'Leo Class-MVP class Heo Soo-bong-Blanc Leadership' 4th place → Short-term winner, Hyundai Capital became the strongest team
'Leo Class-MVP class Heo Soo-bong-Blanc Leadership' 4th place → Short-term winner, Hyundai Capital became the strongest team
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Perhaps, the result was foreseen. With Korea's best ace Huh Soo-bong (27) and top foreign player Leonardo Leiva Martinez (35) showing synergy, and coach Philip Blanc (65) showing leadership, Hyundai Capital has become a team that no one can stop.
Hyundai Capital beat Seoul Woori Card by a set score of 3-1 (25-27, 25-23, 25-18, 25-21) in the men's fifth round of the Dodram 2024-2025 V-League at Jangchung Gymnasium in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 22nd.
Hyundai Capital, which added three points, secured the top spot in the regular league early, regardless of the results of the remaining six regular league games, by widening the gap with second-place copyright (57 points) with 26 wins and four losses and 76 points.
It is significant that the team stopped copyright from winning the title for the fourth consecutive time. Hyundai Capital won its sixth regular season title in seven years since the 2017-2018 season. In addition, it added significance by winning the title in the shortest period of time. Hyundai Capital is the first in history to clinch the title in the fifth round.
Lucky started even before the season. The winner of the draft for foreign players was copyright, which took the top spot. Even though only five out of 140 lottery balls were included, he achieved the top prize lucky by performing a miracle of 0.36 percent.
However, copyright chose Yosvani Hernandez (registered name Yosvani), and Hyundai Capital, which had the second-place opportunity, chose Leo without delay.
Leo is not short of age, but he is a foreigner who has boasted a great class in the domestic league. Standing 206 centimeters tall and still boasting a strong spike, Leo flew much in the Hyundai Capital uniform for the first time in seven seasons of the V-League. He ranks second in scoring (584 points), fourth in overall attack (success rate), first in open attack (46.5 percent), second in quick open attack (60.66%), third in rear attack (57.06 percent), and second in serve (0.38 per set), making him at the top of most attack indicators.
His synergy with Heo Soo-bong, Korea's top player, has made Leo shine even more. Heo is an outside hitter who is responsible for Hyundai Capital's offense, and is exerting more power this season. He has already surpassed 500 points (501 points) in 30 matches, and his attack success rate is 54.5 percent, an all-time high. His attack efficiency reaches a career-high 39.9 percent.
It is hard to find an opponent among Korean players. He is displaying the strongest capacity in the league by ranking fourth in scores, third in attack overall, fifth in open attack (40.43 percent), third in quick open attack (60.42%), second in rear attack (61.31 percent), and first in serve (0.389 per set).
After confirming the regular league championship, Huh Soo-bong said, "Until last season, we didn't have a good teamwork and confidence," but added, "This season, I think I can win against all teams from the KOVO Cup. Thanks to my mindset, I was able to win a lot of hard games and win the championship."
Heo Soo-bong, who experienced the championship seven years ago, in his second year, is now aiming to win the title again as the team's flagship striker. "At that time, it was good to see the older players play, and it was great to go in and score once by once," he said. "Now there is the flow of the game or something to be responsible for. I am focusing more and many of my teammates helped me, so I was able to quickly rank first in the regular league."
Wearing the captain's armband also boosted his personal skills. It was possible thanks to his helpers. "Actually, I felt a lot of pressure at first. Minho Choi and Seongmin helped me a lot, so I put down the burden," Huh said. "As I was captain, I had many juniors, so I decided to take one step further and work hard. Then, I showed good performance in some areas."
Heo is considered a candidate for MVP of the regular season, and Heo said, "A lot of people talk about it, but I don't have any personal greed. We all did well to win the championship, and we won first place, so I hope we can play in our team (laughs). I think Leo can win."
Blanc's leadership cannot be explained except for Blanc's leadership, which he had foreseen for a long time by winning 16 consecutive games. After serving as coach of the Italian and French leagues, Blanc had high reputation as a leader as he also served as coach of the French and Japanese teams. Notably, he led the Japanese national team to a bronze medal at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, leading the Japanese volleyball team to a medal at the world championships for the first time in 46 years.
Taking the helm after Choi Tae-woong ahead of this season, he showed off his outstanding leadership by bringing in Hwang Seung-bin through trade cards and successfully nurturing middle blocker Jung Tae-joon. Shin Feng also played his part in the Asian quarter and utilized Jeon Kwang-in, who has good reception, in the right place.
Above all, the most commendable point is that there is no injury to the main players. Most of the teams are not fully operational due to injuries, and Hyundai Capital was able to reach the championship for the shortest period of time without major injuries. It was because of Blanc's thorough management of the team.
"The most important moment was when I won the KOVO Cup. It was my first unexpected success and it gave positive impression to the team," Blanc said after the match. "It was also important to establish training methods suitable for the team through training."
The championship game begins on April 1. The main players were given more than a month to take enough rest, although they should maintain their sense of play. This is a factor that further increases Hyundai Capital's overall chances of winning the championship.
"Since we have seven fixed players, we need to rest for our main players as well as other players as well," Blanc said. "If we prepare for the championship, we can make a big mistake. The priority will be on team development rather than victory. As a leader, we will prepare programs to improve our players." 토토사이트
Nevertheless, everyone knows that rest will be the biggest weapon.