Men's World Grand Champions Cup 2017

  • Le Roux have been given a rest so he can prepare better for hard season in Dynamo Moscow. My impression is that France wont care much about GCC. This is 4th tournament for them in 4 months, players r exhausted and Tillie stated he don't expect bigger improvement comparing to ECH. FIVB calendar is brutal, as well as CEV's, so I expect Tillie will rotate a lot in Japan. GCC is clearly commercial tournament, hard club season is in front of them and WCH is coming next year.


    Brazil is clear cut fav here, really don't see how any team can endanger them.


    tomen


    Tillie said everything is the same comparing to ECH so I think Tillie will stay as L. But who knows? Maybe he will get playing time but after serious operation I dont he can contribute a lot in attack

  • JPN has improved a lot this year. they might surprise someone at this cup. and they're playing at home.


    I agree, that's why I don't think it's impossibile for France and Italy to lose vs Japan (if they don't play well, at least; and that's is happening quite often for both).

  • Lots of youth in in Iran. I wonder what they can do. Sounds promising and the setters are now taller.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • France dint even practice before they left for Japan. I guess Tillie wants to give some ne w players some playing time


    Neither did Italy.
    Rest time sometime is as precious as training: not giving a break to the players after the ECh wouldn't have been that smart imho...
    Anyway, Italy got there a bit earlier to get use to the jet lag and to train.

  • Lots of youth in in Iran. I wonder what they can do. Sounds promising and the setters are now taller.

    only in the wide roster, they are bringing exactly the same old roster without a single change . only without Adel Gholami for disciplinary reasons.


    they were supposed to bring few new players but those younger players were busy this summer with other national teams (U23 and U21) and didn't train with the senior team at all.

  • The french guys are pretty busy playing Pokemon Go. Apparently the game is amazing in Japan. :lol:


    :lol: :lol:


    All the rosters (sorry, in Italian)


    Brasile
    Alzatori: Bruno, Raphael.
    Opposti: Wallace, Renan.
    Centrali: Isac, Otavio, Mauricio Souza, Lucas.
    Martelli: Rodriguinho, Douglas, Lucarelli, Mauricio Borges.
    Liberi: Tiago Brendle, Thales Hoss.
    Allenatore: Renan Dal Zotto.


    Francia
    Alzatori: Toniutti, Brizard.
    Opposti: Patry, Boyer.
    Centrali: Le Goff, Bultor, Chinenyeze.
    Martelli: Clevenot, Lyneel, T. Rossard.
    Liberi: Grebennikov, K. Tillie.
    Allenatore: Laurent Tillie.


    Giappone
    Alzatori: Fukatsu, Fujii
    Opposti: Otake, Dekita.
    Centrali: Yamauchi, Lee, Takahashi
    Martelli: Yanagida, Yamada, Yamamoto, Ishikawa, Onodera.
    Liberi: Ide, Asano.
    Allenatore: Nakagaichi


    Iran
    Alzatori: Salafzoon, Marouf.
    Opposti: Ghafour, Ghara.
    Centrali: Faezi, Mousavi, M. Gholami.
    Martelli: Ebadipour, Ghaemi, Nazari Afshar, Mirzajanpour, Manavinezhad.
    Liberi: Heydari, Marandi.
    Allenatore: Igor Kolakovic (Srb)


    Italia
    Alzatori: Giannelli, Spirito
    Opposti: Vettori, Sabbi
    Centrali: Buti, Piano, Ricci, Mazzone
    Martelli: Lanza, Antonov, Randazzo, Botto
    Liberi: Colaci, Balaso
    Alzatore: Blengini


    Stati Uniti
    Alzatori: K. Shoji, Christenson.
    Opposti: Anderson, Patch, Clark.
    Centrali: Jendryk, Holt, Averill, D. Smith
    Martelli: A. Russell, T. Sander, Jaeschke
    Liberi: Watten, E. Shoji.
    Allenatore: John Speraw.



    Averill is a surprise to me!

  • Is grebennikov injured? What happened with boyer? He’s tentative and missing his killer instinct we witnessed during WL. Even toniutti’s performance is way below his usual level.

  • Is grebennikov injured? What happened with boyer? He’s tentative and missing his killer instinct we witnessed during WL. Even toniutti’s performance is way below his usual level.


    All of them are dead tired. It's impossible to maintain form on a high level for for consecutive months. Today looked better than on ECH but still they've made 23 errors in just 3 sets. Clear proof they're lacking concentration and freshness

  • All of them are dead tired. It's impossible to maintain form on a high level for for consecutive months. Today looked better than on ECH but still they've made 23 errors in just 3 sets. Clear proof they're lacking concentration and freshness

    I was really looking forward for FRA to bounce back from a disappointing finish from ECH. Even without Ngapeth and Le Roux I was still counting on them just like their WL prelims rounds performance. Look at BRA all pumped up and in full battle gear ready to avenge their WL finals loss. Lucarelli and Saatkamp didn't need to unleash their 100%. Though it looked pretty close during the 1st and 2nd sets, the game is a whole is quite a snooze.


    Anyways onto the 2nd game. IRA is in a beast mode. And a 2nd commentator/analyst is at the helm

  • I'm following the live score, Italy with 12 error vs 4 in the first set :aww:
    Little consolation, 4 blocks vs 1...


    I saw the titulars are playing but also Spirito and Sabbi entered the court: as new diagonal or the first ti serve and the second as opp?

  • Sabbi and that damn antenna!!! :wall:
    (I'm trying to watch the end of the sets...)


    Italy was unable to close this set, first 22-20 to 22-22, then several set points not closed, and Iran won his first set point if I recall well...
    (With Iran credits, to be fair!)
    Once we would have done the opposite...

  • Sabbi and that damn antenna!!! :wall:
    (I'm trying to watch the end of the sets...)


    Italy was unable to close this set, first 22-20 to 22-22, then several set points not closed, and Iran won his first set point if I recall well...
    (With Iran credits, to be fair!)
    Once we would have done the opposite...


    That was Lanza who hit the antenna.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • IRI is going nuclear in the middle, especially during transitions. Unstoppable

  • Lol @ piano for not getting a low five back from blengini, and got an ear ful instead. What did he do, or didn’t do?


    Good for sabbi he didn’t choke and delivered 2 impt points during clutch