Rodrigo Quiroga Steps Up

Knowing that Conte is recovering from an injury, Quiroga steps up lead his team versus Cuba in a series of friendly matches.

Keep it up BB!

Rodrigo Quiroga, the key of three consecutive victories over Cuba

*By Matias Rosa:

Rodrigo Quiroga, the key of three consecutive victories over Cuba.

Argentina won all the friendly matches against the 2012 World League bronze medalist Cuba in Buenos Aires and the hitter was important in all of them.

Rodrigo Quiroga is on fire. This Saturday was top scorer of Argentina national team with 18 points and became a key player to the new team of Javier Weber in the pre-World League 2013. Before knowing he will not continue as the captain (Luciano De Cecco is the new one), Quiroga was interested to show that he can be in the first line up as the last four years. And he did it.

On Tuesday, Argentina beat 3-1 Cuba in the first friendly match played in Almirante Brown, Buenos Aires. Coach Weber lined up setter De Cecco, opposite Castellani, Solé and Crer as middle blockers; Pablo Bengolea and Federico Pereyra as hitters, covered by Alexis González. Quiroga wait his chance and get 13 points as a replacement.

On Thursday it was the most competitive of the matches: Cuba was winning 2-1 and the local team made an important effort to change in their favor the development In the last sets, Weber inserted Quiroga (another 11 points) to continue unbeaten at home.

On Saturday, Argentina`s line up was different: it starts with young Finoli (setter) and Bruno Romanutti (opposite), Nicolàs Bruno and Quiroga to work in reception and the dùo Solé-Crer in the middle of the net. Facundo Santucci, the new face of Tolouse team, was the lìbero. Rodrigo scored his record: 18 points and Argentina won 3-0.

Looking to the future, it appears that the San Juan´s player has sufficient merit to be in the starting lineup but Weber said that during the World League regular phase will consolidate the team and test some tactical variants. For now, Argentina won three important games against the third best team in the World League 2012 and that enhances their illusions.

Champion´s breakfast for Quiroga before USA

Rodrigo Quiroga showed his favourite breakfast before his first training day of the week. Argentina trains to play against USA in Wichita on Friday.

“Un desayuno bien argentino” (“An authentic argentine breakfast”), twitted the wing spiker of the national team by his account on Monday and quickly his 13 thousands of fans answered this different proposes. He take a picture of his kitchen desk where you can see a cup of coffee and milk, some cookies, spread cheese and traditional milk´s sweet (“dulce de leche” in Argentina)

Quiroga need a lot of energy because is training hard after beating Cuba in three consecutive friendly matches. He has only one target: to win USA team in his FIVB World League debut.

Argentina is going to travel to Wichita, Kansas, next Tuesday and hope to be ready for the challenge: “It’s time for a new phase of a new cycle. We are working hopeful, strong, we want to improve. We have to renew every idea, attitude, start from the first step. Patience is required. Argentina will be a young team that will attempt to represent the country best, improving year by year”, commented Luciano De Cecco in a sport newspaper in Buenos Aires. The setter celebrated on Sunday his 25 th birthday with friends and national team partners.

De Cecco, the new captain, and Quiroga-the last one- plays in the National Team since 8 years when both won the fouth place in Junior World Cup and now will fight over the best way to get to the final stage of the tournament, to be held in Mar del Plata in front of his fans and family.

*Matías Rosa is an Argentine journalist of 33 years who specializes in volleyball since 2001. He worked as press director of the professional team at the University of Buenos Aires and Bolívar, where still in charge. He was elected to be the press aide’s in FIVB Men World Championship 2002, and press director of Challenge 2008 World Cup and 2010 South American Club Championship, among other tournaments. He wrote in the Daily Cronica of Buenos Aires, published the book “Bolivar, the capital of the Argentine Volleyball” which was presented at the FIVB and developed various projects to popularize and spread the sport. In 2010 he was named best National League´s press director. It also works as broadcast and press assesor for the most important TV producer in the country, Ideas del Sur, for a decade.

(images: Romina Sacher)