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Team Canada was beaten in straight sets by Poland, showing an inconsistent game

By Sidronio Henrique

Winters, Mainville and Schmitt try to stop Piotr Gruszka. Photo: Courtesy FIVB

Winters, Mainville and Schmitt try to stop Piotr Gruszka. Photo: Courtesy FIVB

Team Canada was beaten in straight sets by Poland, showing an inconsistent gameThe Polish squad wasn’t playing its best, but that wasn’t even necessary to overplay Canada in straight sets earlier today in the opening round of the men’s volleyball world championship, in Italy. The mistakes made by the Canucks, the lack of attention on defence, and the chances wasted when they could score during transitions killed the possibility of giving a hard time to Poland. The European champions defeated Canada by 25-22, 25-21 and 25-13.

Team Canada started with Fred Winters and Toon Van Lankvelt on the left side, Gavin Schmitt on the right side, Adam Simac and Louis-Pierre Mainville playing middle, and Josh Howatson was the line-up setter. Canada is in pool F, completed with Serbia and Germany, in the city of Trieste.

The first set was the most balanced, with both teams a little bit nervous. The veteran Fred Winters, playing for the national team since 2003, was the reference, ending that set as the main scorer for Canada, with five points. The Canadian squad could have won the first set. When the game was tied in 20, Team Canada missed three opportunities to make a kill. Later, Poland was leading 23-22, and Canada was receiving, having the chance to side out, but Howatson made a double touch, giving the Polish their first set point, which was promptly converted.

On the second set, it seemed things had changed. Some float serves by Lankvelt complicated the Polish passing, and Canada opened 3-0. The team kept its rhythm, reaching the first technical time out ahead, 8-3. However, that was the beginning of the end for the Canucks, as the Polish players showed more concentration, specially the setter Pawel Zagumny. On the next technical time out, Poland was leading 16-12 – they had scored 13 points since the previous one, while Canada had only four points. The scenario didn’t change until the end of the set.

The third and last set was the most disappointing for Canadian fans. The team seemed lost. Poland was leading 8-4, then 16-8, and they closed the set with an advantage of 12 points. Some moments were embarrassing, like the two aces scored by Poland that gave them their 15th and 16th points.

As the match went on, Gavin Schmitt grew in importance, finishing as the main Canadian scorer with 13 points – Bartosz Kurek made 19 points for Poland, and was the main scorer of the game. Recently, one of the main Brazilian news websites pointed Schmitt as the best Canadian player, the one to be observed by the opponents, highlighting his achievements in the South Korean league.

Tomorrow, Canada plays against Serbia, a squad that has been playing in a higher level than Poland lately. Team Canada faces Germany on Monday , closing its participation on pool F. Serbia and Germany played today, and the Serbians won 3-0 (25-21, 25-21 and 25-13). Three teams qualify to the next phase.

Men’s tournament starts this coming Saturday in Italy, and Team Canada faces off the European champion in the opening round

By Sidrônio Henrique

Soonias (7) and Mainville (1) block against Cuba during a friendly match in Ottawa. Photo: Phillip MacCallum / Photo Ventures

A few days from its first match on the world championship, Team Canada has something else to worry about than just a powerhouse like Poland – a squad that is simply the European champion, silver medalist in the last edition of this tournament, and arrives in Italy as one of the favourites. The execution of some plays and the improvement in transition as the defence needs more attention are still issues, according to the team manager, Julien Boucher. Canada will play against Serbia and Germany on the sequence in pool F, in the city of Trieste, trying to get one of the three spots to the second phase. The world championship has 24 teams in six groups.

After leaving Canada on September 12^th, the group stopped in Prague, Czech Republic for three matches against their national team. The series would help Canada, who had a low number of games on the way to the world championship, to get used to the style used by its opponents – very physical teams relying on a heavy serve and tall blocks. Even though Czech Republic isn’t as strong as Poland, Serbia and Germany, the results were disappointing to the Canucks – three defeats by 3-0. After Prague, Team Canada headed to Bled, Slovenia to face a local club coached in the last two seasons by Glenn Hoag, Canada’s head coach. In Bled the Canadians tasted a victory, but some problems remain, like those issues mentioned above.

The line-up in the first match versus the Czech will probably be the same in the world championship, with Fred Winters and Dallas Soonias on the left side, Gavin Schmitt on the right side, Adam Simac and Louis-Pierre Mainville as middle players, and Josh Howatson as the setter. However, Julien Boucher said changes still can be made.

Polish and Serbians, the first two adversaries of Canada in Trieste, are ending their route to the tournament playing friendly matches against some of the best teams in the world, but the bad news came from the German side, the third Canadian opponent, and theoretically the less difficult and direct obstacle to the third berth on pool F to the next phase. The Germans beat Italy recently by 3-1 and just finished a series against the ever champion Brazil. Team Germany defeated the Brazilians twice, by 3-2 and 3-0, having surprised Brazil with a strong serve. Obviously, exhibition games involve experiences, and the Brazilian coach, Bernardo Rezende, took the opportunity to give rhythm to some substitutes – Brazil won one match by 3-1. Anyway, the level of the game showed by the Germans was considered very consistent. Germany is coached by Raul Lozano, an Argentine with an impressive resume that includes the silver medal in the last world championship, when he took a relatively young Polish team to an unexpected result.

Julien Boucher commented that Team Canada is studying carefully its three opponents, and they are really focused to the face the challenge which is just about to start.

The International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB) website doesn’t inform yet which matches of the tournament will be streamed – FIVB started a partnership this year at the World League with Laola TV. The Canadian volleyball fans can check it out later at www.fivb.org. At least, the fans will have a live score. The world championship ends on October 10^th. Brazil, the defending champion, Russia, Serbia, Cuba, Poland, Bulgaria and Italy are considered the favourites.