Sitting Volleyball | USA v China | Men’s 7th–8th Classification | Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

both teams are yet to win a single game here in rio both having had three losses lots of energy lots of enthusiasm for the crowd and hopefully they will get behind the players to bring out the best just getting ready now before they come out for the national anthem and these are the teams that they've played in pool a 3-0 loss against brazil well a bit closer against germany 3-2 but egypt they went down 3-0 also and the route that china have taken well again three losses 3-0 against islamic republic of iran closer against the ukraine 3-0 to bosnia and herzegovina the athletes ready now they're on the court they're going to enjoy the national anthems being played before this game gets underway ladies and gentlemen ladies and gentlemen the anthem of the people's republic of china the republicans so very special moments for players when they're representing their country and having the national anthem played out in front of them a special moment for the fans as well supporting either of the two teams playing and for those of you at home watching supporting friends family members or the country in general and this should be a very exciting match china were playing in the seventh eighth classification match in london 2012 against egypt and lost by three sets to two the usa didn't qualify for london 2012. china will be wanting to avoid a similar situation to that which happened in london 2012 however they are up against a very tough usa team by no means will this be an easy game as the chinese coach just giving a few last words of wisdom to his team before the starting sevens make their way out onto court and before the players make their way out onto court we'll have the introduction of the referees for this one the fans taking their seats getting ready for what should be a very exciting best of five sets of sitting volleyball so the referee's out gone to court and the first official today is anna sartorio from brazil on the left-hand side assisting anna sartorio wish those two the best of luck once blows the whistle just like the players once the game starts the nerves tend to disappear and the volleyball takes over and now the starting lineup for team usa number five the captain it'll be the usa who come out onto court first eric duder number five is the captain playing through the outside jesse shag number six here's a setup number eight james elliot stuck also a setter so a two-set assistant being operated by the usa broderick dalhan green number 11 is the middle blocker joshua edward smith number 16. he's a power hitter and jd mourinho number 18 is outside hitter the libero is john michael douglas crema number 14. and gregory walker the head coach so china high fives for everybody before he goes out onto court galway number five there's another power hitter number six also hitting liming far number ten middle blocking number 13. number 12 and head coach liu fangling so the players out onto court the second referee checking that they are in there rotations where they need to be there are six positions on court numbered one two three four five and six number one being back right number two being front right number three being front middle number four being front left number five being back left and number six being back middle behind the three meter line as such the the back caught line the players must rotate clockwise around those numbers in order to be able to serve this is the seventh and eighth classification match in the men's sitting volleyball the rio 2016 paralympic games are now underway china first to score nice use of the block from shang mean just rolling it in to the fingers of chag and no one able to cover well it was a nice attempt dipping it down over the net but unfortunately net infringement was called against the us so it's 3-0 china the serving run comes to an end from shang ming so first point on the board for the usa and that sends the captain back eric duda to serve lifting called against china as that attack was made by gauhui well that time the ball has gone long it was close two-point gap opened up now for china that's gone out the back of a chinese player so the point to the us so green to serve at 3-4 green tried to keep it in play just went over the back a few errors creeping in at the moment to the usa's game they want to settle down as quickly as possible a nice set up from the u.s can find that kind of formation each time they've got a chance of picking up some points here same for china though so six four go up to serve the hips must remain in contact with the floor behind the service line well pushed out of play by china played into the block by smith very nicely done then into the antenna and as china touched it last it's the usa's point another lifting call against china off the floor the pelvis must remain in contact at all times that was the violation oh nicely left by china and they get the point oh nicely kept in play with the foot and that's absolutely allowed still in play and this time the us managed to spike and find the ground any part of the body can touch the ball it was a nice block good recovery but it was usa who had the advantage in the rally lovely reverse set out to the captain china still keeping it in play but another great dig from duda before they were able to put the ball away and take the point to serve seven a piece well it's now gone to eight seven as we go to the first technical timeout foreign oh first set in the men's sitting volleyball classification 7th and 8th place attempted spike from smith just gets blocked rockets out the back of the court to serve 9-8 this time china getting the block out and as it went past as well he was lucky that didn't catch his shirt zhang mink did well to make sure