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 In Cooperation with the FIVB.
World League Week 6
Match schedule Week 6
Friday June 15:
Russia beat Poland 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-19)
Spain beat Argentina 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 28-30, 15-12)
Netherlands def. United States (25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 25-19)
Yugoslavia beat Cuba 3-1 (25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22)
Italy beat France 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-19)
Venezuela beat Greece 3-2 (29-31, 19-25, 25-23, 34-32, 15-12)
Saturday June 16:
Brazil beat Germany 3-0 (25-18, 26-24, 25-21)
Japan beat Portugal 3-1 (27-25, 26-24, 23-25, 25-20)
Poland beat Russia 3-2 (11-25, 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 16-14)
France beat Italy 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-9)
Yugoslavia beat Cuba 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23)
Venezuela beat Greece 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 20-18)
Sunday June 17:
Brazil beat Germany 3-1 (25-7, 25-19, 19-25, 25-13)
Spain beat Argentina 3-2 (25-21, 25-20, 22-25, 21-25, 15-12)
Japan beat Portugal 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-12)
Netherlands beat U.S.A. 3-0 (25-17, 29-27, 25-17)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 13 2001 - Qualification for the eight teams to
go through to the $15 million World League finals in Poland later this
month is still wide open, with just this weekend's final pool games to be
played."We have analysed the pool standings very carefully," Andy Burdin,
the FIVB's Sports Events Coordinator said on Wednesday, "and the only two
teams guaranteed of playing in the finals in Katowice later this month are
Brazil and Poland, as hosts, although Cuba's chances also look very good
not having lost a match to date."
"All the other groups are up for grabs."
Qualification is complicated because Poland, as hosts, are assured a place
in the final eight - but they may yet place only third in Pool B, behind
Russia and surprise team Greece. Poland face a tough assignment in St.
Petersburg this weekend against the Olympic silver medallists.
If Poland do not qualify as of right, then they will replace the weakest
of the second-placed pool teams, a decision that could come down to the
number of sets won and lost in the six-week intercontinental Round.
In the other groups, defending champions Italy and France, in Pool A, and
Cuba and Yugoslavia, in Pool D, all meet this weekend, to fight out their
final pool positions with only the first placed team guaranteed to
qualify. The second placed team may be in the unlucky situation to face a
countback against the second placed teams in the other three pools.
Brazil heads Pool D, where the runner-up slot will be between the
United States and the Netherlands, who are pitched together in Amsterdam.
The Dutch need to win both matches in their double-header to leapfrog
their American rivals.
Doug Beal, the US head coach, will be looking to a steadying performance
from Chris Seiffert, the American setter. "The setter can put the team in
rhythm if he locates the ball well and gets the other team's block
thinking about all of the options."
But Bert Goedkoop, Beal's Dutch counterpart, is confident of his team's
chances. "We will be able to count on two experienced players, Goertzen
and Schuil, against the Americans this weekend, who were not able to
travel with us to Brazil last week. I think we have every chance to beat
them."
The last matches of the Intercontinental Round will test the character of
all the key players, especially those that have dominated as Best Scorers
in the last 5 weeks of competition. In the match up between CUB v YUG we
will see Ivan Miljkovic face off against B. Leonel Marshall; ITA v FRA we
will see Alberto Cisolla against Laurent Capet; NED v USA we will see
Richard Schuil against William Priddy; RUS v POL we will see Igor
Choulepov against Pawel Papke and in the match GRE v VEN we will see
Zlatkov Baev Tontor against Ernardo Gomez who heads the Best Scorer race
at the end of Week 5.
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