The men's Volleyball Nations League 2025 tournament is in a state of extreme competition. With only one day left in the preliminary round, three of the eight teams competing in the final round have yet to be decided, meaning that eight teams will compete for those three spots.
Japan, currently in 5th place in the qualifying round, is one of them.
The Japanese men's volleyball team will play against the United States today, the final day of the tournament, but what will happen in the match against the United States, and how will the other teams fare in order for Japan to advance to the final round?
Qualifying Round Rankings
End of week 3, day 4
1 Brazil 10 wins, 1 loss, 29 points, 32/10 sets ★
2 Italy 9 wins, 2 losses, 25 points, 30/14 sets ★
3 France 8 wins, 3 losses, 23 points, 28/15 sets ★
4 Poland 7 wins, 4 losses, 21 points, 27/18 sets ★
5 Japan 7 wins, 4 losses, 20 points, 24/17 sets
6 Cuba 6 wins, 5 losses, 19 points, 26/23 sets
7 Ukraine 6 wins, 5 losses, 18 points, 24/22 sets
8 Bulgaria 6 wins, 5 losses, 17 points, 22/20 sets
9 USA 6 wins, 5 losses, 17 points, 21/21 set
10 Slovenia 6 wins, 5 losses, 17 points, 19/20 set
11 Germany 5 wins, 6 losses, 17 points, 24/24 sets
12 Iran 5 wins, 6 losses, 16 points, 22/24 sets
13 Argentina 5 wins, 6 losses, 14 points, 21/24 sets
14 Canada 4 wins, 7 losses, 14 points, 20/23 sets
15 Serbia 3 wins, 8 losses, 9 points, 13/26 sets
16 Türkiye 3 wins, 8 losses, 9 points, 12/25 set
17 China 2 wins, 9 losses, 7 points, 9/28 sets ★ (host country)
18 Netherlands 1 win 10 losses 5 points 11/31 set
★ Final round advancement confirmed
Japan's qualifications for the final round
To advance to the final round, a player must finish in 7th place or higher in the qualifying round.
Two sets are needed to advance on your own
To achieve this condition on your ownWin at least two sets against the United StatesIt will be necessary to do so.
If Japan wins two or more sets against the United States, they will be guaranteed 21 or more points, which will mean that Bulgaria, currently in 8th place, will not be able to overtake Japan, and Japan will be guaranteed a place in the final round.
If there is less than one set, it depends on the results of the other teams.
However, if Japan loses to the United States 1-3 or 0-3, the outcome will depend on the results of the other teams.
If that happens, Japan will remain with 20 points, and it will depend on the results of Cuba, Ukraine and Bulgaria (the United States and Slovenia cannot surpass Japan no matter what the result).
The matchups for these three teams on the final day are as follows:
Cuba (6th) – China (17th)
Ukraine (7th) – Canada (14th)
Bulgaria (8th) – Iran (12th)
Since every team will be playing against a lower-ranked team, it is entirely possible that all of them will win in straight sets.
As a result, Cuba and Ukraine will have more points than Japan, and will be tied with Bulgaria in points.
If Japan loses to the United States in straight sets and Bulgaria beats Iran in straight sets, Bulgaria will have a higher set rate than Japan.
Also, if Japan loses 1-3 and Bulgaria wins 3-0, or Japan loses 0-3 and Bulgaria wins 3-1, the match will be decided by goal percentage.
In any case, Japan will want to do whatever it takes to take two sets from the United States and secure a ticket to the final round on their own.
Match Information
July 20th (Sun) 19:20～ vs USA
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Photo: FIVB
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