Pasay City. Philippines.Italy continued its defense of the world title, as Fefè De Giorgi's boys broke Argentina's resistance in the first set and secured a clean 3:0 (25:23, 25:20, 25:22) victory to reach the quarterfinals. The reigning world champion will face the winner of the match between Belgium and Finland, which will be played later this evening.
In the first set, Italy overcame a deficit and showed character in the decisive rallies. The second set was dominated by Botolo's service run and Romano's attacks. In the third set, Argentina fought until the end, but a series of three consecutive aces from Romano and a cool execution by Botolo ended the dispute.

In attack, the 'Azzurri' were more effective – they scored 45 points against Argentina's 38. At the block, both sides were even with 8 points each, but Italy had a clear advantage in serving – 6 direct points (aces) against only 2 for the opponent.

In terms of unforced errors, the balance was almost even – Argentina received 17 points from Italian errors, while Italy received 16 from the Latin Americans' errors. Ultimately, the 'Squadra Azzurra' finished the match with a total of 75 scored points against Argentina's 65.

In defensive elements, there was also a balance – Argentina registered 48 digs, Italy – 50. In reception, the advantage this time was for the South Americans (64 against 54), but in attack distribution, Italy was once again more precise – 91 successful actions against 86 for the opponent.

In individual performances, the leading scorers for both teams proved to be almost equal. For Argentina, the top scorer was Vicentín with 17 points, and for Italy – Michieletto with 15, with Romanò also contributing strongly with another 14. The latter became a hero when, at the end of the third set, he scored three aces, thus neutralizing the resistance of De Cecco and company.

Although Argentina played stably in reception and relied on the inspired Vicentín and the brilliant De Cecco, Italy imposed control in key moments thanks to their greater effectiveness in attack and stable serving.
The balance in blocking shows that the match was even at the net, but the class of the Italian attackers made the difference at the end of each set.
It appears that this was the last match for the wizard De Cecco at world championships. The setter leaves behind 6 (six) World Cups!

photos: Nikolay Varadinov