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Vojvodina wins Yugoslav cup!
Vojvodina won the 34th YU cup for men defeating Crvena zvezda in final game by 3:1.
Lots of info here...
Jedinstvo Uzice won the 33rd Yugoslav cup trophy for women on Friday. In the final match, played in hall Sumice, Belgrade, it defeated Luka Bar by 3:1 - 15:9, 15:17, 15:10, 15:7. It's the 5th cup trophy for Jedinstvo and also the 3rd one in a row. This team, which also has five YU championship titles (and also leads in the current championship), is certainly the best women volleyball team in Yugoslavia in last several years.
See the newest Greek championship standings
A player of Itailan national team is suspected to have too much testosteron during the WC in Japan. La Gazzetta dello Sport did not mention which player it was. It was also heard that Italian team's doctor had said that the testosteron surplus in that player's body is his natural blemish.
There were great doubts on how the Italians played so good in the final game of WC after the exhausting win of 3:2 against Brazil in semi-finals. Italians beat Yugoslavia 3:0 but lost 0:3 just a few days before. Shortly, some people think that Italians did the doping (I am from Yugoslavia and not so many people here believe in that, although I'm one of them).
Is it possible that the doctor knew this fact and did not tell it to any of FIVB officials during the WC or was there something completely different? Please e-mail me your opinion. Thanks.
Italian Marco Bracci is announced best European player in 1998! Bracci won European champions cup with Casa Modena and WC with Italy in Japan. This title was given for the second time - the first player to win it was Nikola Grbic.
29.11.
Winning another game vs Italy was too much for Yugoslavia who made the best result in its volleyball history - silver World championship medal after 28 years of not taking part in it. Italy won by 3:0 - 15:12, 15:5, 15:10.
Italy was simply better (or Yugoslavia was worse?) in all of game elements: they won six points more in attack (19-13), and their block won 13 points comparing to Yugoslav which won only 6 (the injury of Djula Mester was surely one of the causes for that). Plus Italy had three aces, and Yugoslavs had none (!), but they (YU) had 11 service errors only in first set. Yugoslavia had its play only when it was 10:14 in last set - Italy missed 7 match-points.
Another award for Yugoslavia - Goran Vujevic is announced the world best server!!! Bravo, Kvisko!! (Go here to see his biography)
Congrats Yugoslavia (you're the best :-)), congrats Italy and congrats Cuba, who beat Brazil by 3:1 - 12:15, 15:6, 15:11, 15:12 to win the bronze medal. Hernandez and Pimienta played best, and Giba (Godoy Filho), Brazil, was injured.
Spainiard Rafael Pascual is announced the world best player and the best scorer of WC 98 (by which he gained 150,000 $).
Go here (FIVB's site) to see which are the final standings and who won the rest of individual awards.
28.11.
Yugoslavia needs only one more step to win the title and that's the big one - the opponent will be the current title-defender Italy.
To achieve this, Yugoslavia had to defeat the World league champion - Cuba who beat them in WL semifinals in Belgrade by 3:2. Today's score was 3:1 for Yugoslavia - 15:3, 15:12, 14:16, 15:10.
Yugoslavia won the first set easily, in 20 minutes. The second one was more difficult to win, but Yugoslavs did that too. When Yugoslavia took lead of 14:10, it seemed like everything would be over in three sets. Yugoslavia had even 5 match-points! But then Cubans played much better and Yugoslavia made lots of mistakes which brought this set to Cuba. The things looked even worse for Yugoslavia in the 4th set - it was 8:10, but the block finally worked, and the celebration was free to start.
In other semi-final match, Italy beat Brazil by 3:2 - 15:10, 13:15, 15:11, 10:15, 15:10. This will be the third World championship final in a row for Italy.
26.11.
Russia beat Yugoslavia by 3:1, but the final score wasn't so important for Yugoslavs, the only important thing was to win one set which made them the winners of group H. Italy defeated Holland by 3:0 - 15:2, 15:7, 15:1 in only 47 minutes of play to win the 2nd place in the group.
In group G, Brazil beat Spain (3:1) and Cuba beat Argentina to clinch semi-finals.
Other results: Bulgaria defeated Japan in tie-break (15:10), Korea beat Canada and Ukraine beat Greece by 3:1 and USA defeated China by 3:0.
Group G final standings
Group H final standings
25.11.
Yugoslavia clinched semi-finals after beating double World champion in a row - Italy by 3:0 - 15:12, 15:13, 15:13!! This is the second win for Yugoslavia vs Italy - Yugoslavs defeated Italy on European championship last year.
This game which was a tough one, lasted for some 2 hours. The most exciting was the third set. Italians have had 10:8, but then great services of Nikola Grbic turned the result to 11:10 for Yugoslavia. Italian coach Bebeto requested the time out, but things didn't change much even after that. Zoran Gajic's formation (Tanaskovic played again, replacing Geric in 3rd set) has made it to 14:11. Then, after a couple of match-points, Italians came to 14:13, but that was all. The 6th match-point was won and the great celebration of complete Yugoslav team and some spectators who arrived from Yugoslavia started.
This win leads Yugoslavia, being the only team (with Brazil) without a loss to the semi-finals, and Italy and Holland will fight tomorrow for the 2nd place in Group H which also leads there.
