The last quarter-final of the 2025 Nations League Finals promises a true clash of styles - Poland vs. Japan. The match will be played on Thursday, July 31st, at 13:00 Bulgarian time in Ningbo and will determine the last semi-finalist. Both teams finished the regular season with an identical record - 8 wins and 23 points each - but Japan finished ahead of Poland due to a better set difference.
Coach Laurent Tillie will rely on the same squad used in the last tournament of the group stage.
✍️ Official Japan squad for VNL 2025 Finals
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Setters | Masaki Oya, Motoki Eiro |
| Opposite Hitters | Kento Miyaura, Hiroto Nishiyama |
| Outside hitters | Yuki Ishikawa, Masato Kai, Ran Takahashi, Shoma Tomita |
| Middle blockers | Taishi Onodera, Keigo Nishimoto, Larry Evbade-Dan, Shunichiro Sato |
| Liberos | Tomohiro Ogawa, Tomohiro Yamamoto |
The distinctive feature of this squad is its consistency - these are the same players as in the last group stage participation.
📈 How Japan performed at the end of the group stage
| Opponent | Result | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Win | 3:0 |
| USA | Win | 3:0 |
| Argentina | Win | 3:2 |
| Brazil | Loss | 0:3 |
The Japanese won 3 of their last 4 matches, including decisive victories against the USA and Germany. Against Argentina, they showed character, turning the match around from a deficit. Their only loss came from Brazil, but it did not threaten their place in the top 4. Noteworthy is their exceptional defensive play and high percentage of saved balls, which is typical of the Japanese style.
🇵🇱Official Poland squad for the quarter-final
Head coachNikola Grbićleads the "druzyna" (team) with an almost full squad, led by Wilfredo Leon and Kamil Semeniuk:
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Setters | Grzegorz Firlej, Marcin Komenda |
| Opposite Hitters | Karol Sasak, Bartosz Bolądz |
| Middle blockers | Jakub Kochanowski, Łukasz Poręba, Jan Jakubiszak, Mateusz Nowak |
| Outside hitters | Wilfredo León, Kamil Semeniuk, Bartosz Bednorz, Tomasz Fornal, Artur Szalpuk |
| Liberos | Jakub Popiwczak, Jan Granieczny |
Poland relies ondepth and power - an abundance of outside hitters and opposite hitters with great height and density in attack. The formation with León and Semeniuk, as well as Kochanowski's block, deserve special attention.
🏐 Repeat with a new stake
Poland already defeated Japan 3:1 on June 12, but now the stakes are much higher - a place in the semifinals. The European team has a physical advantage, but Japan will rely on home support, offensive dynamism, and excellent defense.
