Portugal – Korea
Korea took the lead with the first point of the first set, and continued with a long rally, that Korea won. The moment confirmed Portugal’s suspicions about the difficulties they would experience by playing with a spirited team, with the players motivating each other, combined with fast attack plays. The constant balance in the scoreboard would be broken with an ace from Han Sun-Soo, but the difficulties increased when Ki-Won Park team took the lead (15-10), reaching the second TTO with 4-pts advantage. A block from Jeon Kwand-In (18-12) motivated Flavio Gulinelli’s second timeout request, but it didn’t changed the course of the match. Jeon Kwand-In scored his fifth point in the set (22-15), making way for Korea’s victory 25-18.
Portugal learned its lesson in the second set. The team turned the score from 2-4, reaching the first TTO in advantage (8-6) with an error from Korea. With patience, the home team opened more and more breaches in the defense and with the confidence of the Koreans, arriving with a 3-pts advantage at the second TTO, obtained with an attack from Valdir Sequeira. A block from Joao Jose increased the lead (19-14). Korea reacted strongly, shortening the difference (19-21), but Alexandre Ferreira scored the 23-20 and the triumph in the set appeared naturally: 25-22.
In the third set, Portugal, lead the scoreboard (8-6, 11-9, 16-15) and went ahead of their opponent with an ace from Valdir and a block from Andre Lopes (18-15), but Korea was able to tie by Jeon Kwang-In and went ahead with an ace from Seo Jae-Duck (19-18). Down at 20-22, Gulinelli tried to redefine the strategy of his players, but Korea didn’t gave up of the triumph sealed with an attack from Seo Jae-Duck: 25-23.
In the fourth set, the initial balance was broken by Korea, with Kwak Seung-Suk serving and scoring 3 consecutive points (12-7) to enlarge the 2-point advantage in the attack and block from Shin Yung-Suk (16-10). Motivated by their fans, Portugal approached (17-19), but an ace increased even more confidence from Korea, who eventually won the set 25-21.
Korea’s Jeon Kwang-In was the best scorer of the match, with 29 points, while Joao Jose with 19 was the best among the Portuguese team.
To read more news from this competition click on World League 2013 M.
