2024-06-10 08:04:52
Textual content: Raul del Pino
Foto: RL Hevia
The photographs and screams of the Cuban gamers nonetheless resonate in a crowded however silenced Maracanazinho, in Rio de Janeiro, which served because the setting for a historic Volleyball Nations League (VNL) match. The Antillean staff bypassed the house staff, the highly effective Brazil, within the return of the legendary Bernardo Rezende to the auriverde bench, to ship a loud and clear message of his intentions to attend the Olympic Video games subsequent summer time .
The success by three units to 1 (3-1) can now be thought-about the perfect consequence for the Caribbean squad since final 12 months it entered the occasion for the primary time that changed the outdated World League in 2018. Cuban males’s volleyball was going via its lowest hours and had by no means been capable of entry this match, however in 2023 they not solely achieved it, but in addition ensured their permanence for the following version.
Now, with a extra mature group filled with worldwide stars returning to put on the tricolor uniform, volleyball lovers can dream of these instances of yore when the island staff rubbed shoulders with the perfect on the planet. If the pre-Olympic previous, additionally on Rio soil, was the awakening of the lethargy, the place they have been left one step away from Paris, all the things appears to point that the VNL 2024 is the definitive consolidation of the mission.
This victory towards a neighborhood Brazil backed by 1000’s of individuals continues to be removed from bringing Cuba nearer to the Olympic ticket, but it surely provides monumental confidence that each the gamers and the teaching workers wanted to proceed strolling the steep path that separates them from the summer time occasion. The defeats towards Argentina the earlier week within the two preparation matches, plus the absences of some key figures of the staff within the current previous, such because the opposites Jesús Herrera and Miguel David Gutiérrez, didn’t emanate good omens for the troublesome begin that lay forward. To Cuba.
Nevertheless, the beginning sextet that debutant strategist Jesús Cruz despatched to the courtroom rose to the problem and from the very first set the staff confirmed that it had a “killer” mentality. The division within the first two units with scores of 25-23 and 27-29 presaged a doable tie breakhowever the Cubans left no room for doubt and gained by a double 25-21 in third and fourth to seal the vital first victory and within the course of get even for the painful setback suffered within the 2023 qualifier with the identical consequence.
The auxiliary Marlon Yant emerged as the primary exponent of the assault for the Caribbean with 18 factors, escorted by “the flying Cuban” Miguel Ángel López (15) and a veteran Michael Sánchez (14), who known as “Russian” however was born in Ukraine, who didn’t look misplaced within the reverse place that the left-handed Herrera left vacant along with his harm. For his or her half, heart backs Javier Concepción and captain Roberlandy Simón contributed with 13 and 12 models every, along with the beautiful function of passer Christian Thondike all through the match, which allowed the offense to operate as a ferocious struggle machine.
The victory by two units of distinction is much more vital for the Cuban staff, because it contributed 12.7 factors to the world rating of the Worldwide Volleyball Federation (FIVB), the place the final tickets to Paris will likely be distributed as soon as the preliminary part of the VLN is over. Cuba now occupies tenth place with 249.66 models, to be solely 3.56 behind Serbia, the final staff within the Olympic qualification zone, to allow them to overcome the cut-off line this Wednesday if the Europeans fall to Iran.
Past fascinated with the sophisticated system for awarding rating factors, or what its direct rivals do, the nationwide staff should focus on displaying its greatest sport in every of the matches that await it this primary week.
The subsequent rival on Thursday would be the compact Germany, which stunned by successful one of many two locations provided by the pre-Olympic match in Brazil, the place it beat Cuba with a rating of 3-1. A day later it will likely be Japan’s flip, one other staff that already has its ticket to Paris and is at present top-of-the-line on the planet. The bronze within the final VLN in addition to the third place they occupy within the common rating, demonstrates this.
If these pair of clashes will mark a earlier than and after within the aspirations of technical director Cruz’s pupils, the final one towards Iran will accomplish that much more on Saturday, probably the most reasonably priced of all of the rivals on paper on this first part, however on the similar time that they should win with the best forcefulness doable.
Cuba schedule within the VNL 2024:
WEEK 1 (in Brazil)
-Brazil – Might 21 (World Rating 5 – Certified for Paris). 3-1 victory.
-Germany – Might 23 (RM 11 – CaP)
-Japan – Might 24 (RM 3 – CaP)
-Iran – Might 25 (RM 14)
WEEK 2 (in Canada)
-Canada – June 4 (RM 12 – CaP)
-Netherlands – June 6 (RM 13)
-Italy – 7 Jun (RM 4)
-France – June 8 (RM 6 – CaP) Present Olympic champion
WEEK 3 (In Slovenia)
-Serbia – June 19 (RM 9)
-Eslovenia – 20 jun (RM 8)
-Bulgaria – 21 jun (RM 20)
-Poland – June 23 (RM 1 – CaP) Present VNL champion