06/10/2019 09:00
Everything still to play at SCA men’s championship with three teams in contention for the title
News from the Zonal Associations
Torshavn, Faroe Islands, October 6, 2019. There is much to play on Sunday at the Small Countries Association (SCA) men’s ‘senior’ championship, as both the Faroe Islands and Scotland still have the chance to overtake current leaders Iceland. Iceland is the favourite, though, as taking two sets against the Faroe Islands will crown them winners of the competition. Despite this, if the Faroe Islands beat Iceland 3-0, then the hosts will become the champions.
A 3-1 win for the Faroe Islands on the other hand will see Iceland, Scotland and the Faroes equal on points and sets - if Scotland beat Greenland - and then it will be down to the match sets quotient/ratio score to decide the winner. It could turn out to become a very exciting evening in the Faroese capital on Sunday where calculators could prove handy…
Iceland vs. Greenland 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-20)
Greenland showed some unexpected resilience in their match against Iceland and nearly took the first set, but failed to take advantage of a set point and instead lost 24-26. The score remained tight in the second and third sets as well, where Iceland won 25-21 and 25-20. With this result, Iceland will win the tournament if they take two sets against the Faroe Islands on Sunday.
Faroe Islands vs. Scotland 1-3 (22-25, 20-25, 30-28, 22-25)
Although Scotland won the match 3-1, a 30-28 score for the Faroe Islands in the third set could prove to be decisive to determine who wins the gold medals on Sunday. However, Iceland still has the best cards on their hands, as taking two sets from the Faroese team is enough to secure the title.
The Faroe Islands started strongly in the match against Scotland and took a 7-3 lead, but after a Scottish time-out, the score was tied at 8-8. It was neck and neck to 22-all when Scotland won three points in a row to clinch the first set. In the second set, Scotland for the most had the edge with a point or two, and after 19-18, they opened up a decisive lead to win 25-20.
The third set was a real thriller with the lead shifting back and forth, and having survived three match points, the Faroe Islands finally won the set 30-28 on their second set point. However, Scotland took control again in the fourth set when they jumped from 8-8 to 21-15, and although the hosts rallied late and brought the deficit down to 23-20, it was too late to mount a successful comeback, and Scotland won 25-22 and the match 3-1.
Sunday, October 6 (local times)
14:00 Greenland vs. Scotland | Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS2pTEIdJcs
17:00 Faroe Islands vs. Iceland | Livestream: https://kvf.fo/live/2
|