The Korean women’s volleyball team, which reached the quarterfinals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is falling. Even considering the fact that they are in the midst of a ‘generational shift’, their grades are disastrous. 16th straight victory in the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Nations League (VNL). Criticism of ‘forgot how to win’ raised its head.스포츠토토
Korea, led by coach Cesar Hernandez Gonzalez, lost all of the 2023 FIVB VNL Week 1 matches held in Turkiye Antalya from the 1st (hereinafter Korean time) to the 4th. 0-3 0-3 0-3 0-3. I tasted the humiliation of 4 consecutive shutout losses. Turkiye, Canada, USA and Thailand were all defeated.
There is no way out. Following last year’s VNL 12 matches, 4 consecutive losses were added in the first week of this year. The difference in skill with the opponent was so great that it was not easy to win. The retirement gap of Kim Yeon-kyung, Yang Hyo-jin, and Kim Su-ji, the main players of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics semifinals, is bigger than expected. Even in the confrontation with Thailand, which he considered a worthy opponent, he failed to win a single set and bowed his head.
Korea, ranked 23rd in the world, is unlikely to win the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is actually given to the top 5 teams (as of June 17, 2024). It is wise to aim for an Olympic ticket during the Paris Olympics qualifiers in September. But in the current climate, it doesn’t seem easy. The outlook for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games is also bleak.
Director Cesar cannot avoid responsibility either. As the coach of Turkiye Vakifbank, it was not easy for him to go 100% all-in to the Korean national team. In a situation where he is evaluated as the weakest in terms of basic strength, he did not properly prepare for the tournament. In the end, after overcoming 12 consecutive losses last year, he walked with the goal of winning about 3 wins, but a dark cloud hung over him as he lost 4 consecutive times in the first week.
Cesar took over the helm in 2021 as the successor to Stefano Lavarini, who led the team to the semifinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, after his appointment, he suffered 16 consecutive losses and walked a difficult path. Last year, he narrowly escaped from a losing streak by winning 3-1 against Croatia in the group stage of the World Championships. However, at VNL, he has become small again and is building a disgraceful record.
The worst record of all time is currently ongoing. It may go beyond 16 consecutive losses and fall into a swamp of 20 or more losses. In Korea, the 2nd week schedule starts on the 15th. Brazil (15th), Japan (16th), Croatia (17th) and Germany (19th). After returning to Korea, they moved to Chilbo Gymnasium in Seosuwon to play the 3rd week games. Starting with the game against Bulgaria on the 27th, they will face off against the Dominican Republic (29th), China (July 1st), and Poland (July 2nd).