FIVB-NationsLeague
Pool 1 (Jiangmen, China): China, Germany, Iran, Italy
Italy and Iran will break the ice in the 2019 Nations League with the match in Jiangmen, China at 10:00 (C.E.T.). The „Azzurri“, the highest ranked European team on the FIVB World Ranking (No.3) definitely know which recipe to use against Iran as they beat them five times in the last six mutual encounters, all in straight sets. Iran are coming to the 2019 Nations League as the highest ranked Asian side in the FIVB list (No.8) and encouraged with the title from the 2018 Asian Games.
China will face Germany having a burden of a poor record in the last 14 world-level games (1-13) on their shoulders. Actually, they lost the last seven straight encounters. But, China will be led on the court by the top scorer of the previous edition of the Nations League – Preliminary Round, Chuan Jiang, who tallied a total of 274 points. Germany prevailed by a 3-1 in their last mutual clash in the competition.
Pool 2 (Mendoza, Argentina): Argentina, Portugal, Canada, Bulgaria
When Canada and Bulgaria meet each other, the odds are 50/50 as both sides scored 5 wins apiece in the last 10 mutual encounters at world-level tournaments. Canada was one of the three teams that stepped on a podium in the last edition of the FIVB World League before it turned into Nations League. Unfortunately for them, they were positioned lowest on the podium – Canada finished the third. Last year, they were so close to reaching the Final Round as they were seventh-placed in the Preliminary Round. Bulgaria will again count on Svetoslav Gotsev’s blocking abilities. He finished the best blocker in the Preliminary Round last year with a total of 36 kill blocks.
Portugal will make their debut in the Nations League, replacing South Korea who had the poorest campaign last year. Portugal earned this right by winning the 2018 FIVB Challenger Cup, beating the Czech Republic in the final. But, they will face Argentina in their first match with a terrible record against them in the last seven years. Argentina have won each of the last 15 matches against Portugal at major tournaments on a world level. Argentina is one of the teams with the biggest number of appearances in the Nations League’s predecessor, World League – 19 appearances.
Pool 3 (Katowice, Poland): Poland, USA, Brazil, Australia
Pool 3 can be rated the most competitive pool in the first week of the tournament knowing that it contains current Olympic Games winners Brazil and world champions Poland. But these two will not meet on Day 1. Brazil will face current bronze medalists United States in their 76th mutual encounter (48-27 for the USA) in world-level competitions. There are no other two teams that matched up more times than these two. The United States had a dream start to the Nations League in 2018 with five straight wins before losing exactly to Brazil. Brazil vs. USA will be a true derby given their FIVB Ranking – Brazil are No.1, the United States are just behind them. Brazil have won most major world level competitions (22) but they have never clinched the Nations League before. Last year, Brazil had a shaky campaign, winning eight of their first nine matches, but lost seven of their last 10 encounters in the competition.
The current two-time world champions Poland will play the Nations League without the tournament’s best spiker last year due to injury – Bartosz Kurek. He had an attack success rate of 63.64% in the Preliminary Round. But, fortunately, Poland will have the last year’s Preliminary Round best setter at the disposal – Fabian Drzyzga (12.57 sets on average). Australia will try to end their three-game losing streak in the tournament, counting a 0-3 record at the end of the 2018 edition that included a straight-set defeat exactly to Poland.
Pool 4 (Novi Sad, Serbia): Serbia, France, Russia, Japan
Apart from Pool 3, this pool is the strongest on the first week of the 2019 Nations League. Why? Because there are the winners Russia and the runners-up France from 2018 in it. And they are already facing each other on Day 1. France will be written in the volleyball history as the last winner of the World League before it changed both format and the name as they beat Brazil in front of their fans in a spectacular final in Curitiba (3-2). France scored as much as eight straight set victories in the 2018 Nations League, second to Russia who made 12. Russia, who are the reigning champions of Europe are just behind Brazil when it comes to the most world-level tournaments titles (20). The “Zbornaya“ will rely on the last year’s Nations League MVP Maksim Mikhaylov. In case he performs on the same level, Russia can count on fighting for medals.
Serbia will host the pool and when they play in front of own crowd, the level of their display is always at 100%. Serbia had a stunning finish of the last year’s edition of the tournament, winning 11 out of 15 matches in the Preliminary Round which gave them the possibility to qualify to the Final Six as the fifth-placed side in the standings. Japan wait 10 years to step on a podium at a world-level tournament (3rd in the 2009 FIVB Grand Champions Cup). They are entering the 2019 Nations League as two-time Asian champions.
2019 FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League, Week 1 – Day 1 (May 31):
Pool 1 (Jiangmen, China):
Iran – Italy (10:00 C.E.T.)
China – Germany (14:00 C.E.T.)
Pool 2 (Mendoza, Argentina):
Canada – Bulgaria (23:10 C.E.T.)
Argentina – Portugal (June 1, 02:10 C.E.T.)
Pool 3 (Katowice, Poland):
USA – Brazil (17:30 C.E.T.)
Poland – Australia (20:30 C.E.T.)
Pool 4 (Novi Sad, Serbia):
Serbia – Japan (17:00 C.E.T.)
France – Russia (20:00 C.E.T.)
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