NORCECA Volleyball Tournament 2010, Mexico’s men win gold
The Mexican men’s team of Aldo Miramontes and Juan Virgen made a big break-through this year. They climbed up the stairs of fame by clinching a gold-medal victory in the 7th edition of NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit. The event ran for four days on the sands of the Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, California, USA.
Opening Phase
The Mexican pair earned a good reputation when they cleared the opening phase of the game. They kick-started a brilliant start by their overwhelming performance against a young team representing Guatemala in the first match of the tournament. Since then the pair moved forward with a streak of constant wins. They won the next two matches of the pool play with a good margin of points. They remained un-beaten and entered the next day of matches with a 3-0 score.
Second-day competitions
Repeating the same excellent beach volleyball game, Aldo Miramontes and Juan Virgen of Mexica covered the second stage without any loss and paved their way to the semi-finals of NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tournament.
Semi-final match
In the semi-final, the Mexican pair was up against an USA-2 team of Seth Burnham and Andrew MCGuire. The American pair struggled hard to gain status against the Mexicans but they couldn’t match their skills with the champions in offing. Miramontes and Juan were too fast to catch in the game. They captured victory over the Americans in two straight sets and confirmed their place in the final showdown of the tournament.
Final encounter
In the most influential match of the tournament, Puerto Rico’s Roberto Rodriguez and Orlando Irizarry challenged the Mexican pair. The Puerto Rican team had good records and they reached the final stage with a target to hit the top spot. They were in good position to pose a threat to the Mexican team.
The first set started and Puerto Rico’s players couldn’t create a wining impression in the game. Miramontes and Juan beat them with powerful aces and heavily dominated them. The strong influence of Mexican pair hindered Puerto Rico’s performance and they gave way to the Mexican lead. Miramontes and Juan maintained the lead till the end and claimed a 21-13 victory in the first set.
Rodriquez and Orlando were totally shaken by the outstanding performance of Mexican players. Somehow, they changed their strategy and decided to answer Mexicans in the same tone. The second set was more thrilling and speedy than the first one. Both teams delivered point scoring shots and amused the fans, who were held firmly in their seats. The fully packed arena echoed with cheers and slogans with every point scored.
The game slightly moved to the finishing line. Puerto Rico had to stop this as they had already lost the first set and their position had become insecure. On the other hand, Mexicans tightened their screws and produced more prevailing aces. As a result, Miramontes and Juan were able to dismiss the Puerto Rican pair at 24-22.
Mexico won the final match and secured a gold medal. With this particular win, they extended their winning streak to 7-0. The pair disclosed their strategy at the end of final match, Juan Virgen said, “We had a strategy but we had to change that strategy between sets. What we were doing wasn’t working. Puerto Rico was hitting the ball faster than we expected”.
For the next episode, The NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit is scheduled to travel to Mexico on Sept. 25. The two days beach volleyball activity will be showcased in Mexican city Tijuana.
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