Ede, Netherlands, July 14, 2018.  In the opening match at the Final Round of the 2018 CEV U20 Volleyball European Championship - Men, the team of Germany hammered out a straight-set victory over Portugal to get Pool I action in Ede underway. Reigning U19 European champions from 2017 Czech Republic followed up with an emphatic shutout of hosts Netherlands. In the last game of the first competition day, Finland outplayed Belarus 3-0.


Portugal vs. Germany 0-3 (7-25, 19-25, 21-25)

Germany rushed into the tournament with a 5-0 lead in the first set and never looked back. With seven points, including three aces from Anton Brehme, the Germans cruised to a 25-7 landslide. The second set was more competitive with the Portuguese improving in reception and attack, but with Lorenz Karlitzek on fire at the net, the Germans got the upper hand again. Linus Weber aced to shape up the final 25-19. During the first half of the third set, with Andre Marques scoring away, Portugal maintained a slight lead, but after 11-11 Germany stepped ahead and kept the pace through the 25-21 close. Three German players, Anton Brehme, Lorenz Karlitzek and Linus Weber, shared the match top scorer honours with 14 points each.



Nuno Miguel dos Santos Pereira, coach of Portugal: "In the first set we started out very nervous. During the match we started playing better and better. In serving and attacking Germany were the stronger team. Our goal this tournament is to end in the top eight."

Afonso Reis, captain of Portugal: "We started very badly in the first set, and we didn’t show what we are capable of. In the second and the third sets we improved our game. In these sets we played almost at the same level as Germany, but in the end they were the better team. Our attitude was much better in this part of the game. We should show this in the upcoming games as well."

Johan Verstappen, coach of Germany: "We didn’t expect to play such an easy first set. Because of this, we could start this tournament with a lot of confidence. We played well, and were better than our opponents in all aspects of the game. We know there are a lot of strong teams in this tournament, but we are also very strong. We are counting on our own strength at this championship."

Eric Burggräf, captain of Germany: "This was an absolute teamwork performance. We played with great intensity and celebrated every point. After we took a 10-1 lead in the first set, we played in a relaxed way. All in all, we played a very good first match."

The Netherlands vs. Czech Republic 0-3 (23-25, 21-25, 20-25)

With Marek Sotola on fire in attack, the Czechs were well in control of the first set, before the Dutch came back to tie it at 23-23. On set point, however, Sotola aced to close it off in favour of his team. The lead switched hands several times during the second set. The home team could not hold on to a 19-16 advantage and in the conclusive moments, their opponents scored four in a row for a 25-21 win. The Netherlands quickly wasted a 7-4 lead in the third set. Jan Svoboda put on a great serving effort to help Czechia regain control and aced himself to close the match at 25-20. Marek Sotola scored 17 times to top the charts of the match, followed by Jan Svoboda with 13 points and The Netherlands’ Bennie Tuinstra with 12.



Arnold van Ree, coach of The Netherlands: "At this age level, the performance of the players is likely to fluctuate. Both teams had troubles in passing today, but our opponents did a little better in this aspect. Our goal is to end in the top four of the pool, so that we can advance to the final stage in The Hague. We keep believing in this, so tomorrow we will continue to fight for it."

Bennie Tuinstra, captain of The Netherlands: "It’s never fun to start a tournament with a loss. But we are already focussing on the next match tomorrow. I think in attacking we performed well, probably better than the Czech Republic. But we know we will have to improve our passing. We had a chance today, but during the big points our opponents played more cleverly than us."

Jan Svoboda, coach of Czech Republic: "It was a difficult first match with two teams that were playing at an almost equal level. Today, we were playing just a little less nervous than the home squad. We made the difference with our service and defence when it mattered most."

Ondrej Piskacek, captain of Czech Republic: "Playing the first match at a major tournament like this is never easy. But I have to say my team performed very well today. This victory is so important for us, because we are all smiling now and the atmosphere is good. Our goal is to play for a medal at the end of next week."

Finland vs. Belarus 3-0 (25-15, 28-26, 25-20)

After a balanced start and 11-10 in favour of Belarus in the first set, Finland managed a six-point series to break away to a 16-11 lead and cruise on to a 25-15 landslide. The second set was tight throughout, with the gap never exceeding two points one way or another. The Finns were the first to reach set point at 24-22, but the Belarusians responded with three points in a row. The northern European side quickly regained control and on their fourth set point closed it off at 28-26. They jumped to an 11-6 lead in the third. With sub-in Maksim Bahatka chipping a few points in, the Belarusians fought back to narrow it down to one point, but the Finns had a fired-up Niko Suihkonen, who led them to a 25-20 win. Uladzislau Davyskiba scored 18 times for Belarus, while Suihkonen was Finland’s most prolific player with 11 points.



Janne Heikkinen, coach of Finland: "I am very happy for the guys, for both the win and the way they have presented themselves. Besides the great result, we have played on a high level. There were a lot of Finnish fans on the tribune, and they have helped us for sure. Even the Finnish national sitting volleyball team, who are playing the World Championships in the Netherlands, came to watch us today."

Joona Väänänen, captain of Finland: "I think we have started off with a good, basic match today. In the beginning we played a little rusty, but once we got our act together things went smoothly. The upcoming days will show how far we can get, but it’s definitely our goal to play all seven matches here."

Oleg Mikanovich, coach of Belarus: "This game was very difficult for us. It’s the first time these guys are playing at a final round. I think they suffered from a little stress. We got some chances in this match, but we didn’t manage to take them. I think we will play more relaxed now that the first match is done."


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