Pool B: Iran – Poland (28 June)
Head-to-Head
· Iran beat Poland 3-2 last Friday, to end their 4-match losing streak against Poland in World League competition.
· It marked Iran's first win over Poland since 29 June 2014 when they beat Poland in Teheran in straight sets.
· Five Iran players recorded double digits in Friday's win over Poland: Shahram Mahmoudi (18 points), Milad Ebadipour Ghara H. and Mojtaba Mirzajanpour M.(12), Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi and Adel Gholami (10).
Iran
· Iran can overtake Poland in second place in Pool B as long as they win by at least 3-1.
· Iran are hoping to reach the Final Six for the second time. They came fourth in the competition last season.
· Iran have now won their last five after starting their 2015 campaign off with four consecutive defeats.
· Their five-match winning run is a team record in the competition. Their previous record of four straight wins dated back to June of 2014.
· Shahram Mahmoudi is Iran's top scorer. His 130 points rank him third in Group 1 behind Poland's Bartosz Kurek (175) and USA's Matthew Anderson (132).
Poland
· Poland seek their first trip to the Final Six since 2012, the only year in which they won the trophy.
· They started off their 2015 campaign with four straight wins, proceeded with two defeats against United States, before defeating Russia twice and losing to Iran.
· Their first match this season was a 3-0 victory over Russia. None of their next eight finished in straight sets, regardless of whether they won or lost.
· Bartosz Kurek is the leading scorer in Group 1 by some margin. His 175 points are 43 more than the 132 by Matthew Anderson (USA).