Iron group for De Giorgi’s Italy in Paris: Poland and Brazil immediately represent two convincing tests on the path that leads to gold. The women’s volleyball calendar: two matches in the morning
Harder than that, really no one could have studied it: the run-up the Italy of men’s volleyball towards that gold medal that has always eluded us in the history of participation in the games definitely uphill. Because they will be Poland, Brazil and Egypt the opponents of the preliminary round, where the top two plus the two best third-placed teams (out of three groups) will qualify. In short, a rather complex mission, taking into account that at the end of the preliminary round the set and points quotient will also determine the seeding of the quarter-finals, where the best qualified will face the eighth to make up a tennis scoreboard.
An ironclad group: there’s an immediate brawl with the Poles and Brazilians
The greatest danger inurn of Lodz was certainly represented by the much feared Polesreigning European champions, who Italy moreover it could be found in VNL semi-final next Saturday. But some problems also came from the third tier, where the number one danger was the Bernardinho’s Brazilbeaten a month ago in VNL, who will regularly cross glances with the Azzurri, eternal rivals (for more than 30 years). Not very good memories thinking about the two gold finals lost against the Verdeoro in 2004 and 2016.
Egypt, on the other hand, is the Cinderella of the Olympic tournament: having caught it is good, because it is likely that all three superpowers of the group will eventually qualify, but the order (and the set and points ratios) could play an important role in the quarterfinal grid. The only consolation is that of having avoided it Serbia and Germany (who had kicked us out at the pre-Olympic) in the last round (but it would have been really too much). In short, the dangers will come from Leon and Semeniuk, but also by Lucarelli and Leal. It will be a decidedly tough start, and perhaps the summer choices of the technical staff could in some way end up proving extremely successful and sensible.
Pool A: France, Slovenia, Canada, Serbia.
Pool B: Poland, Italy, Brazil, Egypt.
Pool C: Japan, Argentina, USA, Germany.
VNL, quarter-final with France on Friday
Before thinking about Paris, However, Fefé De Giorgi’s Italy will try to attack the Nations Leaguewhich opens its doors tomorrow in final eight of Lodz. The Azzurri, who finished the preliminary phase in third place, will face the France by Andrea Giani in a real derby that promises to be a spectacle. It should be remembered, however, that De Giorgi made a “drastic” choice for the final phase of the VNL: the entire lineup of starters has been at work since this afternoon Cavalese, where the march towards the Olympics actually began.
The coach brought a young and futuristic team to Lodz, preserving the muscles and mental energies of the owners but also to try and see who will actually be able to complete the roster of the 12+1 (the “traveling reserve”: a player who will not enter the Olympic village, but who can be inserted at any time in the event of an injury by one of the 12 players called up), which is already full for at least 9 members .
There will be two players competing for the three places Mattia Bottolo, Luca Porro and Francesco Recine in the role of spikers and one between Alessandro Bovolenta and Fabrizio Gironi in the opposite role. The thirteenth could be spotted among Edoardo Caneschi (central) o Gabriele Laurenzano (free): the final eight of VNL will have to serve to resolve the last (legitimate) doubts of Fefe.
Velasco’s Italian women’s team will play in Paris… for breakfast
In the women’s field, they were made known just this morning times and matches of the matches of the three groups of the first phase of the Olympic tournament. Velasco’s Italy will debut early in the morning Sunday 28 July facing the Dominican Republic at 9am. The second match is scheduled for Thursday 1st August at 5pm Holland, while the last match of the group against Türkiye will be staged on Sunday 4 August again at 9 in the morning. Times that are “not very Italian” but which reflect the FIVB’s desire to set up the competition day on four time slots (9, 13, 17 and 21), avoiding the risk of overlap between one match and another.
They qualify for the quarterfinals the first two of each group plus the two best third-placed teams, which based on the set and points quotient obtained will be remodeled into a ranking from 1 to 8 to create the pairings. The four bands will also be used on the day dedicated to quarter-finals (Tuesday 6 August)while the semi-finals will be scheduled Thursday 8 and the final on Sunday 11 August at 1pm (the one for bronze on Saturday 10th at 5.15pm).
