Francis Tonleu and Heiko Wiesenthal owned the court in Germany’s straight-set (25-16, 31-29, 25-19) victory over Brazil at the Paris 2024 men’s sitting volleyball competition at North Paris Arena on Friday,
Tonleu was unstoppable on the attack, racking up 14 points, with 12 coming from relentless spikes that Brazil struggled to defend against. Wiesenthal was equally imposing, contributing 14 points, including five critical blocks that shut down Brazil’s offence. Despite Diogo Reboucas’ effort of 13 points for Brazil.
The set opened with Germany capitalising on Brazil’s errors, quickly jumping to a 7-0 lead, with Torben Schiewe’s serves proving difficult for Brazil to handle. Despite Brazil calling a timeout to regroup, Germany continued their dominance, with Alexander Schiffler and Juergen Schrapp leading in both attack and defence. Brazil managed to break Germany’s momentum briefly, with Daniel Yoshizawa’s precise setting and Luis Fabiano de Oliveira’s attacks providing some resistance.
However, Germany’s disciplined play, highlighted by effective blocks from Tonleu and consistent serving from Thomas Renger, kept Brazil at a distance. Brazil attempted a late surge, but continued errors, including serve faults and reception mistakes, hindered their efforts. The set concluded with Schiffler securing the final point, giving Germany a 25-16 victory and putting Brazil on the back foot as they head into the second set.
The second set was a fiercely contested battle that saw multiple shifts in momentum. Both teams traded points in the early stages, with Brazil initially keeping pace on strong attacks from Fabiano and precise setting by Daniel. Germany, however, capitalised on Brazil’s errors and pulled ahead midway through the set, led by Wiesenthal’s consistent serves and Renger’s powerful attacks. The set became a game of nerves as Brazil fought back to level the score at 23-23, forcing Germany into a timeout.
The final points of the set were a tense affair, with both teams displaying remarkable resilience. Brazil briefly took the lead at 29-28, but crucial errors in attack allowed Germany to claw back. A final error from Diogo handed Germany the set at 31-29, despite Brazil’s valiant effort to close the gap. This result places Germany in a strong position as they move into the third set, with Brazil needing to regain their composure to stay in the match.
In the third set, Germany started strong, with Tonleu leading the charge in attack and Wiesenthal providing consistent serves that put Brazil on the back foot. Brazil struggled to maintain momentum, with early errors allowing their rivals to take a 6-2 lead. Despite some moments of resistance from the South Americans, including solid setting by Daniel and effective attacking from Fabiano, Germany’s disciplined play kept them ahead throughout the set.
Brazil managed to close the gap to 18-18 at one point, due to some strong defensive plays and capitalising on Germany’s mistakes. However, the Europeans quickly regained control, with Tonleu continuing to find gaps in Brazil’s defence. The set ended with Brazil committing crucial errors in the final moments, allowing Germany to close it out at 25-19.
Photo: WPV/Sinisa Kanizaj.
