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Tokyo, Japan, May 18, 2016 - Put simply, this was volleyball at its very best.
A gripping five-set thriller and a home team victory out of nowhere, one of the most incredible comebacks amid drama not even Steven Spielberg would dare imagine.
Japan beat Thailand 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13) in a pulsating match lasting nearly three hours.
Thailand knew it’s chances of qualifying hinged on tonight’s match, and in the first set they played accordingly.
They out-jousted, out set, out received and out played the home team from the first point, opening up an early 5-1 lead, and then refusing to buckle when Japan kept climbing back into the set.
At 14-15 Japan took the lead briefly, but Thailand fought back to turn 15-16 into 18-16, and then 21-18, 24-19 and eventually 25-20.
The digging of Thailand, led by Libero Piyanut Pannoy, was a sight to behold, with wave after wave of Japanese attacks blunted.
Setter Nootsara Tomkom was replaced midway through the set, but Pornpun Guedpard proved she is more than a useful replacement for the highly rated Nootsara.
And Japan started making errors, and lots of them. By the end of the first set the error count was 11 to five.
The match was off to a fifth set, the first five setter of the week, and befitting of the epic duel that had been unfolding for more than two hours.
The fifth set, by any measure, was one of the most incredible sets of volleyball most fans will ever see.
Thailand had the match, and possibly a ticket to Rio, wrapped up at 9-3. But what unfolded next was one of the most amazing self-destructions in sport.
With all the momentum, the Thai team and their coaching bench somehow managed to concoct a way to lose the unlosable set.
The ill-discipline brought with it a heavy price for Thailand; the first red card came when they were leading 12-7. But instead of concentrating on sealing the game, the team became distracted and continued to argue with officials.
The second red card was inevitable; it came when Thailand was trailing 12-13, and virtually gifted the match to Japan.
For the hosts, Saori Sakoda was incredible all night, finishing with a game-high 24 points, while Thailand captain Pleumjit Thinkaow led the way for the visitors with 21 points.
The tears the Thai players cried as they left the court told the story; the chance to go to their very first Olympics had been dealt a severe blow.
Japan coach Masayoshi Manabe - “It was a very tough match. We survived by the breadth of our skin.”
“Thailand makes few mistakes and has quick combinations. Our serves didn't break them easily and that is why we had to struggle.”
“We expected to have struggles. That is why I put in four Olympic medalists in the third set.”
“I have decades in volleyball and it is very rare to have a game like this. We won in five sets and it gave a boost to the team.”
Thailand coach Radchatagriengkai K. “I would like to thank my players who gave their all tonight. We will give our best in the rest of the matches. These players are my heroines.”
“In my life something like this has never happened. I have been a volleyball coach for 20 years and never saw this.”
“I asked why the touch panels were not displaying member changes and I asked for a clarification and I was given a red card.”
“Then I asked again why the tablets were not displaying the members and got the second red card. It was very unfair to the Thai team. We play with sportsmanship. This judgment was not right. The match is over now and we have to accept the result.”
“The system should be reconsidered. We could not change players even though my players were in the changing area.”
Japan captain Saori Kimura - “Today I didn't play too well. As a team we were in a losing pattern. Thailand was moving the game.”
“We believed in ourselves until the end.”
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