|
LA HABANA, Cuba, August 12, 2009 – Cuba Team is
the heavy favorite to claim the ticket to the
Final Round of the 2010 Men’s World
Championship, when the third round NORCECA Pool
H tournament start here on Friday.
The Cubans arrive to the competition to be
played at Ciudad Deportiva after a successful
season in the 2009 edition of the FIVB World
League and several of their players were members
of the team that finished second in the Junior
World Championship in India.
Cuba is favored as No.18 in the FIVB World
Rankings and will present the same combination
that took them to the fourth place in the World
League. The squad is led by Wilfredo Leon, the
new sensation of Cuban Volleyball. Also in the
team are captain Roberlandy Simon, Henry Bell,
Odelvis Dominico and Osmany Camejo.
Canada appears to be the most serious opponent
for the local team. The Canadians are positioned
in No. 21 in the world rankings. They have
played only one competition this summer and
finished second in the Fourth Pan American Cup
in Mexico.
The North Americans come with several new faces
for the Third Round of the Worlds. The team is
led by Fred Winterns, Dallas Soonias and Steve
Brinkman. Canada will try to upset Cuba in the
final match scheduled for Sunday afternoon and
get the ticket to Italy.
The other two participating teams come after
surprising in their respective Second Round
tournament. In Pool C, Suriname made its firs
appearance in more than a decade in the
NORCECA’s court in the stage of Trinidad &
Tobago where they upset the home team and making
to the third round.
Bahamas came second in Pool D in Jamaica by
defeating the Jamaicans in the semi final phase.
The winner of this pool joins Puerto Rico
already qualified by NORCECA to the Final Round
in Italy. Meanwhile, the runner-up team here
advances to the Play-Off of third round to be
played in Guadalajara, Mexico con August 26-31.
The team of third place would have a chance to
make it to the Playoff if it has the best
points-ratio among the third place teams of the
three third round events. At the moment,
Barbados finished third in Puerto Rico with a
points-ratio of 0.750 during its participation
in Pool G played in Puerto Rico.
The NORCECA Pool F will be played starting on
Saturday in the city of Irvine, United States.
The participants there are hosts United States,
Dominican Republic, Panama and Guatemala.
Competition Calendar
August 14
17:00 CANADA – BAHAMAS
19:00 CUBA – SURINAME
August 15
17:00 CANADA – SURINAME
19:00 CUBA – BAHAMAS
August 16
17:00 BAHAMAS – SURINAME
19:00 CUBA - CANADA
|
