Teams hope to clinch final round spots as week five of FIVB World League begins

(BEIJING, July 10) -- Only one thing is certain about the final round of the FIVB World League: Brazil will be competing for the World League crown. Automatic qualification for the South American hosts means that France, which sits in second place in pool A, joins pool leaders Russia, USA and Poland in prime position to lock up final round spots as the fifth week of the Intercontinental Round kicks off on Friday.

France shares a 6-2 win-loss record with five-time World League champion Brazil at the top of pool A. They will meet on Saturday and Sunday in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Serbia, which sits in third place with a 3-5 record will host Venezuela in Beograd.

In pool B, Russia, the winner of the 2002 World League and the second-place finisher in 2007, is in the top spot with 15 points and a 7-1 record. With Italy just one point behind in the standings, the matches between the teams on Saturday and Sunday in Kazan, Russia, will be crucial in deciding the winner of the pool. Cuba, which has 11 points in third place, will meet the last place team from the Republic of Korea, in Jeonju, the Republic of Korea.

The USA leads pool C with 15 points and a record of 7-1 and will host third-place Spain on Friday and Saturday hoping to move further ahead of Bulgaria, which sits two points back in second place. Bulgaria plays last place Finland on Saturday and Sunday in Varna, Bulgaria.

Only two points separate first place Poland from last place Egypt in pool D, with China and Japan sandwiched in the middle with equal records. A strong weekend from any of the teams could decide the pool. Poland hosts Japan on Friday and Sunday and Egypt hosts China on Friday and Saturday.

The final weekend of the intercontinental round begins on July 18 and the final rounds kicks off on July 23 in Brazil.