Paris is worth a game › Sports › Granma

In the peak moments of a competition at the highest global level is when we know what the human beings we cheer and – not infrequently unfairly – reproach are made of.

Cuba, in its last outing of the second week of the Volleyball Nations League, was obliged to beat, nothing less and nothing more than the Tokyo-2020 Olympic champion team, and it did so: it defeated France 3-2 .

The match was excellent volleyball, which includes – because this sport is a tough one – very low peaks and very high peaks. The clash could have even given the Greater Antilles a final score of up to 3-0, with which it would have reached 14.55 points; or a 3-1, for 12.05.

However, in the second and third sets, in which the French had to come back on the scoreboard, especially in round three, with a disadvantage of five, low peaks and adverse outcomes of 20-25 and 23-25 ​​occurred. , after a solid opening round, with a categorical 25-18.

That’s when technical director Jesús Cruz made a winning move. He was left without an opponent to enter Osniel Mergarejo, because to end the streaks you have to anchor yourself in the main weapon you have, and if Cuba’s is the attack, you had to have the ball. The modification allowed a line of four receivers and, by improving reception, the offense was revalued, in addition to solidifying the field defense, which also leaves you with the ball for the counterattack. Thus, they came out ahead in the fourth period (25-22) and in the tie break (15-10).

In our view, responsibility, leadership and wise leadership from the bench led to the crucial victory. The men who had to assume the first attribute, Miguel Ángel López and Marlon Yant, scored 23 and 21 points, respectively, 41% of the team’s 108; Javier Concepción was a giant center back, with 14 points, and Mergarejo was a real game-changer, due to Cruz’s genius. They, in turn, exercised leadership.

But responsibility rose to the summit of that quality from the height not only physically, but also as a player and leader of Robertlandy Simón, a wall in the net, accurate on the service line and a coach on the court and on the bench. He returned, despite his back ailments, with nine points, five in blocks.

The result put the Cubans, temporarily, in the Paris-2024 qualifying zone, in ninth place in the world ranking, with 250.64, 5.3 points ahead of Serbia, which by falling to Argentina distanced itself. to 7.07. That is why it was determined to beat Canada yesterday, and it also delivered, 3-1, which placed it above the Caribbean team by only 0.91 units.

Now everything is ready for the final chapter of the novel. If Paris is worth a mass, the first match of the third and final week of the VNL is worth Olympic qualification. That initial duel, based in Slovenia, on the 19th, pits Serbians and Cubans face to face.

Why might I decide? When direct rivals are measured, the score derived from the application of the International Federation’s algorithm for this competition is double. For example, if Cuba wins 3-0, not only does it obtain 10.05 points, but that same amount is what Serbia loses by losing with that score, so the difference in favor of the Antilleans would be 19.19.

We leave you with all the variables of that transcendental match, in a week in which both will collide with Poland and Slovenia, and in the case of Cuba, also with Bulgaria. The third rival of the opponents will be Türkiye.