They took away the Polish dreams of gold. They did not allow themselves to be broken, but won the LN final.

11,000 fans attended the match between Poland and Slovenia, which started three hours before the final match. The vast majority of them stayed to attend the meeting between France and Japan, after which a medal ceremony was planned with the participation of white and red. The sympathy of the Polish fans, just like the previous day in the match against Slovenia, was won by the Japanese, however The French team turned out to be unbreakable.

For the French, the challenge was not only the enemy coming from Japan, but also finding the strength to fight it. The third important match in three days. First, they played five sets against Italy on Friday, then… On Saturday they played against Poland for the same duration. Not only did the competitors have a one-day break between the quarterfinals and semifinals, but they also played a total of just six sets in two matches.

The Japanese put them in difficult conditions from the beginning. Their offensive leader in the first set was once again a receiver Yuki IshikawaThe score remained hovering around a draw. This time Playmaker Antoine Brizard has played for the French national team since the beginning. In the coach’s previous two meetings Andrea Gianni He was betting on it. Benjamin ToniotiBut Brizard had to save the day during the match. But Ishikawa made a mistake in the end and took advantage of France’s opportunity. Jean PatryThe Olympic champions won with a time of 25:23.

At the start of the second set, the Japanese quickly took a four-point lead. It was effective. Yuji Nishidathe Japanese national team striker. As time went on, the advantage grew more and Gianni looked for changes. Among other things, the receiver appeared on the field Kevin Tilley. It was supposed to calm the French game in the meantime After a while he got a yellow card for discussions. The Japanese liked what they are known for: great defensive play and complex attacking movements. They won very confidently, 25:18.

However, it is not easy to break the Olympic champions. They entered the third set with great motivation, and this time they were three points ahead after just a few minutes. And in the middle of the set until four, when the French mass began to work. This time Philipp PleinJapan’s coach began looking for help among the substitutes. For example, Kento Miura He showed a good crushing blow, and his teammates “grabbed” the mass of the French midfielders. Although Japan was already six points behind, they managed to tie the score 23:23. However, at the last moment the French woke upThey prevented the attack Shumi Tometi Won 25:23.

The fourth match was an even battle. The Polish public celebrated the actions of the Japanese, and the result was close to a draw. However, in the middle of the set, the French were leading 14:12. Buttrey was effective, and Tilly remained on the field throughout. But there was a lot of emotion, and the Asian rivals leveled the score 18:18. After Miura’s ace, they led until 20:19. But in the end, the experience and skills of the French prevailed.They won 25:23 and scored the decisive point with a block.

For France, this is the second victory in the history of the Nations League. Previously, they also won gold medals twice in the previous edition of this competition, the World League. The Japanese continued to improve their achievements compared to last year when they won the bronze medal.