Yugoslavia - Spain 3-1

Goran Vujevic smashes to Spain's Rafael Pascual (AP)

Mar Del Plata, ARGENTINA, September 29 (fivb.ch) - On one of the key games of the men's 2002 World Volleyball Championship group D, Yugoslavia, the last Olympic Champion, defeated Spain 3-1 in 89 minutes. Both teams started the first set with pure energy. In spite of the attacks of Guillermo Falasca and Rafael Pascual, 6 and 3 points each, the Yugoslavian block, with 7 points, built a hard wall to break down.

The Spanish had an excellent start on the second stage, but the Yugoslavian won in points both technical time out: 8-6 and 16-12. Ivan Miljkovic and Goran Vujevic, were the ones who gave more points to the Yugoslavian attack, with 5 points each.

The third set had an exciting start in which Spain, for the first time in the game, reached both technical time out with more points, 8-5 and 16-14, and that difference allowed them to win the partial. Guillermo Falasca with 5 points, and Enrique De La Fuente with 4, were the top scorers of the set.

Finally, on the fourth set, Yugoslavia made up their block again, 4 points, and easily won the last partial 25-18.

This time, Guillermo Falasca's attacks, one of the stars of the game scoring 5 points on this last stage, were not enough to win a fifth set against the Olympic Champion.