Press Release International Baseball Federation, www.ibaf.org
2009 IBAF Baseball World Cup Final Round Team Capsules
POOL F
(SECOND ROUND RECORD VS. REMAINING TEAMS IN PARENTHESIS)
#1 NETHERLANDS (2-1)
How it got here: #1 seed in Pool F. . .faces Chinese Taipei (1-2, #4 Pool G) in Messina on Tuesday. . .finished tied atop Pool F at 6-1 with Cuba and Puerto Rico, finished tied with Puerto Rico in the runs-allowed-to-tied-teams tie-break criterion (seven each, Cuba was eliminated with eight runs allowed), then won the head-to-head tie-breaker against Puerto Rico, having defeated it 5-2 in Round 2. . .enters final round with a 2-1 record (record against other three teams from Pool F to advance). . .received a bye to the second round as a host nation.
Current world rank: 6
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 4th place (two times – 2005, 2007)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (4th place)
#2 PUERTO RICO (2-1)
How it got here: #2 seed in Pool F. . .faces the Canada (1-2, #3 Pool G) in Nettuno on Tuesday. . .finished tied atop Pool F at 6-1 with Cuba and the Netherlands, finished tied with the Netherlands in the runs-allowed-to-tied-teams tie-break criterion (seven each, Cuba was eliminated with eight runs allowed), then lost the head-to-head tie-breaker against the Netherlands, having been defeated by the host nation 5-2 in Round 2. . .enters final round with a 2-1 record (record against other three teams from Pool F to advance). . .finished #2 in Round 1 Pool B in Barcelona at 2-1.
Current world rank: 10
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 1st place (1951)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (8th place)
#3 CUBA (2-1)
How it got here: #3 seed in Pool F. . .faces Australia (1-2, #2 Pool G) in Grosseto on Tuesday. . .finished tied atop Pool F at 6-1 with the Netherlands and Puerto Rico, but lost in the runs-allowed-to-tied-teams tie-break criterion (eight runs, against the Netherlands’ and Puerto Rico’s seven each). . .enters final round with a 2-1 record (record against other three teams from Pool F to advance). . .finished a perfect 3-0 in opening round Pool B competition in Barcelona.
Current world rank: 1
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 1st place (25 times – 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (2nd place)
#4 VENEZUELA (0-3)
How it got here: #4 seed in Pool F. . .faces the United States (3-0, #1 Pool G) in Firenze on Tuesday. . .finished tied with Korea for the #4 seed, but won the head-to-head tie-breaker, having defeated the 2008 Olympic champions, 4-1, in Round 2. . .enters final round with a 0-3 record (record against other three teams from Pool F to advance). . .was the #1 in Pool E after going a perfect 3-0 in Round 1 action in Regensburg, Germany.
Current world rank: 9
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 1st place (three times – 1941, 1944, 1945)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (12th place)
POOL G
#1 UNITED STATES (3-0)
How it got here: #1 seed in Pool G. . .faces Venezuela (0-3, #4 Pool F) in Firenze on Tuesday. . .finished the second round at 7-0. . .enters final round with a 3-0 record (record against other three teams from Pool G to advance. . .was the #2 seed at 2-1 coming out of opening round Pool E in Regensburg, Germany.
Current world rank: 4
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 1st place (three times – 1973, 1974, 2007)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (1st place)
#2 AUSTRALIA (1-2)
How it got here: #2 seed in Pool G. . .faces Cuba (2-1, #3 Pool F) in Grosseto on Tuesday. . .finished the second round at 5-2. . .enters final round with a 1-2 record (record against other three teams from Pool G to advance). . .was second in Round 1 Pool A in Prague at 2-1.
Current world rank: 11
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 6th place (2007)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (6th place)
#3 CANADA (1-2)
How it got here: #3 seed in Pool G. . .faces Puerto Rico (2-1, #2 Pool F) in Nettuno on Tuesday. . .finished the second round at 5-2. . .enters final round with a 1-2 record (record against other three teams from Pool G to advance). . .dominated Pool C in the first round in Sundyberg ( Stockholm), Sweden, going 3-0.
Current world rank: 8
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 5th place (four times – 1974, 1980, 1982, 1988)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (9th place)
#4 CHINESE TAIPEI (1-2)
How it got here: #4 seed in Pool G. . .faces the Netherlands (2-1, #1 Pool F) in Messina on Tuesday. . .finished the second round at 5-2. . . enters final round with 1-2 record (record against other three teams from Pool G to advance). . .came into Round 2 at 1-2 after qualifying in Prague as one of the four-best Round 1 #3 seeds.
Current world rank: 5
Best World Cup result (year(s)): 2nd place (1984)
Most recent World Cup (result): 2007 (8th place)
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