it didn't hit him and again lovely blockout this time going off the hands and over the other side of the court nice high contact usa not getting their hands across the net usa cooler timing to serve eleven 8. called that he said mine everybody else left him to it and executed superbly smith to serve 9 11. lifting calls at all for the usa yet has been several now for china silence really but it's in that just trying to get to the ball trying to get into position earlier doing it incorrectly so another good block for china that was a rather tentative effort at the net by the usa not really taking on the block it's a lovely set trying to go with the tip but not high enough by the captain dude he'll be disappointed with that what's up lightning reactions from both teams to keep the ball alive for so long you can hear the usa calling what's happening knew that that was going angle but unfortunately the libero kramer not getting across to close that angle down a carry call against the usa neat ming far to serve 14 10. the timeout it's the second one now scores 15 10. oh oh hey the ball has gone out another point for china as we hit the second technical timeout it's not looking good for the usa at the moment that ball catching the antenna as it went down the line so that's why it was signified as being out that barber shot pole ball has to go inside it if it travels over it outside it or hits it then the ball is deemed to be out of play what well it's still all china at the moment the timeout four of them so if i've had the two technicals plus the usa have used up there too and it's not helping proceedings here china seven points to the good and still no way through excellent blocking and a bit of a net touch as well from green rod green as you went after that one naming far to serve at 18 10. a chinese player complaining you had the whole court to hit him and you hit it at me i think he's complaining at his block as well he's saying well come on i'm not gonna have to put a hard hat on here am i you need to take that line away and protect me with the block how much does it hurt when these balls hit you they're very much so if you ca if that had been he was fortunate that the chinese player ducked so it hit him on the top of the head if that hit him in the face and we could have seen it quite easy have a nosebleed the ball is traveling anywhere up to uh you know 100 kilometers an hour from the spike and with these guys not quite as hard paranoid about the sort of 70 80 kilometer mark it still hurts when it hits you it can sting the arms well when you're just trying to dig the ball so lifting against china that's been their weak spot really it's been the one issue where it's cost them points but the rest of their game has been brilliant lovely little flipper trying to get that ball back but all it was all part of the cause and actually playing to the whistle which was brilliant from jesse shag making sure that ball stayed off the floor benjamin the us has been brought on to execute the serves well didn't manage to execute on that occasion people went straight out so to serve at 1912. big swing from green he's caught the deflection chinese player unable to keep it in play and under control green now serving at 13 19. lovely block from the us closing the gap now it's a five point game great work from shag and stuck making sure that ball didn't come back but you need to back these things up when you make a good play like that and you shut a team out you really need to then go back and make sure your serve goes in at the very least make the other team play the ball keep that pressure on great defense both sides this is an excellent rally another chance for the us but it's a brilliant block but it's an illegal block because china were lifting as they got themselves into position and it's the usa who take the point at 15 20. there's a call of mine and green tried to place it for his teammates wasn't able to execute successfully china now are closing in on this first opening set it was a good run of points from the usa they've been hustling well to keep the ball off the floor but it's points like that which don't help them trying to hit the ball very steep marinco denied nice reverse set nice high set unfortunately mourinho just having to lean in and lost his height as he went with the spike lifting against the us point awarded to china now 23 15 just two points away from taking the opening set substitutions coming out from the back attack of china usa going again but that one isn't going to find the baseline china making sure nobody touched it on its way out and it's set point now for the team in red there it is the first set to china 25 15. fairly comfortable so china delighted with that this is how it was done nice pick up and there was lifting called against the usa as they had the attack china who lead by one set to nothing confirmation of that score 25-15 a slow start for the usa they did get back into it in the mid phase but they let it slide again i'll need to do better need to cut down on their errors make sure the serves go in and they need to hit a little bit smarter too many blocks against them not enough block outs in their favor as we look at the first set statistics and you can see that china six blocks to one really the usa will need to make that snap nice and high get over it use the fingers to go block out and again three service faults china just one error very very good play from china china's problems came from lifting throughout that and then twice for the usa but right at key moments with the usa which ultimately cost them the setup so foreign uh me foreign so all right start of the second second united states china kenneth watson best of five usa serving number six chef the usa to serve to get the second set underway china leading one set to nothing and one point to