Italy loses against Brazil The dream of the final vanishes

The South Americans win 3-1, Egonu and her teammates compete for the bronze against the USA An amazing journey, but the blues do not close the 3rd set and then go out

SENT TO APELDOORN

No way. The blue of the volleyball surrender (1-3) for the second time to Brazil, missing the final tomorrow. To compete for the world title will be the Brazilians who will challenge Serbia coached by the Italian Daniele Santarelli, coach of Imoco Conegliano and husband of the blue Monica Di Gennaro. Italy has the consolation of playing for the bronze against the United States in the final for the third place that will always be played tomorrow in Apeldoorn.

In the all-golden season of Italian volleyball, the dream of being able to hit the World Cup also seemed within the reach of Mazzanti’s blues who, returning from their first victory in the history of the Nations League, believed in it until the end. Brazil is irresistible, never beaten by Italy at the Women’s World Cup. Gabi’s team, Egonu’s next clubmate in Istanbul, proved indomitable twice in this tournament. To make the difference the wall, the yellow-green one was irresistible, practically perfect: in the end 21 the winning ones for the yellow-green ones, six for the Italians. Not to mention the balls recovered in extremis by the South Americans. Shots from the beach, from beach volleyball to be clear. The Brazilians play at home, for them also the Dutch torcida. Few of the tricolors scattered in the corners of Omnisport, the velodrome where volleyball is played. Mazzanti confirms the sextet that reached the semifinals, winning all but one with Brazil. The first set is an interminable theory of blue tears and Brazilian comebacks. Egonu (at the end of 30 points) is devastating in attack, but Brazil is better on the wall and more generally in the defensive phase. Under the net, Italy is wrong too much, so much so that in the crucial phase of the fraction it gives space to the Brazilian champion Gabi who drags his team to conquer the first set. In the second fraction it is still the wall that makes the difference for a good part of the set. Mazzanti plays the Elena Pietrini card and makes no mistake. Italy leverages the strength of the attack rather than the solidity of the defense and moves forward at the right time with captain Sylla who closes the two decisive points that are worth the draw. In the third set emerges the ability of the Brazilians to recover impossible balls. In the South American half it really seems that the ball can never fall. The final of the set is throbbing: the blue overtake in the final, just when it seems the right moment.

Egonu puts out the ball of the set, the South Americans come back and pass to the photo finish (24-26) at the height of a breathtaking stage with very long exchanges and acrobatic recoveries. It is the turning point of the match. The fourth set is one-way.

Zé Roberto’s Brazil does not miss one, Gabi (20 points) is amazing while Egonu drops dramatically and with her the hopes of Italy to fight for the title. Just the captain of Brazil gets five match balls, but this Brazil only needs one to take the game. «Tiring game, the third set was decisive – comments coach Mazzanti -. We had our chances to shoot the game, but even when we did something good it never seemed enough. Now we have some time to look at each other and play ours in the final against the United States ». It ends to the rhythm of samba, after it had started on the notes of Bella Ciao. The music is over. –

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