Results
Japan vs Iran 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 29-31, 25-22, 15-13)
First set starting lineup (serving order)
Japan: OP11 Nishida, OH21 Takahashi, MB2 Onodera, S12 Sekita, OH14 Ishikawa, MB6 Yamauchi, L20 Yamamoto
Iran: OH2 Milad, MB15 Mojarrad, OP10 Ghafur, OH17 Salehi, MB6 Sayyed, S4 Maroof, L19 Marandi, L21 Salehi
Japan won!!!
They did it. They really did it. Well, I believed in them, but I was really nervous and my hands were sweating during the game, but they did it. They advanced to the final tournament for the first time in 29 years! Speaking of 29 years ago, that was the year I was born. I feel like it's a connection (laughs).
Everyone was amazing. Ishikawa was as stable as ever, but on this day he stepped up a gear and his serves were going strong from the first set. Even with difficult tosses, he was able to connect with the rebounds and score. I was particularly thrilled by his two consecutive aces at the start of the fifth set. It was like the gods had descended on Ishikawa, or maybe he was in the zone, but in any case, he stepped up a few levels from the previous sets. His spirit was infectious to the team, and I think everyone performed at their best in the fifth set. As expected of Ishikawa Yuki. He is in a class of his own. He will grow even more from now on. That's what this player is all about. Thank you!
And then there's Takahashi Ai. His spiking was pretty good today and he didn't lose many points, but his greatest achievement was his serve reception. Iran had several powerful big servers, such as Ghafur, Milad, and Seyed, but Takahashi received those big serves countless times and protected Japan's side-out opportunities. Japan has really been waiting for a player like this!! Even though you were still in high school two years ago! Ai, you're amazing! My mom is crazy about you too!!! Lol. Thank you!
And Nishida! I was really thrilled when he scored the match point so brilliantly. Today he only had one service ace, which wasn't quite what he is doing when he's in top form, but he played his role as a point getter, scoring 30 points, the most on the team, including scoring a difficult high set!!! He also added points with a mix of feints and slow shots!!! He's so cool!!! As the world's smallest and strongest opposite, I hope he'll explode with his serve in the next quarterfinals!!! Thank you!
Also, Sekita's set with a stretch to the side and his control serve dropping forward were wonderful. Even though the combination with the middle was not quite right, he was courageous and raised it up, which I think led to a slight delay in the opponent's blocker's movement. He struggled with the block, but he endured well. Thank you! Yamauchi's quickness at key points was outstanding! As expected, the combination of the same year who was together at Panasonic is reliable! Personally, Yamauchi is the one who has shown the most presence among the middle since VNL this year. I never thought he would awaken so much at this point... There are still some issues to be addressed, such as blocking the opponent's middle, but today he also had a service ace and was very good! Thank you! I felt that Onodera was not in his best form today, but I think his persistent blocks put pressure on the Iranian attackers. But that's not all, right? Anyway, thank you! Libero Yamamoto, with his stable serve reception and super-reactive digs, saved the team from crisis many times! He is the center of Japan's defense and an indispensable player! ! Yamamoto is the starting point of Japan's transition! Thank you!
Iran was also amazing. Milad and Marandi's serve reception was hard to break down, Salehi's success rate was very high, Seyed and Mojarrad were very strict on marking Japan's quicks, and just when we thought Iran's core players, Marouf and Ghafur, were sent to the bench, Kazemi and Karimi, who replaced them, were strong and reversed the game. Libero Salehi's digs and connections were also amazing. We were really nervous until the very end of the last set, when Marouf and Ghafur returned. They were a formidable opponent. It was really just a few mistakes that made the difference. Iran was also strong and they were a great team. Thank you to Iran!
I wrote it as if Japan had won the tournament, but the real thing is yet to come. The opponent in the quarterfinals will be the second or third place team in Pool B, which will be decided by a draw on August 2nd. In other words, it will be either Brazil or Argentina.
Argentina come on!
Argentina is of course a strong opponent, but they have several times more chances of winning than Brazil. But the same goes for Argentina, who would rather play Japan than Italy. All I can do is pray. All I can do is pray. Amen.
Well, no matter who we face, we have to step up our game in the quarterfinals even more than we did against Iran. In addition to today's performance, we need to see Nishida's awakening in his serve, and the awakening of our middle blockers (blocking the opponent's attacks in the middle, quick decision-making, and accuracy of control serves)!
Anyway, I can't help but look forward to the day after tomorrow!! But I won't be able to watch it live during the day, so it would be great if it was the third or fourth game!!!
Congratulations Ryujin Nippon!!! And let's do our best the day after tomorrow and make it to the top four for the first time since the 1976 Montreal Olympics!!!
By the way, aside from the results of each match, I predicted that Japan would finish in third place! (laughs)
※postscript
When I woke up this morning, I found out that our opponent was Brazil... I feel a strong sense of despair, but the possibility of winning is not zero, so I want them to give it their all with 120%, just like Shohoku goes to Sannoh Industrial and Karasuno goes to Shiratorizawa! Or rather, they will never win if they don't do that.
The other quarterfinal matchups are listed below.
More about the Brazilian team here
Next match schedule
August 3rd (Tue) 13:00~ Japan vs Brazil
Television broadcast
- NHK General 13:00 (LIVE)
Webcast
Photo: FIVB
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