The Polish national team finished their preparatory cycle for the World Championship with a decisive victory. At 'Atlas Arena' in Lodz, they defeated Brazil 3:0 (26:24, 25:14, 30:28), and then also won the additional set 25:21. Thus, the 'white-reds' depart for the Philippines in excellent spirits and with confidence before the start of the World Championship on September 12.
| Match | Result | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Poland Brazil | 3:0 | (26:24, 25:14, 30:28), additional set 25:21 |
Set chronology:
First (26:24):Dramatic finish, decided by Tomasz Fornal and Wilfredo Leon.
Second (25:14):Total dominance by Poland, with almost perfect blocking and serving.
Third (30:28):The most contested set, in which Bartosz Kurek scored the winning point.
Additional (25:21):The reserves entered the game, but they too left no doubt about their superiority.
Individual statistics
| Poland | Points | Brazil | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Komenda | 2 | Fernando | Снимка: FIVB |
| Fornal | 9 | Adriano | Снимка: FIVB |
| Huber | 11 | Flavio | 6 |
| Kurek | 12 | Chizoba | 10 |
| Leon | 12 | Lucarelli | 9 |
| Kochanowski | 6 | Judson | 5 |
| Popiwczak (l) | Снимка: FIVB | Maique (l) | Снимка: FIVB |
| Semeniuk | 1 | Matheus G. | Снимка: FIVB |
| Sasak | 1 | Bergmann | Снимка: FIVB |
| Firlej | Снимка: FIVB | Honorato | 7 |
| Darlan | 9 |
The Poles demonstrated excellent balance – four players finished with double-digit scores, with the lead shared between Kurek and Leon (12 pts each). Middle blocker Huber also impressed with 11 pts, showing good attack variability. For Brazil, Chizoba (10 pts) and young Darlan (9 pts) tried to keep the team in the match, but the rest fell short of expectations.
The World Championship in the Philippines starts onSeptember 12, and Poland is in Group B along with the Netherlands, Qatar, and Romania. Although the team showed fluctuations at the 'Wagner Memorial' in Krakow, the victory over Brazil is a strong signal that Nikola Grbic has managed to bring the team to optimal form just in time. The main question mark remains around the opposite hitter position – whether the experienced Bartosz Kurek will be the starter or the young Kevin Sasak, who also participated in the last test. Sasak is Alex Grozdanov's teammate at Bogdanka.
photo: PAWEL PIOTROWSKI
