Matthew Anderson: I really think more and more about playing in Poland

After two winning parts there was possible that you can repeat the scenario of the match Italia against France - in the third part Italians played almost perfectly. Do you believe to quick that you can win three to zero? 
Not at all. Italians played very good volleyball. Despite the weakening caused by Ivan Zaytsev injury, they are a really team and there isn’t irreplaceable people. It's not like that we quickly believed in winning in three parts. Our rivals play well, served strong, and have more time to get a tight block. I'm glad you survived this part. If we were led to a tie break today's match could end different. 

The Sundays match you started more confident. Did lost with  France motivated you to show your best at the end of playing here in Kraków? 
Certainly we are a bit tired and it affects our attitude on the game. We must remember that we should be confident from the first minute of the game, while not forgetting about positive thinking. Every failure motivates us to act. Lost with France gave us the awareness that if tomorrow rivals will not help us, then on Monday we can be on our way home. After Saturday's match, we had a long and tedious conversation. I believe this helped us today did this. We played much better today than against France. We served hard, we played very variously. Finally, this combination appears in our volley. This is a very long tournament and various games will come. All summer we worked really hard to be the best team in the world. We hope that this will be done in a few weeks.

You are this year's winners of the World League, but start of this tournament was different from what you showed a few months ago. Is the form of American volleyball players did not come too soon?

We talked about this many times. About the expectations from our team, about our form. Success in one tournament will be not the same in the second. Its very hard to maintain optimum form throughout the season. Each team keep going from match to match. Let's look at France, which have had a difficult season, and now is the revelation of these championships. We feel pressure. We have to play our standards, and then everything will go our way.

Matches in group D showed that the representation of the United States can play perfectly and very unstable. What was the key to victory today?
Today the key to win was our energy. Even in the third set, where not everything came out perfectly.  We know who commits the mistakes and try to help each other as best we can. Today, won the complete trust. We felt, when one of us get their day, and play perfectly in each element. Then you get this energy and do your best. 

I ask one thing. Do Americans have a new way to celebrate points scored after a service or a block? Volleyball players standing in a square to spare performed squats, push-ups ...
You see? This is the energy, I was talking about (laughs). They are crazy! I admit that I haven’t seen it, but I heard the applause of fans here at the hall. You can stand in a square to spare, and you're still one of the most important elements of the team.

Now you are moving to Lodz, where you will play against such teams as Poland, Serbia and Argentina. Do you think it will be more difficult to win? The first match you will play against the Polish national team.
Poland is a great team. The world's best. You have a sensational team, Mariusz Wlazły returned and he is a killer on the service. I think it will be one of the most interesting confrontation of these championships. Is it more difficult to win? Definitely! With the support of the fans you are able to beat anyone. We leave Krakow tomorrow and I must say that I will miss this place and the people who create the atmosphere in the hall. I knew that Poland has the best fans in the world, but what these people have shown here, it is indescribable. You are great!

Now the greatest reward awaits for you after the first phase. Two days of rest..
I don’t deny that we waited for these days. We’re moving to Lodz, reset our thoughts, and then focus on next matches. We need to gain new energy which we will need to show their best. 

What can you say about organization of the tournament in Krakow Arena?
Everything is perfectly organized. I actually don’t have to worry about anything, because it is a lot of volunteers always willing to help you. There is no clutter, everything is perfect. Poland should definitely organize more tournaments like this. 

Matches in Krakow Arena showed that Poles love Americans volleyball players. When you played your games, the local audience was almost full. Maybe it's time to change Russian to Polish league?
I really think more and more about playing in Poland. I think that when I have offers from Polish club, I will sit down and consider the possibility. Poland loves volleyball and maybe one day Matt Anderson will be part of it. 

Katarzyna Harhala / www.s-w-o.pl

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