Italy-Men-National-Team-World-Grand-Champions-Cup-2017
„I must say I am very satisfied with the result. Obviously, the result is the thing that makes us happiest, but the game was very even. Service made the difference in the match. We made some mistakes so we needed to serve well, especially when you play against a team like Brazil. I always tell my players it’s important to know when to serve hard and when not to, but consistency is also important. In the tie-break, we took a risk with our serve but it paid off and we won. Every match is different for us. Today wasn’t an Olympic final but it’s always a pleasure to play top teams like Brazil. It gives a shot of adrenaline, stimulation and the will to compete with such teams. We are here to fight and to make progress and play against the best teams in the world, so I told my players to fight in every situation, whether the game is going good or bad. We have to make things difficult for our opponents and we did that today. We didn’t do it yesterday even though we took two sets,“ Italy’s head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini said after the match vs. Brazil in the 2017 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup.
„I think today’s game was very equal; it was a see-saw game. But I think they deserved to win. Italy’s service was particularly hard to deal with, but also they played patiently at the crucial moments. I think the game could have gone either way and I think both teams remain as contenders for the title,“ Renan Dal Zotto, the head coach of Brazil, stated.
Day 2, fixtures:
Brazil vs. Italy 2-3 (25-15, 25-27, 25-27, 25-18, 12-15)
USA vs. Iran 2-3 (25-20, 25-17, 25-27, 21-25, 12-25)
Japan vs. France 0-3 (15-25, 23-25, 23-25)
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