European Championship-2023. Group round. Group B. Second match
August 31, Thursday
Ukraine - Croatia - 2:3 (25:17, 22:25, 25:20, 15:25, 13:15)
The starting line-up of the national team of Ukraine: Plotnytskyi (scored 19 points), Synytsia (3), Semeniuk (13), Shchurov (7), Kovalov (5), Tupchii (16), Kanaiev (l), Boiko (l). Substitutes: Poluian (4), Kucher (1), Kisiliuk (1), Mazenko (0), Yevstratov (0).
Head coach: Uģis Krastiņš.
Starting line-up of the national team of Croatia: Zhukovsky (scored 0 points), Nikačević (9), Sedlacek (22), Filip Sestan (1), Dirlic (25), Michal (8), Zeljkovic (libero). Substitutes: Bakonzhi (5), Hanzic (4), Marelic (5).
Head coach: Cedric Enard
Today's birthday boy Illia Kovalov opened the score in the match. Next, the Croats were left without their main setter Timofey Zhukovsky: the landing after jumping on the block was not quite successful. And then there were aces from captain Oleh Plotnytskyi, who started today, and breakpoints from Vasyl Tupchii and Kovalov (15:10). Basically, the game followed the script of the Ukrainian team. The birthday boy Kovalov finished this set just like began - 25:17 and 1-0.
The second set took place in a calm atmosphere and an even game (8:8 - 11:11). Then the Ukrainians started to make mistakes on the serve, while the Croats, on the contrary, made almost no mistakes (13:15). Uģis Krastiņš' time-out, Nikachevic's service error and Plotnytskyi's ace, and the score on the scoreboard is 15:15. And then deja vu, but in the other direction: a mistake by our captain on the serve and an ace from the connecting Bakonzhi (15:17), and later another ace from Michal (17:20). In the end, our opponents won this part of the match. Michal "covered" Semeniuk and 22:25 and 1-1.
During the break, in a short flash interview, the coach of the Ukrainian national team, Uģis Krastiņš, noted that his wards began to act less aggressively on the serve and therefore conceded in the second set.
Immediately at the start of the third set, Poluian took this remark into consideration and issued a series of powerful serves that did not allow the Croats to organize a successful attack (4:0). The "blue-yellows" tried their best to keep the score (21:14) and take the lead in this duel - 25:20 and 2-1.
In the fourth set, our team had difficulties (1:4). The situation worsened when, due to discomfort most likely in the back, it was necessary to substitute the main opposite Vasyl Tupchii (9:14). Then there was a series of substitutions - Yevstratov, Mazenko, Kisiliuk (10:17), but even they did not save the course of this set - Croatia tied the score -15:25 - 2-2.
Tie-break. Lottery. No right to make mistakes. Both teams set up for a fight. At first, Croatian captain Petar Dirlic (2:4) took a risk on the serve, but our mentor's timely time-out and several well-hitting attacks made it 6:6. Teams fought, and served aces to each other (12:12). Everything was decided in the end: the representatives of Croatia were able to keep their concentration better - 13:15 and 2-3 in the end.
Captain Oleg Plotnytskyi (19 points) was the most effective member of the Ukrainian national team.
This is already the second defeat for the Ukrainians. Yesterday they lost to Slovenia (1:3).
The Ukrainians will play their next match on September 2 at 20:30 Kyiv time. Our team will play against the hosts of the tournament, Bulgaria.
