Brazil made use of the unfair WCH rules and intentionally lost the game against Bulgaria. Cameroon had no chance to beat the revelation of the Italian tournament, Czech Republic.
However Cameroon showed a cheerful and energetic volleyball against Czech team. Brave Africans who were close to beat reigning Olympic champions, USA also felt no respect for the dark horse of the world championship. They truly enjoyed every won action, every single won point. Czech Republic continues their excellent play, Jan Stokr and his teammates kept their pace and easily won the match in straight set. It was a game without the history however what volleyball fans will remember was for sure the joy of both teams. Czech Republic was celebrating their qualification to the third round as winner of pool L, while players from Cameroon were dancing because they really had a good time in Italy. Czech Republic plays further in difficult pool R with Germany and Brazil. Cameroon comes back home but was one of the biggest positive surprises of the tournament.
Czech Republic-Cameroon 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-17)
Team squads:
Czech Republic: Popelka (5), Konecny (9), Vesely (12), Stokr (13), Platenik (11), Tichacek (3), Krystof (libero) and Holubec, Bence
Cameroon: Nongny Mefani (4), Kari Adeke, Ndaki Mboulet (22), Moussa (1), Dolegombai (2), Wounembaina (6), Fossi Kamto (libero) and Ndongo (5), Tonemassa Sombang, Nziemi, Feughouo, Ag
Brazil and Bulgaria clashed in the most ridiculous match during this world championship. Everybody knew that the winner of pool N will meet always dangerous Cuba in the next round however nobody expected what can happen in the Ancona sport hall because of that. Bulgaria started the game without their top-stars Matey Kaziyski and Vlado Nikolov, also Zhekov and Salparov were resting. Team of coach Silvano Prandi was playing with the second “six” while Brazil played totally experimental with opposite Theo as a setter!
This couldn’t lead to anything good and what we’ve seen was probably one of the worst moments of volleyball in the recent years. Brazil had hardly reception and defense and even easy-to-defend serve of Mitev usually ended up as an ace… 18-years-old Nikolay Penchev had no problems to stop such players like Giba or Rodrigao. And “canarinhos” also “forgot” how to serve well. It was a sad and irritating “show”, what could be branded as an “anti-volleyball”.
Spectators in the hall couldn’t believe their eyes. Brazil, defending their gold medal from the previous WCH, broke the idea of fair play and didn’t keep their promise to play true volleyball, even though it might bring them more difficult rivals in the third round. However it is not only Bernardo Rezende and his team to blame. They only followed the insane rules of the WCH in Italy. Too bad that those rules killed the spirit of the game and the idea of fair play. Fortunately in the next stage of the tournament no calculations will make sense. Finally the winner, not… the loser takes all.
Brazil-Bulgaria 0-3 (18-25, 20-25, 20-25)
Team squads:
Brazil: : Sidnei (3), Visotto (7), Giba (8), Theo (1), Rodrigao (7), Dante (5), Mario (libero)
Bulgaria: Tsvetanov (6), Bratoev (12), Penchev (8), Nikolov N. (8), Sokolov (15), Mitev (4), Ivanov (libero) and Gotsev (2)
