Italy, Argentina, Denmark, and Chile complete the quarterfinal matches of the 16th Men’s Fistball World Championship. Denmark and Chile engage in tight battles against Namibia and New Zealand, while Argentina and Italy secure clear victories against the USA and Australia, respectively.
In the President’s Cup, the USA, Belgium, Namibia, and New Zealand advance to the semifinals and still have a chance to compete for the ninth-place match at SAP-Arena.
Italy Shines Against the USA Italy – USA 3:0 (12:10, 11:6, 11:5)
Italy defeats the USA convincingly, despite both teams starting the match on equal footing. After an intense first set, the USA lost some momentum, particularly in their attacking efforts. Italian attacker Armin Runer stood out, leading his team flawlessly and deservedly into the quarterfinals against Brazil. With their performance today, the USA team will give their hardest effort to win the President’s Cup.
Argentina Outshines Australia’s Attack
Argentina – Australia 3:0 (11:3, 11:4, 11:4)
As expected, Australia couldn’t match Argentina’s performance on the wet field. Argentina secured an undisputed victory, and Australia had no answer to the long and hard-hitting attacks from the Argentine side. Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Australia will compete against Japan.
Denmark Triumphs in a Nerve-Wracking Match Namibia
Denmark 1:3 (5:11, 9:11, 11:6, 14:15)
The battle for a spot in the quarterfinals was not for the faint-hearted, especially in the fourth set. After a strong start by Denmark, Namibia gradually found their rhythm, resulting in a closely contested match with constant lead changes from the middle of the second set. Namibia put up a great fight, but Denmark emerged as the luckier team in the end. Denmark will now face one of the favorites, Austria, in the quarterfinals, while Namibia will play against Belgium in the President’s Cup.
Chile Triumphs Over the Kiwis Chile
New Zealand 3:1 (11:5, 11:7, 12:14, 11:6)
Chilean attacker Alváro Mödinger demonstrates from the outset that his team aims to reach the quarterfinals against Germany. This strategy pays off for the first two sets. In the third set, Alváro Mödinger remains on the bench, and despite strong efforts from Andres Gruss and Eduardo Mödinger, New Zealand manages to save two match points before securing the set. In the fourth set, Chile brings Alváro Mödinger back into the game and clinches an undisputed victory.
USA Prevails Against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic – USA 1:3 (7:11, 11:7, 9:11, 10:12)
After a tough battle, the favored US team defeats the Czech Republic 3:1 in the first match of the President’s Cup. The USA started strong but faced a phase where the Czech Republic gained the upper hand. The match remained evenly contested until the USA eventually secured the victory.
Belgium Stages a Comeback Against Australia
Belgium – Australia 3:2 (7:11, 11:13, 11:7, 11:9, 13:11)
Belgium wins by only two points in a closely fought match. Australia initially dominated the rain-soaked battle, with their attacker Nila Poudal impressing with excellent serves, returns, and artistic defensive plays. As Belgium found their rhythm, Australia narrowly lost the fifth set 11:13, concluding the match in favor of Belgium.
Namibia Overpowers Japan
Japan – Namibia 0:3 (0:11, 5:11, 2:11)
Following the closest game of the World Championship, Namibia delivers the most decisive result to date by defeating Japan 3:0. The few points scored by the crowd-favorite Japanese team are enthusiastically celebrated by the stadium fans, but they couldn’t match the technically superior team from Africa.
New Zealand Triumphs Over Serbia in Three Sets
Serbia – New Zealand 0:3 (10:12, 3:11, 6:11)
The result might appear decisive, but both teams engage in an excellent exchange during the evening match on the fourth day of the World Championship. Josh Cameron shines as the match-winner for New Zealand, supported by the strong Kempf brothers, who set up several remarkable plays. Although Serbia fought hard in all three sets, they couldn’t seriously challenge the clear victory of the Kiwis.
All games are livstreamed on fistball.tv.