2018 Volleyball Nations League (VNL)

  • Am I the only one who forgot how strong Italy is with Zaytsev and Juantorena? It's only been nearly two years since they were not in the Azzuri but I am just not used to them being the favourites in this tournament. :gone:

    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

  • I don't know how Colaci did that save but he did it. :white:

    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

  • I thought Serbia played better with Luburic. They just didn't have a good reception to make a good play.


    This is pracrtically game over for Serbia so it doesn't matter if he goes in to court or not.

    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

  • Wow that took 8 minutes of nothing. :gone:

    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

  • That was it? Serbia shouldn't be hosting if they are just going to play like this again. :rolll:

    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

  • 4/4 attacks by Luburic and he have a much better defense than Atanasijevic... I think we could've seen that more from Grbic. I'm guessing he wants the change but he wanted no blame for the defeat if he benches Atanasijevic for a less famous star like Luburic.


    @scarperta I have to disagree with you on Ivovic. I think he is the most consistent player of Serbia but he certainly can't take over the match like he used to do before.


    Kovacevic is having a bad phase of his international career which makes me believe he should be taking the blame instead of Ivovic.


    About Jovovic... I thought he got injured in Turkey. I know he's not the best setter in the world but considering the reception,block and defense of Serbia...it's difficult to blame Jovovic for the loss, he was almost always on the run for the ball and that's not a great situation for any setter.

    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

    Edited once, last by Rains ().

  • Ivovic carried his team this weekend on his shoulders, 1 player can only do so much if he`s not getting any help.....And he has a great season in Brazil...a lot of times he was carrying Taubate as well especially because Wallace had a really poor season. Maybe we watched different games..


    Uros is so stupid all he does is hit into the block.... same thing Hoag is doing....and is a good thing Lanza is resting and Vetorri will take a break. Because everyone was getting really poor coaching in Trentino this season.


    Katic is not the answer as he spent the whole season on the bench with PGE.


    maybe Petkovic deserves a change...but I don`t think OPP is their problem.


    This team has no chemistry right now... they are not playing with any rhythm and they all seems lost out there, like there`s not a game plan or anything and this falls on Grbic. This is exactly the same way how the Serbian women plays sometimes... They just go out and play like if they are being forced to do so and they don`t play like they are having fun.


    At least almost everyone in that team is good too look at.... Lisinac, Ivovic, Okolic,Buculjevic,Katic,Atanasijevic,Luburic,Marko,Petkovic,Jovovic :mirror:


    but to be fair Brazil and Italy are the 2 strongest teams right now....We gotta wait and see how they will perform against everyone else.
    And this is the Brazil (+Lucarelli) and Italy (+Lanza) that we will see in the WCH...

    Ivovic is shadow of the player that won MVP of World League. One pf the main problems of Serbia is setter. Both setters suck. Jovovic played a terrible season for Arkas, it looks like his tragic performance continues in Serbian NT

  • Germany wasn't half bad. This team could surprise some people.


    Bulgaria needs to work on defense to enter final 6.


    Iran have to toughen their serve pressure to survive the next legs.


    Japan will have troubles against the best teams.


    Australia should probably think about giving their youth some chances.


    South Korea should pay Slovenia some money for taking their slot in the VNL. Go home!


    China is getting there... They just need more experience against the best teams in the world. Not this year though.


    Argentina should use their best team.


    Canada should take it one step at a time. Don't rush it yet.

    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

  • IMO, Iran seemed to peak in 2014, and their form has declined since then. They're at par with the world's best teams that year, but since then they're outclassed. What's a bit puzzling is that it's basically the same group of players these years.


    The best starting line-up of the Iranian team in 2014 is like this:


    Marouf - His consistency has dropped, though he's still a world-class setter.


    Mousavi - I believe his form has gradually dropped due to his age.


    Golami - A short but speedy MB. The weakest link of the starting line-up is now dropped from NT due to discipline reason. I think his replacements since then like Faezi and now Shafiei all contribute more than him on the court.


    Gaemi - A passer who's been struggling in offense. His offense was better in 2014 than the subsequent years. Unfortunately, Iran has no better passers, so he has to stay on the court most of the time.


    Mirzajanpour - The only tall, strong OH from Iran. He used to play consistently very well in 2014, and he survived the challenge of serve reception that year. Since then, he's dropped from the starting line-up as being a bomb in the back court. Ebadipour replaced him with better reception, but he himself is not stable neither.


    Mahmoodi - A skillful opposite but prone to injuries. His prime also stayed in 2014. The opposite position used to be very strong for Iran with both him and Ghafour. After his retirement, Ghafour basically has no backups.


    Zarif - A decent libero. Replaced by Mirandi who I think is at the same level as him.


    I think Iran's decline in form has a lot to deal with Mirzajanpour, and partly Gaemi. Mirzajanpour could take a lot of offensive loads such that the opponents could not focus on Mahmoodi too much, and I don't recall Mirzajanpour was sent off-court by being targeted in reception in 2014. After he's dropped from the starting line-up, Gaemi as a weak spiker had to take more responsibility in offense, that possibly made him stuff-blocked way more often thereafter.


  • Yes perhaps we watcched different matches :lol: Because he is nowhere near to MVP version both in reception and attack

  • Argentina squad for next weekend (at home):


    S: Cavanna, Sánchez
    Opp: Ramos, Lima
    OH: Conte, Poglajen, Lopez, Zanotti, Martínez
    MB: Loser, Sole, Gallego
    L: Danani, Massimino


    Compared to last weekend: Crer, Palacios and Toro are out (for rest). Conte, Poglajen and Sole start playing.
    De Cecco... still on vacation.


  • That was a very good analyze, more or less I agree with you. I have to add for some players specially Mousavi the biggest problem is lack of motivation, they used to fight for every point. they won everything in Asia, they played at the Olympics and had some good results in World Championships, they probably think getting better results is impossible and that's why they are not that motivated.


    Gholami was out last year for disciplinary reasons, Kolakovic invited him this year , but he said no thanks I don't want to play for the NT. same as Mahmoudi, who is not officially retired from the NT But I doubt we will see him again playing for the NT. but yeah I also think we don't miss Gholami, but Mahmoudi is a different story specially because Ghafour is getting weaker and slower. there are two other OPs in Iran's list for the Nations League, both of them 19 years old but talented. I wonder when Kolakovic will start using them. after all I think Iran will lose the next 9 matches away from home.


    I blame previous coaches for this, they used to play with the same group of players for 7-8 years. which exhausted them physically and mentally. I see this year Kolakovic started to add new players to the team, he also has Manavinejad to replace Ghaemi/Mirza in the starting lineup who got injured in his flight from Italy to Iran :lol: (according to himself)