2024-06-06 14:04:37
Textual content: Raul del Pino
Picture: RL Hevia | Archive
The second week of the lads’s Volleyball Nations League (VLN) is right here and the expectations of 1000’s of followers are as soon as once more skyrocketing. The reborn Cuban staff made your entire island dream with their formidable efficiency within the first cease, from which they received three victories and a hard-fought setback to anchor themselves in third place within the event and, most significantly, climb to Olympic qualification positions. on the planet rating.
However the resounding victories in opposition to tough rivals equivalent to Brazil (3-1), Germany (3-1) and Iran (3-1), and the disputed tie break in opposition to Japan (2-3), are a factor of the previous. The staff below the command of Jesús Cruz now focuses all its consideration on the rival this Tuesday, Canada, host of group 4 of the second part of the competitors and one of many hardest nuts to crack in your entire competitors.
After an extended wait on the Toronto airport, the Antillean delegation continued in the direction of the capital Ottawa, the place, as in 2023, the TD Palace Area will host the essential key matches. The northern staff is without doubt one of the seven groups which have their ticket to Paris 2024, after successful it in one of many pre-Olympics held in September of final yr.
With 234.30 factors, they seem in twelfth place within the common rating, the place Cuba (261.17) rose from twelfth to ninth place, which nearly grants them passage to the summer time occasion. And understanding that they had a secure seat within the French capital, the Canadians didn’t start the championship with the identical impetus as different nations that sought to certify their classification on the finish of the common part.
For that reason, within the first week they added successes in opposition to Turkey (3-1) and Bulgaria (3-0), two groups beneath their stage within the rating, however fell in opposition to the highly effective Poland (1-3) and Slovenia (2-3), first and sixth, respectively. Even so, they shut the group of eight certified for the ultimate spherical.
Based on the arithmetic on the official VLN web site, a 3-0 Cuban victory would contribute 11.48 items to the rating, whereas a 3-1 would give 8.98 and a 3-2 solely 6.48. Within the occasion of stumbling over any of those markers, the Caribbeans would lose the identical quantity of factors in every situation. Because the closest precedent, each groups confronted one another precisely a yr in the past in the identical occasion of the VLN 2023, with an in depth 3-2 success for Canada.
And if reaching a good consequence in opposition to the northerners is important, it is usually important in opposition to the subsequent opponent, the Netherlands, a staff presently ranked thirteenth within the rating (222.14) and which additionally intends to pack its luggage for the French capital. Earlier than dealing with Cuba on Thursday the sixth, the tulips will conflict with Serbia (238.51), one other direct rival for the Olympic ticket, and Cuba’s closest pursuer.
The perfect approach to get to the match in opposition to the Dutch can be to attain as snug a victory as doable on the expense of Canada and for them to go to 5 units with the Balkans, thus the purpose distinction would widen in favor of the Cubans. However ultimately these calculations symbolize pure hypothesis, and you can’t take into consideration a problem with out having contested the earlier one.
The remainder of Cuba’s calendar within the second week is accomplished by matches in opposition to elite groups, equivalent to Italy and France, second and seventh on the common record, in that order, one more reason why it’s important to achieve these duels with good outcomes. earlier.
The optimistic factor right here is that successful will at all times give a very good revenue and failing would restrict the injury to a minimal. Additionally it is a plus that each have Paris of their pocket (the Italians usually are not categorized but however primarily based on rating it’s a matter of time), so it’s seemingly that they are going to rotate their greatest gamers, as some groups did in the course of the first week.
Relating to the efficiency of the Cuban staff, the technical course mustn’t power too many actions, since many of the figures exhibited their greatest model within the first week. The Antilleans’ extraordinary subject protection was an necessary asset within the victories, added to the few unforced errors they made, a facet of the sport that in earlier years at all times hit them.
The squad that traveled to Ottawa was the identical one made up of 12 gamers that was in Rio de Janeiro two weeks in the past. The doable incorporation of José Miguel Gutiérrez was lastly dominated out, though the assistant is already in Havana and took part in some coaching periods along with his teammates. The Villa Clara worldwide is anticipated to take part within the third and ultimate week of the qualifying part and, if Cuba wins, within the ultimate spherical to be held in Poland.