nothing china have lined up exactly the same way as they did in the first set whereas the usa have switched their rotation around jesse shag who served was from position one he started at position four in the last sets they've gone round three rotations to see if they can try and match up more evenly against china in this second set enjoying that block shutting out china trying to go through the middle denied really nice play the substitute chris james silcop who's coming and replaced joshua edward smith for this set by the united marine coach states serve two one china just scuffling the ball unable to get control stuck down to serve for the us some words of advice from the coach before doing so just spotting there was a gap deep in the corner wanted him to go there he did however china still able to get the side out stuck now upset that he didn't make the dig himself with the serve for china oh dude i'll be disappointed with that he had loads of line to work with there was no block and there was nobody covering as well at position one did that catch some fingers again another error duder trying to go in the opposite side trying to go cross court this time just saying okay need to calm down here unforced there has now given china a two-point lead i'm just struggling now to find the court putting the ball almost too high to get their body behind a fracture more to get the right angle of trajectory timeout's been called by the u.s all right a great recovery from china another chance green trying to put it down and eventually no it's still in play brilliant little pick up that at the front somehow keeping it from going under the net but it is the usa who take the point wow a little bit of luck for the us but they'll take it great defense by china it just shows how hard the usa are going to have to work to take points in this match another rally developing here both teams keeping the ball off the floor really well green had the swing he was blocked made a great reactionary save but it was well watched by china off the heel of his hand and then out over the baseline this time he finds the inside of the line much better technique from chag to get that one down getting a good wrap on the ball plenty of topspin this time marenko does the same for the usa china giving them the line and the usa are taking it are we in touching distance here and staying in contention great defense from duda the captain for the us but it's block out from china and they take the point to send the teams into the technical timeout china leading 8-6 oh oh wang to serve well good serve it was too put the pressure on the us nine six in the second set langstro again well the usa certainly have settled in to this match now and it's not as easy as it was for china in this second set green with the serve that might have been going out green didn't you need them to be making the call to leave it if that's what they want it's a real tricky one especially when the ball comes off of hands or maybe doesn't come off hands do you make that do i go and play that did it make did it touch somebody do i have to keep it in play that was a really good effort but lifting call against duder as he went for that and he's not happy about that it was a desperate shuffle across the court he's shaking his head but watch here no it's not crab football yeah i challenge anybody to try and shift and cover this kind of distance the hips in contact with the floor agility the speed at which they're moving is superb us closing in again 8 11. it's a jag that goes to serve spike went straight to ground zhang min off for china j bing is on well an attempt by putting the opposition off stuck claps his hands in the air trying to almost fake a swing didn't come off just calming things down great defense again by the usa but it's still china who have the chance and they've taken that one or yes they have a lift given against the usa as the ball went into the block and was then recovered i thought initially it might have been a carry given against china but no it's a really nice play wasn't it me was caught between trying to go off their hands and then trying to have a hit and kind of lost his way with that one that was cheeky well looked like he was shaping up then a different shot just tapped it over technical timeout being called me looking at the statistics so far you can see it's not much in it both teams have been pretty well with their digs but it's the blocks again that's the difference at the moment for china as they are able to shut the usa it's been a good serving run this for china and zhang jiang that's another huge block it's interesting why the usa would want to go over to that side of the court where uh being is he's the one of the biggest blockers for china and now it's going to be a free ball for them lifting's going to be called against china as that effort was made by gauhui referee not liking his movement to get to the ball to have the spike just about making it the right side of the sideline good play from the us staying composed under pressure modern coat to serve 10 17. nice block from the us and that one finds the ground six points in it now good work from dude just drifted across to stop that cross-court angle the pressure off china with that missed serve and the pressure back on the usa as ding shell xiao you see plenty of blockouts in this game if you try that kind of shot it's almost a cross between a roll and a hit you're just going to get picked off another huge block again and zhu zheng bing is having a great time over there at position four to deny the usa poor setting choice at the moment for the usa by putting the ball anywhere near him this time a big swing from and there was enough gap for china to go through some really nice play now by the us still staying in contention seven points of drift at the moment smith