Finland edged closer to the Round of 16 after fending off a gutsy Korea side in four sets, 25-18, 25-23, 17-25, 25-21, in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Coming off a stunning five-set upset of reigning Olympic champion France, World No. 18 Finland showed composure and quickly recovered from a third-set slip to secure a hard-earned victory, improving to a 2-1 record with six points in Pool C.
The Finns had the chance to secure the first Round of 16 ticket in the group after taking a commanding 2-0 lead, but Korea fought back to claim the third set, keeping the match alive and delaying Finland’s qualification.
Despite Korea’s confidence-boosting third-set win, Finland bounced back in the fourth, with Joonas Jokela and Petteri Tyynismaa leading a 4-0 finishing run that broke the 21-all tie and prevented a fifth-set showdown that could have jeopardized their bid to advance.
“I think today we will just focus on recovering if we advance. Of course, we're going to watch the game and see what happens for us. Now, we did our job in the pool phase, and hopefully our games will continue,” Finland head coach Olli Kunnari said after the win.
Finland will move on to the Round of 16 if Argentina wins in any scoreline, or if France wins in three or four sets.
If France wins in five sets, all three teams would finish with 2-1 records, but France would advance thanks to a superior set ratio. Argentina and Finland would be tied on both points and set ratio, leaving their fate to be decided by point ratio.
“We had a big opportunity to immediately secure a spot in the Round of 16, but after we changed sides, they started to play really well, and we had problems with our serves. But I'm happy that we got the win today,” said Finnish outside hitter Luka Marttila.
Marttila put up a game-high 25 points on 22 attacks and three kill blocks, along with 11 excellent receptions, while Jokela delivered 21 points on 17 attacks, two kill blocks, and two aces for Finland.
Antti Ronkainen contributed 10 points, all from attacks, while Tyynismaa and Severi Savonsalmi added seven and six points, respectively.
On the other hand, Korea fought hard but ultimately finished their first World Championship campaign since 2014 winless in three outings.
Shin Hojin carried the offense with 24 points on 22 attacks, one ace, and one block, along with seven excellent digs.
Jeong Hanyong added 16 points on 13 attacks, two kill blocks, and one ace, while Lim Sungjin scored 13 points in a losing effort.
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