Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 11, 2019 – USA topped the final standings in the men’s Pool B of Tokyo Volleyball Qualification and claimed a spot at the 2020 Olympics. The Americans disappointed the home crowd in Rotterdam with a 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 17-25, 25-21) victory over the Netherlands to finish with a 3-0 win-loss record. Dutchman Nimir Abdel-Aziz was the best scorer of the game with 23 points to his name while Matt Anderson led scoring for USA.
In the last match on the Rotterdam programme, Belgium claimed their first win of the tournament, 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 26-24) over winless Korea. Sam Deroo and Subong Heo scored 20 points each for their respective sides.
Pre-match stats:
Netherlands – United States (August 11, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Netherlands and United States meet for the first time in the last seven world Olympic qualifying campaigns (1996-2020).
• Netherlands have a W11-L9 record against United States in major world level tournaments (Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League, Nations League, Grand Champions Cup).
• United States won their last three world level matches against Netherlands, all in the 2009 World League. The Dutch won the first of four encounters in that tournament.
• United States won all three of their matches versus Netherlands at the Olympic Games: 3-0 in 1964, 3-1 in 1988 and 3-0 in 2004.
Netherlands
• Netherlands followed their 3-2 win over Republic of Korea on Friday with a 3-0 win over Belgium on Saturday.
• Netherlands have laid the foundations for their seventh Olympic Games qualification, and their first since 2004. They were present in 1964 and from 1988 to 2004.
• Nimir Abdel-Aziz scored a team-high 16 points against Republic of Korea on Friday (Thijs ter Horst also 16) and a team-high 21 points against Belgium on Saturday.
• Maarten van Garderen and Thijs ter Horst had three stuff blocks each against Belgium, each one more than all Belgian players combined (2).
United States
• United States beat Belgium 3-1 and Republic of Korea 3-0 in their qualifying group in Rotterdam.
• United States is one of three NOCs to have appeared in the men's tournament in each of the last nine Olympic Games (1984-2016), alongside Italy and Brazil.
• Only Brazil (14) have appeared in more Olympic Games than United States (11). USA won the Olympic gold medal a joint-record three times, alongside Brazil and Soviet Union.
• Aaron Russell (12) was USA's only player reaching double figures in points in the match between United States and Republic of Korea on Saturday.
Korea - Belgium (August 11, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Republic of Korea and Belgium meet for the first time in the last seven world Olympic qualifying campaigns (1996-2020).
• Republic of Korea defeated Belgium 3-2 at the 1956 World Championship, the only meeting between the nations in a major world level tournament.
• Major world level tournaments are: Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League, Nations League, Grand Champions Cup.
Republic of Korea
• Republic of Korea lost against Netherlands (3-2) and against United States (3-0) in Rotterdam.
• Yung-Suk Shin scored a team-high 10 points for Republic of Korea in their defeat against USA on Saturday.
• Against Netherlands on Friday, four players reached double figures in scoring.
• Taekeui Hwang scored Republic of Korea's only serve winner against United States.
Belgium
• Belgium's hopes for a Tokyo 2020 ticket were shattered by a 3-1 defeat against United States and a 3-0 loss against Netherlands.
• Belgium appeared in the Olympic Games only once. In 1968, they finished in eighth place in Mexico City.
• Tomas Rousseaux was Belgium's top scorer in both matches this weekend, with 13 points against United States and nine against Netherlands.
• Pieter Verhees was Belgium's only player with at least one point from attacks (2), blocks (1) and serves (1) on Saturday.
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