to serve at 13 20. miscommunication by the chinese and the us of a pickup nice little bonus point it's a good serve into the corner away from where the passing unit was set up deflection on the way out nice nice tip down by green really good block from green yeah that one came back with interest as well right into the face of ding chao so a couple of substitutions happening number two second referee just checking with the scorers table that those substitutions have been recorded accurately and then you'll have to serve a man will be able to actually have his first serve of the match in this set there might be an issue here just in terms of players on and off they've had um a couple of substitutions already but just maybe where it's being recorded by the scorer's table looks like it's going to be okay now in terms of who's coming in who's going out well this doesn't help the players very much the delay not even china really it doesn't certainly doesn't help benjamin a man he's come on to serve and he's having to wait here what will seem like an inordinate length of time he was focused to come on and serve it seems to be an issue with either the rotations in terms of how it's been recorded and who he's coming on for well maybe the number of substitutions have been recorded already but they've only had a couple smith has been has come in and uh swearing in has come in for the usa well technology's a great thing where they moved away from uh paper score sheets but the paper score sheet is still being used as a backup but it's now being brought back and brought down for them to compare against the uh the digital information look at that that's great oman's not at all worried he's getting plenty of support from the fans and he's acting as a person and anxious brilliant well he's going to have a job in the us on the uh on the beach tour doing that is uh getting the crowd going some players like to be in their own zone really focused and discipline others find they perform best when they're relaxed and clearly my man does he's loving it and now they're all doing it brilliant so the rotation's been sorted out the man with the serve well it's china that have remained focused kept it just inside the court no defense from the us three points away now from taking this second set big swing for marinco blocked this time the points being given to china usa not quite fixing their block where they needed it and then unable to cover as it came off the hands and went to the floor well they'll take that three points of the us misjudgment by china on the serve to serve at 16 so china now within one point of taking the second set well two sets to nil lead by china stopping that last one taking the point quick ball out wide gap between the blockers down the ball goes china take the set 25-16 they lead by two sets to nothing it's not looking great at the moment for the usa foreign so looking at the match stats so far usa got themselves kind of back in the game with their blocking china still though ahead in that department and also ahead in diggs and usa with a couple more service errors foreign so oh thank you this is to china to serve to get the third set underway seventh eighth classification play off they're just one set away from victory that is the perfect start as well another big block from china denying the usa there's another point for china that means lee ming far will go back to serve for the third time china two nothing up and two sets to nothing up i've always just caught the ground first crema saying no i made that perfectly it was a dig it wasn't it was a half holly cover not quick enough again china's blocking proving to be very much the difference in this match and certainly in this third set now this is just the start they wanted trying to close the match out early best of five sets oh lifting giving against china from doodle the captain well you'll be relieved that that was given to them to serve 1-4 in the third set that came down with some force and mourinho couldn't quite get his hand to it daniel regan has kept his place on court number two for the usa for this third set so two has uh chris silcott number 15. that means stuck is to the bench and so two is uh smith no changes at all for china in this third set and they started in exactly the same rotation as they did in the previous two sets and at 6-1 usa called the time uh yes lovely spike can do that i need to pick this up now asking for the crowd to get behind them green is on for crema there's a replay zhao zhang bing launch that one skyward the u.s another point regan to serve 3-6 that was a very big hit from china xu jinbing making sure that ball didn't come back he's been one of the most influential players so far five points one but most of those have come from blocking i think she out to serve lovely one-handed set brilliant block from china although lifting called against them which is why the usa was celebrating the point i'll do the call to green to say you're good to play it but it was just a little bit too far out of green's reach as we hit the first technical timeout china in control leading 8-4 here we go okay now huey to serve the 8-4 the usa have got to find their way back into this match pretty quickly here because otherwise it's going to race away from them and it's going to be three nothing for china they've shown glimpses of what they can do but it's certainly china the most consistent so far throughout this match oh it's been giving us out usa believe that was in the referee says it's out there is no challenge system for the sitting volleyball so we can't see whether that ball impacted down on the line it's too quick for the camera not too quick for the lions judge though man to step in and take the serve 5 10. that one just rolled over the net double touch given against the us block from the us but it