Upset alert! Underdog rallies from behind to win 3-2, Bulgaria overturns the USA, turning the World Championship into a European Championship

On September 26th Beijing time, the men's volleyball World Championship quarterfinals continued. In the final match last night, the world No. 4 USA men's volleyball team caused a huge shock by losing after leading 2-0, dropping three straight sets to suffer a 2-3 defeat against Bulgaria. This stunning comeback eliminated the USA from the semifinals, surprising many. With the USA out, all semifinal spots are now held by European teams, effectively turning the World Championship into a European Championship overnight!

The USA, Olympic champions and ranked fourth globally, entered the tournament as favorites. They dominated the group stage, winning all three matches and dropping only one set, advancing as group leaders to the round of 16. In a tough round of 16 clash, they defeated Slovenia 3-1 to reach the quarterfinals. Bulgaria, ranked 11th, is not considered a top-tier team but showed strong form in this tournament, winning all three group matches with two sets lost, then sweeping Portugal in the round of 16 to advance to the quarters!

Thus, the battle for the quarterfinal spot was between the USA and Bulgaria. Given the USA’s strength, most expected them to advance to the semifinals. However, the USA started strong but faltered, losing three consecutive sets after leading 2-0, suffering a shocking 2-3 defeat to Bulgaria. Let’s take a closer look at this match!

The match began with the USA playing aggressively on offense, dominating the first two sets and securing a 2-0 lead with match point in sight. Just one more set would have sent them to the semifinals. Unexpectedly, Bulgaria refused to give up, stepped up their blocking, and effectively stifled the USA’s attacks. They clawed back the score, reversed the momentum, and ultimately won the match 3-2. The upset elimination of the USA stunned many!

With the USA eliminated, all four semifinalists are European teams: Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, turning the World Championship into a European competition. Compared to Italy and Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria are underdogs who reached the semifinals after many years, making them the dark horses. The upcoming semifinals feature a top-ranked showdown between world No.1 Poland and No.2 Italy—a peak contest where the winner is likely to claim the title. Meanwhile, the two dark horses, Czech Republic and Bulgaria, will battle to see who can continue their Cinderella run. Let’s watch closely!

Written by/Ti Tan Novel