Pasay City, PhilippinesThe volleyball fairy tale of the hosts, the Philippines, in the match against Iran ended with a dramatic 2:3 (25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 23-25, 20-22) game defeat in the packed hall in Pasay City. For the first time during the championship, the stands were full despite the expensive tickets, and the atmosphere was a true celebration, but even that wasn't enough for luck to favor the hosts.
Comeback and Intrigue
The Philippines started strong – they won the first set 25:21, spurred on by the loud support of the crowd. However, Iran quickly responded, taking the second game 25:21. The third set proved to be the hosts' culmination: a decisive 25:17 and service errors from the opponent, which seemed to herald a sensation.
The fourth set also began with energy from the Filipinos – a block for 1:0, several successful digs, and new ties. But it was then that Poriya, Alex Nikolov's former teammate at Lube, took matters into his own hands. With powerful serves and attacks, he disrupted the hosts' reception. Iran closed the set 25:23, leveling the score and sending the match into a tie-break.
The Tie-break – Drama Until the Last Moment
The fifth set offered everything a fan could ask for – comebacks, emotions, and pure drama. The hosts erased a four-point deficit and even reached a match point, which was seemingly "won." But a video challenge reversed the point, and with it, the tie. This seemed to break the mood on the hosts' side, who had used up all their adrenaline to celebrate the "victory." In the end, Iran's more experienced squad showed composure and snatched the victory 22:20 in the decisive game.
A Statistical Look
The two teams were almost evenly matched in attack – 62 successful hits for the Philippines against 63 for Iran. The difference again came in blocking, where the hosts had a significant advantage – 12 to 8. On serve, the Iranians were one point more effective (6 aces against 5). Interestingly, the Philippines received more "gifts" from opponent errors – 35 against 33.
In the elements of the game, Iran showed more stability: 94 receptions and 116 sets against 83 and 105 respectively for the hosts. Digs in defense were almost equal – 50 for Iran and 48 for the Philippines, which underlines how fierce the battle was.
Point Leaders
Individual performances were impressive. Star Bryan Bagunas, who plays for the JapaneseOsaka Bluteon,scored 22 points for the Philippines, and his teammate Ordiales added another 21. For the Iranians, Poriya also finished with 22 points, and Hajipour had the same number – 22. This equality among the leaders further showed how balanced and dramatic the match was.
The Philippines may have lost, but they created a true spectacle and proved that the home advantage can create miracles. Iran survived and avoided a sensational elimination in the preliminary phase, but paid for it with great effort and nerves. The stands witnessed one of the most spectacular matches of the tournament, which will remain in the fans' memory, regardless of the final result.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
