Today, the first matches of the group stage of the Women's World Cup were played, setting the tone for what is expected to be a competitive championship. Here's a review of the three opening matches.
Pool C – Puerto Rico – France 1:3 (22-25, 18-25, 25-21, 14-25)
France started with a convincing victory, demonstrating better organization and efficiency in crucial moments. After losing the third set, the French women pressed hard in the fourth and left no chance for their opponents. The French women returned to the championship after a 50-year absence.
Attack:France 53 versus 40 for Puerto Rico – clear superiority in offense.
Block:12 versus 6 – a doubled advantage for the French women at the net.
Service:7 aces for France versus only 2 for Puerto Rico – another key factor.
Defense and reception:Puerto Rico had more digs in defense (93 versus 86), but this did not translate into a real advantage.
Top scorers:
France – Ndiaye with 22 points, Cazautte with 21.
Puerto Rico – Vazquez with 12, Champion with 11.
France demonstrated greater versatility and power in attack. Puerto Rico tried to come back through defense, but the lack of effectiveness in offense and the higher number of errors in the fourth set led to a logical conclusion.
Pool D – Czech Republic – Argentina 1:3 (25-18, 23-25, 17-25, 24-26)
A small surprise occurred in this match. The Czech women (13th in the rankings) started strong and convincingly took the first set, but Argentina (17th in the rankings) gradually imposed their will. The second set was crucial – a dramatic ending at 25-23 for the "Gauchos" turned the momentum.
Attack:Czech Republic even has a slight advantage – 56 versus 53.
Block and serve:Balance - Argentina slightly better on block (10 vs 9).
Opponent errors:Argentina received 28 points from Czech inaccuracies against only 21 for them.
Defense:almost equal - 115 saved balls in defense for Czech Republic against 114 for Argentina.
Top scorers:
Argentina - Cugno with 25 points, Bertolino with 13.
Czech Republic - Brancuska with 17, Grozer with 14.
The Czechs had a strong start, but could not withstand the psychological pressure after losing the second game. The Argentinians showed greater resilience and fewer errors in decisive moments. With this victory, Argentina climbed three places in the rankings and is now 14th, while the Czech Republic lost two positions and slipped to 15th.
Pool B - Belgium - Cuba 3:0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-11)
Belgium started with a convincing victory, and after an even first game, completely dominated the next two.
Attack:Belgium with a slight advantage - 42 vs 34.
Block:a decisive element - 14 blocks against only 2 for Cuba.
Service:even - 3 aces each.
Defense and organization:Cuba has more saved balls in defense (65 vs 55), but failed to convert them into points.
Top scorers:
Belgium - Lemans with 12 points, Van Avermaet with 11.
Cuba - Martinez and Tarin with 8 each.
Belgium impressed with their block and discipline in the game. Cuba started well, but after the first game, they collapsed - lacking organization in attack and effectiveness in finishing shots.
photos:volleyballworld.com