Press conference from YUG-ITA match
Here are other today's results: first, the 3:0s: USA defeated Greece and Russia beat Holland. The matches finished with 3:1 are Brazil vs Argentina, Bulgaria vs Korea, Canada vs Japan and China vs Ukraine.
Only one tie-breaker was played, but it was a very important one: Cuba beat Spain (15:12 in 5th set).
Group G standings
Group H standings
24.11.
Please use Central European encoding to see today's news. Don't know how?
Yes, Yugoslavia beat Holland by 3:0 - 15:9, 15:4, 15:13 to revenge for the losses on Olympics 1996 and European championship last year.
It was 9:7 for Dutch team in the first set when Yugoslav team made a 16:0 streak to win it and to take a 8:0 lead in the 2nd set. It was a great game for all Yugoslav players and Vladimir Grbić (12 points and 13 side-outs) and his brother Nikola together with Goran Vujević and Đula Mešter made a combination that played too well for Dutchmen. This match could decide which team will go to the semifinals :-) and which one will fight for 5th to 8th place.
Press conference from YUG-HOL match
Here are other 3:0s:
Brazil defeated Cuba and Bulgaria beat Canada. The 3:1s: Spain vs Argentina, Italy vs Russia and Greeca vs China. And two 5-set matches: Korea beat Japan and Ukraine edged USA.
Group G standings
Group H standings
22.11.
In the tightest match on the tournament, Canada won over Spain by 3:2 (18:16 in tie-break!).
Another exciting match was played in group G - Cuba defeated Japan by 3:1 with 17 set-points for Japan and 11 match-points for Cuba in 4th set.
Only one more 3:1 today - Brazil lost its first set defeating Bulgaria.
In group H, only 3:0s: Yugoslavia vs USA (see press conference), Russia vs Ukraine, Italy vs Greece and Holland vs Greece. Also, Argentina beat Korea by 3:0
Group G standings
Group H standings
21.11.
In 4th match of quarter-finals Yugoslavia beat Ukraine in 67 minutes by 3:0. The third set (15:1) lasted 12 minutes!
Press conference after YUG-UKR match
There were no tie-breaks today. Here are other matches which finished with 3:0: Spain vs Bulgaria, Cuba vs Korea, Brazil vs Japan, Holland vs USA and Italy vs China.
Only two 3:1s: Canada vs Argentina and Russia vs Greece.
Group G standings
Group H standings
19.11.
So Spain played its 3rd tie-break, this time vs Japan. It was 15:12 in the set of decision, easier for Spain than vs Korea and vs Egypt (16:14 in both of previous 5th sets).
Yugoslavia lost the first set against Greece, but everyone says it's due to bad schedule. The three other sets were completely different. Yugoslavia-Greece - 3:1
Press conference after YUG-GRE match
Only 2 straight wins today - Brazil beat Korea and Italy beat USA. The 3:1s: Cuba vs Canada, Russia vs China and Holland vs Ukraine. And one more 3:2 - Bulgaria vs Argentina.
Group G standings
Group H standings
18.11.
In group H Yugoslavia beat China in 70 minutes by 3:0 (15:4, 15:5, 15:4).
Rest of results: in group G Spain beat Korea by 3:0 and the same result was in Brazil vs Canada match. Cuba vs Bulgaria and Argentina vs Japan matches ended with result of 3:1.
In group H Russia defeated USA in tie-break (15:7) after losing by 0:1 and 1:2, Holland had an easy job defeating Greece and so did Italy vs Ukraine (3:0 both).
Press conference from YUG-CHN match
See how newly formed groups - G and H differ! Only here...
15.11.
Here are the results of 3rd day of preliminary round, sorry for being late:
3:0's: Japan vs Korea, Canada vs Thai, Ukraine vs Czech Rep., Poland vs Iran, Cuba vs Argentina and Brazil vs Bulgaria.
The 3:1's: Italy vs USA, Holland vs China, and Greece vs Algeria.
And 3 tie-breaks were played: Spain vs Egypt (16:14(again for Spain!)), Australia vs Turkey (15:10) and Yugoslavia vs Russia (16:14! and a :-)).
More info and Press conference from YUG-RUS match
14.11.
Second games in the preliminaries are played, here are the results:
in group A, Spain beat Korea by 3:2 (16:14 in tie-break!) and Japan defeated Egypt by 3:0. Other 3:0's: Italy vs Thai (15:0, 15:2, 15:3!) in group B, Holland vs Ukraine and China vs Czech Rep. in group C, Cuba vs Iran in group D, Brazil vs Algeria in group E and Russia vs Australia in group F.
USA beat Canada by 3:1 in group B and Argentina won against Poland by same result. Tie-breaks were played in Spain vs Korea match and Bulgaria won it against Greece (15:9).
Press conference from YUG-TUR match
13.11.
In preliminary round of men's World Championship in Japan, Yugoslavia beat Australia by 3:0 - 16:14, 15:5, 15:4 waiting for Turkey tomorrow. Other results: in group A Spain defeated Japan by 3:0, so did Korea vs Egypt, Italy vs Canada and USA vs Thai in group B, Cuba vs Poland in group D, Bulgaria vs Algeria and and Brazil against Greece in group E, and Russia vs Turkey in group E.
I have two more results - Holland vs Czech Republic - 3:1 and China vs Ukraine - 3:1, too.
Press conference after YUG-AUS match
Related:
Greets, Mattija ;-)
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