goes straight down to ground so smith is on jag is off ciao to continue serving at 12-5 well nicely blocked by china the usa need to learn pretty quickly that they can't just go and hit steep angles like they're trying they've got to start aiming for those hands and trying to get block out they haven't done enough of that during the course of this match and you can see that stat 14 blocks to seven for china tells you all you need to know at the moment about the dominance and where it's coming that is off the block is it potentially no the referee says green didn't find a chinese hand as the ball went out of play so that's that block and last time hey a lovely block this time the point's been given to china wow lifting called i think by the second referee on that occasion that's unfortunate for the usa just not given them any opportunity to get any momentum at the moment in this third set combination of china's blocking a few unforced errors and then the lifting calls i think that's the case for everybody shouting yours yours yours and well nobody fancied taking what should have been a relatively straightforward shot just a miscommunication from china ming's wanting to get out to have the hit so he wants someone to give him the ball but no one wanted to get there green to serve 6 15. kept in play but not this time clement unable to get to the back of the court second technical timeout 16-6 china yes foreign foreign the unforced error from china with the serving fault as the second ref called it that's what the second rep is there for to spot those kind of infringements nice play seal trying to go cross court but china had that angle covered and he couldn't just kick that ball back to a teammate a substitution made stuck has come in and uh has gone to the bench keep that ball in play for the usa and still the rally goes on another good dig from the libro and again keeping the ball off of the floor crowd really enjoying this rally it's still china though looking to take the point oh brilliant did he get blocked out the referee says no and it's china who take the point a brilliant rally and just when it looked as if the usa were going to get that point that looked like it caught the fingers the forest will be upset with that that's the best way to respond though for the usa after that long rally and losing the point that comes straight back to take a point themselves and be the forest to serve following through and hitting the net was uh that was an excellent swing from nobody near that one that's looking rather ominous at the moment for the usa and 11 points down which is a big deficit to make up in the third set zhong min to serve obviously kept in with a leg well from one side of the court the other just couldn't quite get the ball under control and that's now back to within 10. for china it's all about their side out game here now if they can keep siding out then there's not much the usa are going to be able to do about it tough serving required well green will take that there's carrie from the chinese contingent green making an impact as soon as he's come back onto this court kramer has gone off vegan to serve and to keep it in play as it comes back to him oh miscommunication in terms of who was where on the us side i think you have a knee in the back oh he's gonna felt that one he's okay he's back on court ready to go listening to the call of angle putting the ball away cross court usa take the ball and the point stop gets ready to go and serve his opponent off balance and core is a huge element in this sport so stuck to serve again at 13-21 oh nicely finished off by green lovely spike back to within seven this is what they need now the usa runner points see whether or not they can affect china psychologically here see if they can get a timeout get china reeling brilliant from kramer great play into the block and away from huey so galvey to serve three points away from the match us hanging on in there and they're doing everything they can to pick up one point after the next exactly what they need to keep doing block out is the way forward for them to serve given against china so us really are closing in and we've got time out called this time by china just what the usa wanted they've got them on the back foot now see if they can close in even further here's one of the longest rallies that we've seen so far in this match incredible agility speed reaction time well here we go again this block from green now keeps it in play smith sets it up can't be finished just too tight in the net towards the net at the end with that set which played right into the hands off china literally with a great block from zhu zhen bing now china have match points well lifting giving against china and hang it on in there there's a carry as it went to try to get that ball in play lifting it not staying not with the volley but right now it's all about china one side out needed well we've that's it that's the result consumer performance from china taking the match by three sets to nothing finishing seventh in the overall standings in a men's sitting volleyball the rio 2016 paralympic games so as the teams shake hands you can't argue with the scoreline china definitely dominated at the net better blocking more composed tougher serving the usa had their moments but it just wasn't enough from them they finished the tournament in eighth place china finishing seventh who go one better than they did in london 2012 where they were beaten by egypt to finish eighth but for both teams a very memorable experience here in rio one that they will not forget in both and how they can improve going forward to that this is how it was done fall off the block and away no one able to cover and china taking the match three nothing usa team's delayed on court having a chat this is the confirmation of the score 25 15 16 and 17