Cuba extended by Greece before winning in five sets
Daudinot Portuondo was in blistering form for Cuba
Cuba
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Greece
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Cuba endured a torrid time from Greece to emerge 3-2 winners and collect their second Pool B triumph of the FIVB Volleyball World Championship for Men on Tuesday in Fukuoka.
After a to-and-fro match that saw the Greeks produce some of their best volleyball today, Cuba finally snatched a 25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12 victory that gave them a 2-2 win-loss record and may be enough to propel them to the second round in Hiroshima.
For the Greeks, so brave but with little to show for it, their 0-4 record kills off their chances and condemns them to an early flight home.
When Cuba took the first set, no-one expected that the match would be extended to five sets. It could have gone either way in the end, but the blocking of Odelvys Dominicos proved decisive in the final stages of the game.
The teams were evenly matched at the start, trading spikes and errors that gave Cuba an 8-6 lead. Sotirios Pantaleon had three solid winners for Greece but teammate Ilias Lappas provided an equal number of mistakes.
For Cuba, Daudinot Portuondo, Odelvys Dominico and Michael Sanchez made the most of their opportunities.
Lappas had his first successful winner to bring Greece to within 12-10 but Portuondo, with help from his captain Allen Pimienta and Puoto Corrales, slammed one down to take the Cubans 16-12 ahead.
Konstantinos Christofidelis was Greece's most effect attacker, down the left, but great defence took Cuba to 19-14 up, forcing Greek coach Konstnatinos Charitonidis to call his second time out within a space of four points.
Corrales was blocking almost everything, especially from Greek captain Nikolaos Roumeliotis.
The introduction of 2.04m Antrei Kravarik beefed up the Greek attack, but it was a Christofidelis error that gave Cuba six set points and another Lapas serving mistake that gave them the set.
A rare block on Portuondo, by substitute Konstantinos Prousalis, put Greece 4-3 ahead in the second set after Dominicos had given Cuba a good start.
Greece's blocks were more effective and it was one of their defensive plays that helped them to an 8-5 lead at the second set's first TTO.
With a head of confidence, Roumeliotis, Christofidelis and some Cuban errors gave Greece a 13-8 lead as Cuba coach Roberto Garcia pushed the panic button to call time out.
His players responded with scoring plays from Portuondo and Corrales but wasted points had Greece enjoying a 16-11 advantage.
Portuondo, Sanchez and Carmenate Diaz took Cuba on a four-point run that reduced their deficit to 18-17 but Andreas Andreadis and Christofidelis re-opened a three-point buffer for the Greeks as they breached 20 points for the first time in the match.
Lappas served an ace that he initially thought was out but netted his next attempt before Andreadis put Greece on top 23-18. Christofidelis made it six set points, Cuba saved two, but Lappas levelled the match with a powerful spike down the middle.
Dominicos took charge early in the third set, contributing three points to a 4-1 Cuban lead before Andreadis got the better of Pimienta twice to bring his team back to 8-6. Coralles, however, took the Cubans to an 8-6 first time-out lead.
Cuba threatened to run away with it at 11-7 but a great Pantaleon block and Roumeliotis' service winner levelled the scores.
The two sides exchanged the next few points with Cuba edging 16-15 ahead. They stretched it to two points at 19-17 when Roumeliotis smashed long. The Greek skipper then recovered a point before a Portuondo stinger made it 20-18.
Pimienta's block gave Cuba two set points, which Portuondo converted at the first attempt with a sizzling serve that Greece couldn't handle.
Greece came out firing in the second set with Roumeliotis making an impact and Lappas giving them an 8-3 lead after some effective setting by Prousalis.
The Greek then enjoyed their best period of domination of the match with Lappas particularly effective in building a 13-8 lead. Corrales, however, was pelting points on the left to ensure Cuba stayed within range as they fought back to 14-11.
Greece were shaky despite a 16-13 lead as Cuba looked more than capable of snatching the momentum.
Indeed, before long it was only 16-15 to Greece and Sanchez tap made it 17-17. Rather than being swallowed up, Greece again ran away to a 22-19 lead, prompting a Cuba time-out.
Christofidelis' spike from left gave his team four set points and Pantaleon forced a deciding set two rallies later with a smash down the middle.
The influential Pantaleon's spike and and error from Corrales, the leading spike thus far, put Greece 2-0 up in the decider. Cuba got back to 2-2 but the on-fire Pantaleon quickly helped his team to a 5-2 lead.
Portuondo, almost non-existent in the fourth set, produced some fireworks on the left to power his team but Greek went into the changeover 8-7 up.
The sub-plot for the match had been Lappas' erratic serving and that, indeed, allowed Cuba to level at 8-8 before Sanchez pushed one over to give Cuba the lead 9-8.
Sanchez' power opened up an important two-point lead for Cuba, 11-9, and when Domincos blocked Lappas for 13-9, it looked like game over.
Greece battled to 13-12 but two more Dominicos blocks gave Cuba the match.
