Modena Futures: The Class Gap and a Lesson for Vietnamese Beach Volleyball

Modena, Italy – On the sand court at Piazza Grande, the score stopped at 21-11, 21-12 in the final. No tie-break, no heart-stopping moment. I don't remember the score, but I remember the stadium lights and the crowd's sighs – when a pair wins too easily, the crowd sighs for the opponent. This was the Beach Pro Tour Futures tournament in Modena, the lowest tier in FIVB's three-level system, below Elite16 and Challenge. Italian pair Gottardi and Orsi Toth had just stepped down from the glory of the Elite16 Hamburg 2026, where they won gold, to compete in a lower-tier event on home soil. They arrived as the No.1 seed, and they left with the title after five wins, losing just one set. In a tournament where the No.2 seed was the Dutch pair van Vegten and de Groot, the champions showed that the class gap is insurmountable by mere effort. Watching throughout, I noticed one thing: Gottardi/Orsi Toth's victory did not come from a moment of genius, but from a smoothly operating system. Their serving was dominant, their reception precise, and especially their blocking left the Dutch pair scoring only 23 points in total across two sets. Meanwhile, van Vegten/de Groot had endured a grueling three-set semifinal against the No.10 seed Puccinelli/Mattavelli, winning 19-21, 21-16, 17-15, before entering the final with drained energy and spirit. But I don't think fatigue was the main reason. When teams face a pair with Elite16 pedigree, they hit an insurmountable wall. Van Vegten/de Groot have three Futures medals this season, but they seem to have hit a ceiling at this level – a ceiling called "Futures syndrome": playing well at the lower tier but lacking the weapons to climb higher. Interestingly, the tournament also saw the debut of Pelloia/Mancinelli, the No.13 seed, as they won the bronze medal. But that medal came after a semifinal loss and a third-place match where their opponents Puccinelli/Mattavelli forfeited for unspecified reasons. A bronze medal without a real match is a blank data point, impossible to assess their level. However, the fact that a newly formed pair could reach the semifinal in their first tournament shows potential, but also reflects the randomness of a lower-tier event when real strong teams have emerged. Five years ago, sitting in the hot seat in Binh Duong analyzing indoor volleyball, I learned that the ball rolls first, the story follows. In Modena, the ball rolled a clear path: class decides everything. Gottardi/Orsi Toth didn't need to prove anything at Futures, yet they came, played, and won. That raises the question: what is their strategy? Accumulate points? Rebuild match rhythm? Or simply a chance to compete at home? I lean toward the hypothesis that they are testing new tactics in a low-pressure environment – a smart strategy from a team already established at a higher level. From my 36-year perspective, this tournament is a lesson for Vietnamese beach volleyball. We often take pride in winning medals at the SEA Games, but the gap between SEA Games and the world stage is a chasm. Vietnam's beach volleyball teams rarely compete in Challenge or Futures events, and when they do, they often stop at the group stage. The difference lies in the development system, in daring to face stronger opponents to improve. Pelloia and Mancinelli, a new pair, reached the semifinal thanks to youthful confidence; but they will soon learn that to progress, they need to face pairs like Gottardi/Orsi Toth every week, not just once in a tournament. What I want to say is: the 21-11, 21-12 final score is not an anomaly, but a truthful reflection of a superior development system. Gottardi/Orsi Toth are not just a talented pair; they are a product of an Italian volleyball system with depth, where domestic and international tournaments are closely linked, where athletes can choose to compete at various tiers to gain experience. Vietnam's beach volleyball head coach Diego Rocha has probably thought about this, but the question is whether we have the courage to change our approach. When the media runs faster than the ball, the storyteller must know when to stop. Today, I stop at one number: 23 total points from the opponent in the final. That is the number of a match where one team played at a completely different level. Vietnamese beach volleyball should look at that number, not to be discouraged, but to understand that to reach the top, we must embrace challenges at the highest peaks. Modena Futures is over, but our journey has just begun. The question is: do we have the courage to step out of our comfort zone? At 52, I realize every court is a universe and every player is trying to find their way home. Gottardi and Orsi Toth have found their way home with the Modena trophy. For us in Vietnamese volleyball, let us begin the journey to find our way to larger universes.