Brazil face Poland in FIVB Men’s World Championship final
Tokyo, 2nd December 2006 – Reigning World Champions Brazil will defend their title to the very end as they face Poland in tomorrow’s final of the 2006 FIVB Men’s World Championship. The Olympic champions held out in the battle of nerves in their semi-final against Serbia and Montenegro, while Poland outlasted European rivals Bulgaria to remain unbeaten in the tournament.

Following a shaky start to the first semi-final, Brazil recovered after Serbia and Montenegro won the second set with a clear ten-point difference to run out 25-19, 15-25, 25-22, 25-12 winners and claim their place in the final. The win left coach Bernardo Rezende relieved. "I am happy that we got to the final, after six years working with this team," he said. "But my main feeling is one of relief. First we had to get to the semi-finals, then the final. Now we have a third goal. The pressure is still there. We are a soccer country, and they don't like second place. It is not well-received in our country.”

Poland emerged from a gruelling semi-final encounter with Bulgaria to book their place in the World Championships final. The Poles took the first set before succumbing to a dogged Bulgarian fightback in the second, as the two powerful teams met head-on in Tokyo's Yoyogi National Stadium. But Poland eventually outlasted their European rivals 25-20, 26-28, 25-23, 25-23 to set up a showdown with defending champions Brazil in the Poles' first final for 32 years as the team. While Brazil are strong favourites to take the title, Poland have blazed through the tournament so far and remain the only unbeaten team in Japan. Poland’s head coach Raul Lozano summed up the tension after the match: “This match was very important for both teams, since neither team had reached this stage in a long time, so Poland versus Bulgaria in the semi-final was an historic match. We can say that the end of the sets was very close and part of the result was down to bravura.”

After reaching the semi-final stage for the first time in 20 years, Bulgaria will close their campaign tomorrow with the bronze medal play-off against European rivals Serbia and Montenegro. The Balkan “Boys in Blue” have expressed a clear desire to take home a medal on their last appearance as the unified side of Serbia and Montenegro, but for both teams, the second European head-to-head in the final four stage is sure to be every bit as gruelling as the first.

In the other ranking matches Italy Smashed Russia in straight sets after the Italian big guns disturbed a lot the well known Russian block to bring an easier victory than expected 25- 23, 25-22, 25-20 in only 68 minutes. Italy will play France in the most repeated derby this year for the fifth and sixth and positions on Sunday after the latter swept the organizers Japan 3-1 at Yoyogi hall in Tokyo. The French team founded easy to go through after Japan came to draw in the match 1-1 in sets. Russia plays Japan for the 7 and 8 positions.

In the matches of 9-12 positions USA defeated their neighbors Canada in a thriller five- set match 25-21, 24-26, 12-25, 25-21, 15-9. Germany pulled of a 3-1 victory over Puerto Rico in 101 minutes (25-19, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18). USA plays Germany on Sunday for the 9- 10 positions, while Puerto Rico faces Canada for 11 and 12 positions.

By Tarek Aladwar from Japan