In a coaching clash between the Olympic champions from Tokyo and Paris, Laurent Tillie led Japan to a 3:2 (25:22, 19:25, 22:25, 25:20, 15:11) victory over France, led by Andrea Giani, in a Pool 4 match of the Nations League in Burgas. The match offered technical and tactical volleyball at the highest level, and the statistics show how evenly matched and strategic the contest was. Thus, Japan is 4th and France is 6th in the VNL.
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🔹Attack:
France finished with 62 successful attacks compared to 58 for Japan. Although 'Les Bleus' slightly surpassed in this component, the result did not bring them victory. The Japanese compensated with higher efficiency and fewer errors when completing attacks.
🔹Block:
11 blocks for France versus only 3 for Japan. This is one of the components in which the European team dominated decisively. But Japan managed to avoid long rallies through fast play and movement at the net, reducing the effect of the French block.
🔹Serve (initial hit):
Japan scored 9 direct points from serve against only 2 for France - a huge difference. Aggressive serving was precisely the key to the Japanese's success. They created discomfort in France's reception and disrupted its game organization.
🔹Points from opponent's errors:
Japan won a total of 32 points from France's errors - a full9 morethan the gifts it provided itself (23). This suggests that the Japanese were more mentally stable and acted with more discipline in key moments.
🔹Overall scoring:
Japan prevailed with 102:98 in total points - the four-point difference shows a minimal but consistent superiority in every component.
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🔸Digs (defensive saves):
Japan impresses with87 digsagainst68 for France– almost 20 more! This shows their immense dedication and resistance in defense, with which they manage to neutralize French attacks.
🔸Sets:
Japanese setters made124 passeswhile France had 113. This suggests that the Japanese offense is better organized and more varied.
🔸Reception:
It is interesting that France has a higher number of receptions – 84 against 75. This means that the Japanese serve was difficult to control, but also that the French were under serious pressure throughout the match.
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| Team | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Yuki Miyaura (No. 4) | 23 |
| Japan | Kodai Otsuka (No. 5) | 10 |
| France | Trevor Clevenot (No. 17) | 22 |
| France | Laurent Tillie (No. 21) | 17 |
📍Conclusion:
Although France scored more points in attack and block, Japan managed to compensate with better serving, fewer errors, and fantastic defense. This is a typical example of how volleyball is won not only with physical dominance but also with organization, psychology, and will - and that's exactly where Laurent Tillie once again proved his class.
photo:volleyballworld.com
