Tervel Dlagnev defeated Russia's Arslanbek Aliev (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Tervel Dlagnev knew that a tech fall was necessary in order for Team USA to win on criteria over Russia at the 2015 World Cup, but he only found out that his opponent, Arslanbek Aliev, had to also be shut out.
Russia held a 4-3 individual match lead going into 125 kilos, and led 16-13 in classification points. A regular decision gives the winning wrestler three classification points. If the loser also scores in the match, he gets one classification point. A technical fall gives the winter four classification points, but the loser also gets a classification point if he scores during the match.
Dlagnev's 10-0 technical fall gave USA four classification points and Russia no classification points and therefore a 17-16 criteria victory. Had Aliev scored, the classification points would have been tied 17-17 and then the winner would be determined by the next criteria, which is most number of falls. At 86 kilos, Dauren Kurugliev pinned USA's Ed Ruth and that would have made the difference.
The seven matches leading up to 125 kilos were wild and filled with action. At 57 kilos, USA's Tony Ramos rebounded from a loss in Session 1 with an exciting 4-2 win over Omak Syuruun, scoring a takedown late in the second period to secure the win.
At 65 kilos, Brent Metcalf gave up the opening takedown and then rallied to win 13-3 over Akhmed Chakaev.
"When you feel a guy letting up, you take him to the house," Metcalf said in regards to scoring off of multiple gut wrenches.
70 kilos saw two USA challenges in Nick Marable's match with Israil Kasumov. USA won the first protest, but the final, match-deciding scramble was ruled in Kasumov's favor, giving him the 6-4 victory.
Jordan Burrough's 12-0 technical fall over Iakubail Shikhdzhamalov seemed to put USA in the driver's seat, but after Ed Ruth got pinned and 2012 Olympic champ Jake Varner lost 4-0 at 97 kilos, Russia was in the driver's seat. But Dlagnev's dominance that has kept USA's World Cup championship hopes alive heading into Sunday.
USA 4, Russia 4 (USA wins on criteria of 17 classification points to 16)
57 kilos: Tony Ramos (USA) dec. Omak Syuruun (Russia), 4-2
61 kilos: Murshid Mutalimov (Russia) dec. Coleman Scott (USA), 10-1
65 kilos Brent Metcalf (USA) tech. fall Akhmed Chakaev (Russia), 13-3
70 kilos Israil Kasumov (Russia) dec. Nick Marable (USA), 6-4
74 kilos Jordan Burroughs (USA) tech. fall Iakubali Shikhdzhamalov (Russia), 12-0
86 kilos Dauren Kurguliev (Russia) pinned Ed Ruth (USA)
97 kilos Yury Belonovskiy (Russia) dec. Jake Varner (USA), 4-0
125 kilos Tervel Dlagnev (USA) tech. fall Arslanbek Aliev (Russia), 10-0
Team USA overcomes slow start to defeat Cuba
After dropping the first two bouts, victory seemed far from certain for Team USA in the opening meet of the Freestyle World Cup against a strong team from Cuba, which featured 6 world medalists. But USA rallied and won the next six weights to dominate 6-2.
Both Tony Ramos at 57 kilos and Coleman Scott at 61 kilos held 1-0 leads after the first period. But 2014 bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez opened up the scoring and the second period and won by fall over Ramos. Moikel Aontonio Perez Gonzalez followed with an 9-1 win over Scott.
In the third bout, the trend almost looked like it would continue as Brent Metcalf also held a 1-0 lead when Franklin Maren Castillo got in deep in what looked like it would be a scoring takedown. But Metcalf scrambled out of it, pressed the attack and secured a solid 7-2 win. After that moment, it was all Team USA.
Nick Marable won at 70 kilos with a 10-0 technical fall win over Andy Yoan Moreno Gonzalez. One year ago at the 2014 World Cup, Marable made 70 kilos for the first time. After a year at the weight he said "I feel so much better now. I don't feel drained. My legs felt better in the second period than in the first."
Without a doubt, the highlight of the meet was at 86 kilos, where former Penn State standout Ed Ruth met the 2013 and 2014 World Silver Medalist, Reineris Salas Perez. In a wild back and forth bout that saw three lead changes, Ruth wound up winning 22-13. Early in the second period, it was 13-8 Perez, but Ruth seemed to figure him out and went on a 14 point run.
"Adapting during a match is something I'm working on right now every time I wrestle someone different. We don't see these guys all year long, so that's something every wrestler has to deal with."
The win was cemented when California native and 2012 Olympic Champion Jake Varner won 3-0 over Javier Cortina Lacerra. Although Lacerra earned a bronze medal in 2014 while Varner did not place in the world championships, Varner was confident. "I've wrestled him before and won. In 2012 before the Olympics."
USA 6, Cuba 2
57 kilos: Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba) pinned Tony Ramos (USA)
61 kilos: Moikel Antonio Perez Gonzalez (Cuba) dec. Coleman Scott (USA), 9-1
65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 7-2
70 kilos: Nick Marable (USA) tech. fall Andy Yoan Moreno Gonzalez (Cuba), 10-0
74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba), 6-2
86 kilos: Ed Ruth (USA) dec. Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 22-13
97 kilos: Jake Varner (USA) dec. Javier Cortina Lacerra (Cuba), 3-0
125 kilos: Zach Rey (USA) dec. Eduardo Mesa Rabi (Cuba), 3-0
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now