World champions Poland play reigning World League champions USA in Krakow
Krakow, Poland, July 2, 2015 - Poland and USA - the two top teams in FIVB Volleyball World League Pool B - will play at Poland’s biggest indoor arena – the Tauron Arena Krakow – on Friday and Saturday, completing their Intercontinental Round campaigns this season.
The hosts, who are the current world champions, occupy second place in the pool ranking, three points below USA, who were the winners of the 2014 edition of the World League. In this year’s competition, the white-and-reds have already suffered two defeats at the hands of the United States and it seems coach John Sperraw’s team have found a way of dealing with Stephane Antiga’s men. During last year’s FIVB Volleyball World Championship, USA were the only team which recorded a victory over the otherwise undefeated hosts, who went on to claim the title last September.
The Polish players are determined to win this time round, as two losses on Friday and Saturday and wins for Iran over Russia in Tehran might mean that Iran and not Poland find their way to the Group 1 Finals in Rio de Janeiro, which is what happened last year. The world champions, however, are aiming to take it all and go to Brazil qualifying as the pool winners.
The matches at the Tauron Arena will be played in front of a full house of spectators. Those who were unlucky with tickets will be able to watch the game on the giant LED screen, which surrounds the outside of the arena. Polish fans, cheerful and dedicated, will surely be a great asset for the white-and-red team, which is now preparing for the bout with some extra players in the squad. The reinforcements come in the shape of Dawid Konarski (opposite) and Artur Szalpuk (outside hitter) – both fresh from the first edition of the European Games, which closed on Sunday in Baku. 20-year-old Szalpuk impressed in the Azerbaijan capital, becoming the best scorer, best server and third best spiker of the whole tournament. Bartosz Kurek is also recovering from his injury, which eliminated him from the matches in Iran, and his fans at home would love to see him back in action.
Those who have seen any of the national team matches in Poland have no doubt that they can look forward to an exciting show.