The volleyball world has new champions! Brazil lost in the final of the Olympic Games tournament with USA 1:3. Third place match finished 3:0 in favor of Russia.

 

 

Brazil entered better to final game and won the first set. USA did not play the same volleyball as before in semifinal against Russia. From the begining of the second set USA took the control of the game. Clayton Stanley and his services in the second set raised the USA team spirit. Brazil had big problems in the attack, only Giba and Gustavo were playing. Dante with Andre were not in the game. B. Rezende was trying to find the optimal six players. It was not enough for the good balanced American team. Team of H. McCutcheon did not have any week points in the final game and deserved the victory.

USA Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon said: "It was a very difficult match, a very difficult environment. Our guys embraced it. Brazil seemed more comfortable in the first set, but things changed in the second set, and after that it was just two teams battling hard. For us to be Olympic champions in the same year as World League champions validates our goals, and it's a great achievement for us."

Brazil Head Coach Bernardo Rezende said: "We should not see silver as a defeat. The players worked hard for eight years and we have won six World Championships and two World Cups among other titles. Right now we are frustrated. But we have to learn from our mistakes and try to do better next time. It's difficult to say now whether I will stay or not. I have to think about it. If I can keep giving my contribution to the team, I'll stay. My sadness is not so much losing a gold medal, so much as losing players. We're like a family, and we will miss them. But if a new person (a new coach) can come in with new skills, I would not mind that."

Russia finished again on the 3rd position. Also in Athens Russian team won the bronze medal match, Italian team did not put up a big resistance in the bronze medal match and Russia won easy 3:0.

Gold medal match     USA320252525Brazil125222123      Bronze medal match     Russia3252525 Italy0221923 

 

Final stantings:1.USA2.Brazil3.Russia4.Italy5.Bulgaria, China, Poland, Serbia9.Germany, Venezuela11.Egypt, Japan

Olympic Games tournament results of pools and play-off results.

from FIVB

 

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