Club World Cup, bitter birthday for Paola Egonu: Milan overwhelmed by Tianjin
Tianjin Bohai-Vero Volleyball Milan 3-0
The second challenge of Group A of the Club World Cup ended with a heavy defeat for Numia Vero Volley Milano. On Paola Egonu’s 26th birthday, the Milanese team è was overwhelmed by the hosts of Tianjin Bohai with a peremptory 3-0 (25-21; 25-22; 25-23).
The match started immediately uphill for Vero Volleyball, which suffered a partial eight points to three. Tianjin, at that point, è skillfully crushed any attempt of the opponents to come back, maintaining the lead until the end, winning the first set on 25-21.
In the second set, however, it was the meneghine who placed the first stretch thanks to the plays of the celebrated Paola Egonu (23 total points for her) and Nika Daalderop on 16-13. The hosts, however, did not give up and grabbed parity on 20-20. In the closing stages, then, it was still the Chinese who were more cynical and won the set on 25-22.
In the third set once again è Tianjin came out of the blocks better: somehow Milan managed to get back in touch (from -4) and even to put their noses ahead, but in the final point-to-point it was always the Chinese who came out on top. On the first match point, in fact, the Asians took advantage of a free ball on a bad reception by Daalderop and closed the score on 25-23.
The Group A standings now see Tianjin leading with two wins (six points, 6-0 set count) ahead of Milan and Gerdau Minas (both with one win, three points, 3-3 set balance). The’last day will thus be decisive: the Lombards will return to the court on Thursday, Dec. 19 (12:30 p.m.) to face the unranked Egyptians of Zamalek, while the direct clash between the Chinese and the Braziliansè scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20 at 12:30 p.m.
The chances of qualifying for first place would be slim for Milan, which will have to win the last challenge of the group stage to be sure of qualifying as second and face in the semifinals in an all-Blue derby Conegliano, which has mortgaged the primacy in Group B thanks to the peremptory 3-0 imparted to the Vietnamese of the LP Bank Ninh Bihn.
