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World League Results Week 5
Match schedule Week 5
Friday June 8
France beat Spain 3-1 (29-27, 25-22, 19-25, 25-22)
Russia beat Venezuela 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-13)
Poland beat Greece 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-19)
Yugoslavia beat Japan 3-2 (25-18, 25-18, 27-29, 23-25, 15-10)
Saturday June 9
Italy beat Argentina 3-0 (27-25, 31-29, 25-14)
Brazil beat Netherlands 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-23)
Cuba beat Portugal 3-1 (18-25, 25-17, 25-18, 27-25)
Poland beat Greece 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 26-24)
U.S.A. beat Germany 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 22-25, 15-12)
France beat Spain 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-17)
Sunday June 10
Brazil beat Netherlands 3-2 (21-25, 25-16, 25-21, 22-25, 15-10)
Cuba beat Portugal 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-17)
Italy beat Argentina 3-1 (26-24, 30-32, 25-21, 25-20)
Russia beat Venezuela 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-13)
U.S.A. beat Germany 3-0 (32-30, 25-15, 25-16)
Yugoslavia beat Japan 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-22)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 11 2001 - Qualification for the $15 million
finals of the 2001 FIVB World League remains wide open following the
conclusion of Week 5 action on the weekend.
Based on current standings, Cuba and Brazil seem assured to join hosts
Poland in the finals to be staged in Katowice later this month.
The remaining five teams will be decided by an exciting climax to the
Intercontinental Round next weekend. Seven teams remain in contention for
finals qualification including Italy, France, Russia, Greece, Yugoslavia,
USA and Netherlands .
Brazil have confirmed their place in Pool D after twice beating The
Netherlands at the weekend, but the race for the second qualifying place
is opened up after the United States' two victories against Germany. Two
games between the Dutch and Americans in Amsterdam next weekend will
determine the runner-up place in their group.
Pool B involving Russia, Greece and Poland is too close to call after
weekend results. Russia won their two games against Venezuela comfortably
enough, 3-0 both, to go top of the table with 17 points.
But the group's surprise leaders, Greece, crashed to two successive home
defeats against the Poles, 3-0 and 3-1. "It was our worst performance of
the tournament," Stelios Prosalikas, Greece's coach, said after the first
defeat. That was before he witnessed 34 unforced errors in the second
match, where Poland's Pawel Papke top scored with 22 points.
Poland and Greece are now level on 16 points going into the final round of
qualifying matches, with Greece at home to the group's World League
debutant, Venezuela, while the Poles travel to St Petersburg. Even if
defeated, Poland will still qualify for the finals as hosts, at the
expense of the poorest second placed team in the four groups.
Elsewhere, defending champions Italy beat Argentina twice in Pool A, where
France's double victory against their closest rivals Spain makes for
important matches next weekend against Italy. The recall to the French
side of Stephane Antiga, scorer of 16 points in the second match in
Rennes, made a big difference. "We were efficient at the net with Laurent
Capet," France's coach, Philippe Blain, said. "Philippe Barca-Cysique
coming into the side also helped us."
Most straightforward group is Pool C, where leaders Cuba (winners over
Portugal) and Yugoslavia (who beat Japan) have dominated from the first
weekend.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 6 2001 - The $15 million World League finals
are now in sight for at least some of the 16 nations who began the
qualifying process a month ago.
The leaders of three of the qualifying pools Italy, Cuba and Brazil look
to have their tickets already booked for Katowice, Poland, and the finals
from June 25 to 30.
But with a maximum of two teams from each qualifying group going to the
finals, it is the battles for second place behind those three nations,
plus the outcome of Group B, which is still uncertain. This weekend's
matches could clarify a number of issues.
Group B has been thrown wide open by the continued outstanding form of
unfancied Greece, who head the table from last year's World League
runners-up, Russia. With the Russians expected to win both their games in
Venezuela this weekend, the Greeks meanwhile play hosts to Poland. (As
hosts, Poland are assured of a place in the finals, but if they do not
finish in the top two places in their group, they will displace the
weakest of the four group runners-up.)
Pool A features a head-to-head between the second and third placed nations:
Spain travel to Rennes in France for what will surely be the decisive
matches in their qualification process. Italy, the defending World League
champions, travel to Argentina for a repeat of the Olympic bronze medal
match between the sides in Sydney.
In Pool D, another European side, and former World League champions The
Netherlands, travel to Latin America, to meet Brazil for a
top-of-the-table clash. Any slip up by the Dutch could open the way for
third placed United States, who entertain Germany this weekend.
Pool C appears relatively straightforward: Cuba, runaway group leaders,
travel to bottom placed team Portugal, while Yugoslavia are at home to
Japan. Victories for the Yugoslavs will confirm the Olympic gold
medallists' place in the line up for the World League finals.
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