Ferdinando De Giorgi didn't see a good performance from his team. © ANSA / Adam Warzawa

Final dream shattered: Italy loses to USA

The Italian national volleyball team's high flight is over. The team around superstar Simone Giannelli didn't have the slightest chance in the semi-finals of the Nations League against the USA in Gdansk (Poland) on Saturday evening.

July 22, 2023

From: leo

Ferdinando De Giorgi's team had recently made an extremely strong impression and qualified for the semi-finals with five wins in a row. Argentina defeated Giannelli & Co. in the quarterfinals with 3-0 sets. The Azzurri were favored in the semi-finals - even though the USA had won the group game 3-0. That evening, however, almost nothing went together for Italy. The Americans were superior in all respects and ultimately won 25:19, 25:18 and 25:19.

Already at the beginning of the game, the supposed outsider found his way into the game better. The Americans were able to read the Azzurri's attacks again and again and fend them off. The greater effectiveness on defense turned out to be decisive in the game. Alessandro Michieletto and Yuri Romanò in particular did not have their usual impact. And so Italy trailed throughout the game.

Bronze still possible

After three crystal-clear sets, the Azzurri had to acknowledge their opponent's superiority. At least Italy can still take third place in the small final against Japan on Sunday (17 p.m.). Poland and the USA then fight for victory (20 p.m.).