Saitama, Japan, November 19, 2006: Japan took a big step towards the second round by beating Puerto Rico 3-1 in a gripping encounter at Saitama Super Arena on Sunday night.
Japan finally clinched a crucial victory on their seventh match point of the fourth set, 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 36-34, to improve their win-loss record to 2-1 and drop Puerto Rico to 1-2.
The home team desperately needed to win to increase their chances of a top-four finish, and did it the hard way in a marathon fourth set in which Puerto Rico missed five opportunities to win the set and make it 2-2.
Japan did not need reminding about the threat posed by Hector Soto and southpaw Jose Rivera -- but both players thought they would give Japan an early glimpse of what was in store anyway with some clean blows down the wings.
Japan replied through Kota Yamamura at the net, and Takahiro Yamamoto pounded some winners of his own with his crashing southpaw spikes from the right flank.
Yusuke "Gottsu" Ishijima closed the gap to 11-10 and Yamamoto's service ace made it 11-11 in a furious opening.
At the net, Rene Esteves and Yamamura exchanged jackhammer spikes off short sets, before another attacking error from Shinya Chiba gave Puerto Rico a narrow lead, 16-15, at the second TTO.
Ishijima pulled off a magnificent block on a startled Soto and celebrated with characteristic gusto, and later smashed a glorious winner down the middle to nudge Japan ahead 19-18 and prompt a Puerto Rico TO.
Yamamura was in fine form for Japan, and when Soto spiked wildly to hand Japan the initiative at 23-21, Puerto Rico took their second TO.
Chiba found his range on the left, and an attempted block dropped wide to give Japan two set points at 24-22. After Victor Rivera had saved the first one, Nobuharu Saito made no mistake with a trademark swoop at the net, 25-23.
Japan had to play catch-up in the second set after a bright opening by Puerto Rico, inspired by Esteves.
Trailing 8-7 at the first TTO, Japan stormed back with three straight points, including a crunching Saito block on Luis Rodriguez. When lefty Jose Rivera spiked on Puerto Rico's right flank and the ball was called out, coach Carlos D. Cardona called a TO before offering his spectacles to the line judge in the far corner.
Soto blasted into a three-man block and Japan were looking good at 14-11 -- and even better when, on the next point, Ishijima's serve whistled home for a four-point advantage and a Puerto Rico TO.
Saito drove Japan forward with his thundering blocks and swatted spikes, but the Japan defence was still struggling to contain lefty Jose Rivera, who was equally effective on either wing.
When Ishijima fired long from the left, Japan had stalled at 19-17 and went off for a TO. Saito put them back on course, and, after some lusty blows from Victor Rivera to keep Puerto Rico in touch, Ishijima finished off the second frame 25-20 behind some rocket serves.
Soto had been restricted to just 10 points in the first two sets, having come into the match with 65 from his first two matches. Yamamura, with another block early in the third, let Soto know there would be no let-up in Japan's tight pursuit of the explosive outside hitter.
Some solid serving from Jose Rivera and captain Rodriguez put Puerto Rico in front 11-8 in the third and brought a Japan TO, but the tide had turned and the visitors led by four at the second TTO thanks to good work from Esteves at the net, a Soto special on the right and a Jose Rivera cracker from the left.
Puerto Rico were on the ascendancy as they tried to stay in the match, and Japan faced a major test of character to hang in and finish it in three. This looked unlikely when Yamamoto spiked wildly from the right to leave Japan trailing 19-14, and even less likely when Jose Rivera served an ace on the next point to move his team ahead by six.
Esteves brought up set point at 24-20 with a smart piece of work at the net, and setter Angel Perez finished it 25-21 by flipping the ball into space as his spikers moved into position to occupy the Japanese block.
Having got themselves back into the match, Puerto Rico then went to sleep at the start of the fourth set. Head coach Cardona tried to wake them up with a TO at 3-0 and again at 6-0, as crowd favourite Yu Koshikawa began to make an impact.
Puerto Rico, as expected, began to fight back, notably through lefty Jose Rivera spiking across the Japanese defence from a sharp angle on the left. Koshikawa, with a serve that struck the net cord and bobbled over, and then some clean winners on the left, kept Japan ahead 16-13 at the second TTO.
But Japan could not keep going, and when Esteves blocked Yamamoto on Japan's right, it was all square at 17-17. In an amazing finish, Japan won the fourth set 36-34 on their seventh match point after Puerto Rico had squandered five set points. Yamamoto on the right scored the winning point.
