crushed their dream to catch more limelight and dismissed them in three straight sets. Mexico received 0-3 (17-25, 25-27, and 15-25) defeat from tough contender, Cuba.
On the other hand, Russia is also down with a shocking defeat from Spain in Pool I. The Spaniards surprised the strong Russian team with an amazing performance and snatched victory from them. Spain posted 3-2 (17-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, and 15-13) win over
Russia.
Mexico vs. Cuba
Technically, the Mexicans couldn’t create a strong impression in first set on account of their faulty serves. Cuba was already raged-up as Serbia defeated them in the first match. The team was in anger-mode while they contested with Mexico. Cubans hit blazing
shots and put pressure on Mexican side. The first set victory graced Caribbean team from Cuba (25-17).
Mexico never wanted to lose the game as it was rare opportunity for them to play at this level. They learnt a lesson in first set and came up with improved game in second set. They kept a sharp eye on ball and handled the shots with care. Their attack attempts
created difficulty for Cubans. They produced good shots and defended their position. On other side of the court, Cuba was also in good form after winning the first set and demonstrated good game. The score was slightly shifting up. The spectators enjoyed the
game as the curiosity was building up. The second set was a long tiring battle as the score crossed the limit of 25. Finally, Cuba thrashed Mexico with a score of 27-25 in second set.
Mexico lost hope in third set as Cuba got the edge. They slowed down, while Cuban side was more thrilled as the victory was near. They picked up lead in third set and further maintained it till the end. Cuba finished the third set by sending 25-15 and declared
match victory.
Spain vs. Russia
The PalaCatania sports hall in Catania, Italy recorded an interesting match between Spain and Russia, which ended with a shocking result. Russia was expected to perform better as they finished the first round without any loss. Moreover, they opened the second
round with win over Egypt on 30th September, 2010 and kept good reputation in the championship. Oddly enough, Spain finished third in the first round but still managed to steal victory from Russia on October 1st, 2010.
The first two sets of the match portrayed a complete different picture. Russia played in its usual style and bombarded opponent’s court with ground-breaking shots. The mighty spikes and tricky under-hand shots enabled Russians to claim victory in first two
sets. Spaniards created a little buzz in the game but they couldn’t match their performance with Russian top-guns. Russia secured the first two sets by posting 25-17 and 25-21.
Nonetheless, the situation drastically changed in the following sets. Spain made a great comeback in third set. They hit the ball with rocket-speed and pulled off third-set victory with the help of 25-21. The real disaster started for Russia when they lost
another set and the game was tied at 2-2. The 15-point golden set also brought success for Spanish team after a close fight of 15-13. Spain conquered the hard Russian squad and enjoyed their valuable victory.
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