The French men's national team made a comeback in the mid-2010s and is now one of the world's top teams. Their outstanding defense and the versatile tossing of the ball by their setter make it difficult for the team to focus on an attacking target. In France, they are affectionately known as the "Yabou" (the bad boys). This year marks the last year for Laurent Tilley, the coach who supported the growth of the French team. Will this renowned coach, who also gained experience at Panasonic in Japan, be able to show his full potential in his final VNL match?
Recent major achievements
FIVB World Ranking: 5th
Planned to participate in the Tokyo Olympics
2019
No World Cup participation
Nations League 6th
European Championships 4th place
2018
World Championships 7th place
Nations League 2nd place
Nations League 2021 results
As of the end of the fifth day of the tournament
vs Bulgaria ○3-0
vs Germany ○3-2
vs Austria ○3-1
vs Brazil ○3-0
vs Serbia 2-3
4 wins, 1 loss, 5th place
Registered Members
#1 Valtelemy Chiniese MB 23/ 201/ 357
#2 Zhenya Grubenikov L 30/ 188/ 345
#4 Jean Patry OP 24/ 207/ 357
#6 Benjamin Toniutti S 31/ 183/ 320
#7 Kevin Tilley OH 30/ 200/ 345
#8 Julien Linaire OH/L 31/ 192/ 345
#9 Erwin Nugapet OH 30/ 194/ 358
11 Antoine Brizard S 27/ 196/ 340
12 Stephen Boyer OP 25/ 196/ 355
14 Nikola Lugoff MB 29/ 206/ 365
16 Dali Brutor MB 25/ 197/ 352
17 Trevor Clevenau OH 26/ 199/ 345
18 Thibaut Rossard OH 27/ 194/ 350
19 Yasin Luwoti OH 29/ 198/ 345
20 Benjamin Diez L 23/ 183/ 320
21 Theo Faw OH 21/ 196/ 329
23 Leo Mayer S 24/ 197/ 340
24 Moose Gay MB 24/ 198/ 365
Average age: 26.6
Average height (excluding libero): 197.1cm
Average height reached (excluding libero): 348.0 cm
Head Coach Laurent Tilley
Although the average height is somewhat lower than in other Western countries, the team has a deep roster of strong players no matter who plays.
Main starting lineup
OH2 9 Nugapet
OH5 7 Tiry
MB3 1 Chiniese
MB6 14 Lugov
OP 4 Patry
S6 Toniutti
L 2 Grubenikov
Player to watch: #2 Zhenya Grubenikov L
Photo by FIVB
The man in the red uniform in the center is Grebennikov. He is currently known as the world's number one libero. Ogawa, the libero of the Japanese national team, has also stated that he models himself after him. He is top-notch in reception, digging, passing, and all of these. His "before you know it, he's there" feeling must be frightening for spikers. His threatening pressure also induces mistakes from the opposing attackers. He is the absolute guardian of "Defensive France". In recent years, he has played for big clubs such as Roubaix, Trento, and Modena in Italy, but from next season he will play in St. Petersburg, Russia. Keep an eye on his brilliant yet down-to-earth reception! (By the way, I noticed how many gray hairs he has...)
In addition to this, there are other amazing techniciansNugapet, a 183cm genius setter.ToniuttiOP, Ishikawa's teammate and a scoring sourcePatryAlso, the next generation setter I introduced in my previous videoBrizardHe may even be in the starting lineup for the match against Japan. Until the Rio Olympics, he was almost always a starter, but now we have a deep player base and the team can produce results no matter who plays.
Can they hold out against France?
As I have said many times before, France is a team with very good defense, so it may not be easy to break them down with serves. However, even if it does not directly result in points, strategic serves such as control serves to prevent the opponent's run-up and reduce their attacking options are still necessary. It is also very important whether Japan can continue to take side-outs without being broken down during receptions. If they can make sure to seize the chances that come after a tenacious battle, they will have a chance of winning. Also, if Toniutti is the starting setter, his block will be low, so if they can successfully set up an attack from the left side, it may work to their advantage. Japan's setters are also low, so they will be able to understand the opponent's way of thinking.
We haven't won a single game in the second week, so we want to win here and keep our hopes of making it to the finals alive. Let's learn from our mistakes in the Serbia and Brazil games and do our best!!
Match time: Saturday, 5th, 20:00 (Japan time)
*Please refer to the article below for how to watch the live broadcast.
How to watch the online broadcast of "Volleyball Nations League 2021"!
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