2016 CEV Cup

  • Parts of the golden set reminded me of germany vs. netherlands at ECH. Both teams played as if they both preferred loosing. But in the end, Perugia made it impossible for Moscow to loose......


    Dinamo got away with a really lousy performance. Missed chance for Perugia to build up some confidence for the league.

  • Overall, the game looked very much like the return leg of the 2015 final. Lots of mistakes, the Moscow coach in trance. The positive outcome is - again - vastly a courtesy of the mighty Gods of Volleyball rather than Dinamo. Having said that, that Perugia side-out on the set-ball in the GS was a colossal luck too. The difference vs last year was the quality of the broadcast that well reflects the explosive world-wide interest to CEV Cup. (Strangely enough, Dinamo managed to pack their arena with supporters... or maybe those are growing families of the players?)


    I don't think there was much of a desire to lose this game, although I seriously question the prestige of the competition. Jan-Feb is a very busy time for both teams, which can partially explain why they play poorly. Just checking the Perugia schedule, since 30 Jan they played eight top-level games, of which five were in five sets. The team might have done decent 3k km on their journeys, not counting the Moscow trip. For Dinamo, these numbers are nine games and three five-setters but take a look at their journey routes: Krasnodar-Moscow-Orenburg-Moscow-Nizhnevartovsk-Moscow-Kemerovo-Krasnoyarsk-Moscow. Easily 15k+ of flights in 30 days.

  • We have a Russian derby in one semifinal and Champions League outcasts in the other.


    Knack Roeselare vs. Berlin Recycling Volleys
    Dinamo Moscow vs. Gazprom-Ugra Surgut

  • Berlin is dancing on very thin ice. Kmet, Kromm and de Marchi are injured, that means no subs for OH and MB :white:


    4th set still is open though.....

  • Poor Shoji, no one serves on him, how mean 8)


    Good win for Berlin, far away from any greatness of course. But given the cicumstances, they can build up on this.

  • Good, the meldonium joke has already been delivered. I would have felt cheap..... :wavy:


    But seriously, what is wrong with them? I am just watching a couple of minutes, but body language let me assume that they wished it were already over.....

  • Good, the meldonium joke has already been delivered. I would have felt cheap..... :wavy:


    But seriously, what is wrong with them? I am just watching a couple of minutes, but body language let me assume that they wished it were already over.....

    I wish I had more insight into the Obmochaev case, so I would mention more culturally accepted substances like cocaine or ethanol instead. :)


    All goes towards the GS in Surgut. (The cute thing about Dinamo-Ugra games is that Dinamo players all have a massive "Ugra" logo on their jerseys, an ad for Ugra-Bank.)

  • Cool, Laola forgott the golden set...... :aww:
    Any alternatives?


    EDIT: works again.

  • Mission accomplished. What a messy sad bunch.....


    However, congrats to Surgut :thumbup: (there are probably some google searches on the way right now in Berlin)

  • Mission accomplished. What a messy sad bunch.....


    However, congrats to Surgut :thumbup: (there are probably some google searches on the way right now in Berlin)

    You mean Google maps searches? Surgut by train :). I would check the weather too.

    Whilst the lack of Berezhko was very palpable, Bakun and Rodichev are worth a serious praise. Both look very much like the NT candidates to me. With Bakun scoring 70% (+23) in attack vs Moscow, Butko and Divis are unlikely to get a spot and Max Mikhaylov may spend time pushing the ball basket.

  • I only watched the first two sets of Berlin's match but i have to say that this was the best i have seen them playing this season :thumbup:


    Carroll and Zhukouski stood out and even if you criticise Roeselare's performance, you still have to give a lot of credit to how Berlin showed up yesterday.


    With Surgut and Berlin there are apparantly two teams in the final who are enjoying the competition, so there is nothing in the way of two good final matches. :super:

  • I only watched the first two sets of Berlin's match but i have to say that this was the best i have seen them playing this season :thumbup:


    Carroll and Zhukouski stood out and even if you criticise Roeselare's performance, you still have to give a lot of credit to how Berlin showed up yesterday.


    With Surgut and Berlin there are apparantly two teams in the final who are enjoying the competition, so there is nothing in the way of two good final matches. :super:

    My version is that Knack got totally mesmerised by the team of mature cheerleader sirens in Berlin :)

  • Kühner and Schott on court for Berlin? Thats not a good sign. Anyone else watching?


    Complete demolition now in scond set.... :white:

  • I started watching in the middle of 2nd set. What's the deal with the Russian MBs staring evil through the net after every point of their team? But then, one of them is Apalikov and it's nothing new for him....he looks less fat than before though.


    Just like in the women's final, referees are rubbish. Calling a double touch on a set from Shoji where the ball was rotating a little bit, some rallies later Brdjovic plays a ball waaaaaaaaay worse and the referee lets it pass :wall:

  • Oh, i think i know now, what you mean (lift on Zhukouski). Funny guy, surely he will still deliver some "surpise calls".