Quezon city: Argentina came back from a two-set deficit to turn back Finland, 19-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-11, at the start of their campaign in the FIVB Men's World Championship at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Sunday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Pablo Kukartsev and Luciano Vicentn were the architects of the impressive comeback of world No. 8 Argentina, with the hard-hitting opposite scoring 20 points (16 kills, three blocks, one ace) and the outside hitter adding 19 (18 kills, one block). Setter Luciano De Cecco acknowledged the team's initial struggles but emphasized the significance of securing a victory in the opening match of the World Championship.
Finland showcased a balanced offense with four players achieving double-digit scores. Opposite Jonas Jokela led with a match-high 26 points, followed by outside hitter Luka Martilla (18) and middle blockers Petteri Tyynismaa (17) and Severi Savonsalmi (11). Martilla expressed that despite a strong start, Finland fell short against Argentina's superior performance.
Meanwhile, at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Egypt delivered a surprising victory over world No. 13 Iran, 25-17, 16-25, 25-23, 25-20, in Pool A. The World No. 23 Africans excelled in attack and serving aces, surpassing their Asian counterparts.
Egypt's outside hitters Ahmed Shafik Said and Abdelrahman Elhossiny spearheaded the team with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Elhossiny attributed their success to the team's comprehensive preparation and execution against Iran, highlighting the collaborative effort from all members of the squad.
The Philippines is set to face Egypt on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. In other matches, back-to-back Olympic champion France was playing South Korea at Araneta Coliseum as of posting time, with defending champion Italy scheduled to debut against Algeria later in the evening.