Finland
Finland stunned the hosts and the reigning European Champions Serbia by 3:1 (24-26, 25-20, 27-25, 26-24). Sakari Makinen of Finland and Lazar Dodic of Serbia topped the scorers’ chart with 24 points each.
In the first set the teams were evenly matched all the way until the very end (24-24), when Serbia finally managed to break the deadlock and score two consecutive points for 26-24 and 1:0 in sets.
The second set started with Serbia’s Andrija Vilimanovic behind the serving line creating all sorts of problems for Finland’s receivers. With an early 3-0 lead, Serbia tried to make a statement, but the Finns soon came up with an answer overturning the score in their favor 4-3. After these initial excitements, the match briefly went into the stalemate as neither of the teams could gain some significant leverage. However, after the first technical time-out Finland pushed very hard and build an advantage of six points (16-10). Through the end of the set, Serbia was making an effort but the home side was too far behind to fully recover. In the end, it was a well deserved 25-20 to Finland and 1:1 in sets.
Once again, Serbia got an early lead in the set (4-1) and once again Finland managed to quickly turn the score in their favor (8-6). After the break, Serbia regained the momentum and scored three points in a row for a 9-8 lead. The teams were battling hard for every ball, and the crowd could see some really exciting points in these moments. However, by the second technical time-out Finland reached a two point advantage (16-14), and the crowd in the hall began to feel anxious. Serbian players were under tremendous pressure, but they responded well, tying the result at 20-20. No one could predict the final score as both teams were giving their absolute maximum. The drama culminated at 26-25 to Finland, when Serbia committed an error and gave away the third set.
In the beginning of the fourth set, Finland was the better side, but Serbia was close enough all the way through the first technical break. After that, Finland’s Samuli Kaislasalo threw some excellent serves including an ace for an 11-7 lead. However, Serbia did not crumble, and the host team reached the tie at 15-15, forcing Pertti Honkanen to call for a time-out. In the finishing stage of the set a strong Finnish block proved to be decisive for the final result. Serbia struggled to find a way around Finland’s two and three-man blocks, but showed great fighting spirit. However, it was not enough to beat this inspired Finnish team. In the end, there was a well deserved 26-24 and 3:1 to the Finns.
Milan Djuricic, head coach of Serbia: “We are lacking a true team leader, one guy who would assume responsibility in the decisive moments. With this loss our chances to qualify to the semi finals are not so bright. Now we have to win virtually every match in this preliminary phase, and it is a very difficult task for these young players. However, we will do our best to recover for tomorrow’s game against France.”
Pertti Honkanen, head coach of Finland: “I am very proud of my players. We had some problems before the tournament and I am very satisfied with how they reacted. Serbia is a strong team and we had to fight all the way until the very last point to beat them”.
Lazar Dodić, captain of Serbia: “Our block was not functioning well today. But what can we do? This first match is certainly important but it is not the end of the world. There is still time to improve.”
Sakari Makinen, captain of Finland: “Our preparation for the game was very good. We knew that Serbia would be very aggressive right from the start, and I think we surprised them with an aggressive play of our own”.
To read more news from this competition click on Youth European Championship 2013 M.
