Argentina opened their Men’s World Championship campaign with a dramatic comeback, overturning a two-set deficit to beat Finland 3-2 in the tournament’s first five-set clash.
The South Americans looked in trouble after dropping the opening sets but roared back with relentless energy to seal victory (19-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-11) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Pablo Kukartsev led the charge with 20 points, while Luciano Vicentín chipped in with 19 as Argentina showed grit and composure. Veteran setter Luciano De Cecco praised the team’s determination:
“The first match is always tough, but we fought until the end. Starting with a win gives us big confidence.”
Finland, despite the loss, put up a fierce fight. Jonas Jokela starred with a match-high 26 points, supported by Luka Martilla (18), Petteri Tyynismaa (17), and Severi Savonsalmi (11). But their 33 unforced errors overshadowed their edge in kills (66–57) and blocks (14–11).
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