Korean Air's replacement of foreigners is rather a "handshake," but Heo Soo-bong said, "Russell serve was more scary" [the scene of Cheonan]

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean Air's choice to replace foreign players ahead of the postseason is likely to become a "handshake" (惡手) as a result. Some even say that Kyle Russell (USA), a "ex-foreign player" who left Korean Air, is more threatening than Jose Maso (Cuba), a new foreign player.

Earlier, Korean Air replaced Maso with a foreign player on the 19th of last month, the final day of the regular league. Russell's poor performance in the second half of the season was the reason for the replacement. Although it is not a foreign player replacement that goes against the rules of the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO), some criticized the decision to replace foreign players ahead of the postseason. Hyundai Capital coach Philip Blanc (France) also said, "I don't think it's fair at all. Even in the international volleyball community, player replacement can only be based on medical opinions, he said. "However, it is in accordance with V-League regulations, so we have no choice but to respect it."

In the beginning of the actual championship match (champ match, three wins out of five), there was an effect of replacing foreign players. Maso, who played as a middle blocker, scored 18 points and had a 71.4% attack success rate in the first round of the championship on the 2nd. He recorded 12 fastballs and two blocks. Hyundai Capital had to find countermeasures by experiencing Maso for the first time in the championship. In the second game, Maso also accumulated 15 points (59.1% attack success rate), helping his team win its second consecutive game.

However, as Hyundai Capital finished the analysis quickly, Maso's presence began to decline significantly. In the third game, he scored only seven points (one blocking), and in the fourth game held at Cheonan Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium on the 8th, he also scored 10 points, had a 50% attack success rate and only half of the 12 fastballs. Rather, the "anxious serve" that Korean Air coach Henan Dal Zoto (Brazil) pointed out from the first game continued throughout the championship. Maso's serve mistakes in each game were the most in the team, and a total of 21 serve mistakes in the championship alone.

Naturally, Hyundai Capital players also began to gain more confidence instead of the opponent's foreign player replacement effect. Ahead of the championship match, he said, "I only watched Maso on YouTube. Heo Soo-bong, who was wary of not knowing what kind of style he was, said shortly after Game 4, when asked by reporters, "Which team is more difficult, Korean Air with Russell or Korean Air with Maso?"

Heo Soo-bong said, "Even if the opponent's blocking is good, I can hit it somehow, but Russell's serve had a spin that was not easy to receive even if it was analyzed. "From the team's point of view, I was afraid of Russell's strong serve," he added. This means that the burden of dealing with Korean Air's new foreign player Maso has already been greatly reduced to the extent that Russell's serve, who was a foreign player before Korean Air's replacement, is more burdensome.

Coincidentally, while Korean Air's Maso's presence has decreased significantly, Hyundai Capital won all 3rd and 4th games with complete shutdown wins, bringing the entire championship to 2 wins and 2 losses. Coach Blanc said, "Maso is a central fast forward and Russell is a power-based player, so we can't directly compare him. "The important thing is that we showed that no matter who comes, like the previous games, we can face it," he said, expressing confidence. The two teams will move to Incheon Gyeyang Gymnasium on the 10th and play the final 5th game where the championship is at stake.

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*This content was translated by AI.