World Cup 2007

  • USA is also going to have a stronger team with the addition of Tom Logan and Stacey Sykora.
    I think there are up to 4 heavy favorites for 3 places: USA, CUBA, BRAZIL and ITALY..... and Poland and Serbia as a nice surprises

  • Quote from "Matthias"

    Most team rosters are on FIVB site...Carolina Albuquerque is not in Brazil team, Ana Tiemi is in her place and Marcelle is back as well. Mari is there too.


    Well, he subscribed those players, but it doesn't mean that they'll travel with the team... Zé Roberto did not choose his 12 players yet.


    Regarding the schedule, it doesn't matter if it gets easier or harder for each team, you have to face them all anyway! Anyway, now that USA has Sykora back... all the teams need to take care 8)

  • Quote from "Matthias"

    Does anyone know why Carolina is not even in this extended roster? Is she injured or did Ze Roberto finally understand that she is not good (my opinion) ? :wink2:


    He finally understood that she's not good and it seems that she's worse than Marcelle right now (my opinion :P)
    She's not injured... I think it's because she did a lousy GP.

  • I think it'll be interesting for you guys to read.
    One of our specialists (commentator of sport channel) in volleyball tried to explain why Russia wasn't given wild card.


    "Three guesses why Russia wasn't given wild card".
    Russia wasn't given wild card like it was in 2003. This time Poland broke the bank.


    From one point of view, to the heck this WC. Yes - World Cup, yes - a prestigious tournament. There are more important: WCH, OG. However, we have high chances to go to OG, we must go there.
    From the other hand, it's a pity for the power: depriving world champions, giving preference to the fourth team of the continent, which we overplayed in bronze medal match. Very strange decision of FIVB. So, why we were not invited to Japan? FIVB head Ruben Acosta scarcely wants to tell us true reasons of such decision, so we'll have to conjecture by ourselves.


    Guess # 1.
    Since Ruben Acosta is a Mexican, we'll start with soap opera. One of the main world volleyball baizes says that from the beginning of the 90s, young and handsome official Acosta was smitten with love for one Russian female volleyball player. But felt in love, being married. Volleyball player, being a person of soviet toughness, refused his proposal. We could put an end to this story but his wife madam Malu Acosta learned about this situation!!! It would be ok if she was just a housewife, making dinners and watching TV shows. But no. Malu Acosta is considered to be the power broker of world volleyball. People say that she takes part in every important decision. Krupskaya and Kolontay in one bottle. Having learned about that situation with Russian beauty, she hated Russian women's volleyball. Since then she unmercifully plays dirty tricks. SINCE THEN WE WERE NOT GIVEN WILD CARDS AT ANY TOURNAMENT. (Sorry he used such letters in this article).
    Such a fairy tale. You can believe or not. By the way, that volleyball player is doing well right now. She's very beautiful. When I was young, I also felt in love with her, but I'm not Ruben Acosta.


    Guess # 2.
    People also say that our volleyball players are beloved in Japan (where WC is always held). So, it comes to mind that Japan TV must choose Russia. This was considered to be a strong point for Russia. All for nothing. Elizaveta Tischenko told me: "It's nonsense. Artamonova was very popular in Japan and may be I, because I played two years there. But now, Japanese don't know our team, except Gamova". (Strange, I thought Sokolova and Godina are also popular in Japan, they have been playing there). "So, Poland is more interesting for them (because it's a new team) than becoming boring Russia". So, Japanese TV has no interest in our team. Minus one point.


    Guess # 3.
    Russia planned to hold one WGP stage in Khabarovsk in 2008 and 2009 years. After a failure in Ankara our federation had to turn down WGP. What for if we're not playing. Of course FIVB disliked such politics. Again Poland has a plus, since they confirmed holding of WGP stage. C'mon Poland, take a patty from a forepart.


    We had a chance to qualify for WC. We had to be in EC final, so as not to depend on other's will. (Last sentence :lol: ). We had to take a patty from a forepart by ourselves without permission, and to eat it as fast as we could, while it's not taken away.


    Phew, it's over))). I tried to translate as close to the original as I could.
    I found some points interesting, especially guess # 1. It's late now, and can't imagine who that player was.


    The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself. (Oscar Wilde).

  • I still can't believe what happened... If I had registered by the day I saw the news about the Wild Cards, I am sure I would had been banned right away, because I would had sweared a lot, and called names everyone at FIVB. But I do hope Acosta dies very painfully...
    Really, I lost total motivation to watch the World Cup. I was very excited about it, counting the days to beat our customers Brazil once again. :lol: This World Cup will be very weak and unexciting without the World Champions and the Olympic Champions. Anyway, I will be cheering for my Serbian brothers - sisters actually. Although it will be hard for them, I will be cheering almost as if they were Russia herself.
    Would be good to see Serbia and Poland as gold and silver medalists respectively. I don't like any other National Team to chose as third place, but maybe the USA, because it is the least bad among the others.
    I suppose nothing can change? :( It's a pity there is nothing Russia can do about it, although I think Russian federation should voice it's revolt and demand some sort of explanation. This is like the biggest scam I have ever seen in any sport, but we shouldn't be surprised, considering FIVB is the worst federation of ANY sport in the world - and I do like all kinds of sports, so I know what I am talking about. It's all about money though, we all know it - that's why Japan is always hosting the championships.
    And by the way, it has nothing to do with going into the Olympic Games or not, because I am sure Russia will qualify. The thing is, the World Cup is the third most important championship there is, and unlike the OG and the WCH, which Russia dominates fully, it only has 1 title - the first one played :roll: This was a good chance to get the second title. Not to mention Russia did not played in the 2003 edition.
    Dom Republic, Kenya, Thiland(!) Peru, Korea(!) and Japan. Such great teams... What's next?
    Damn, I said to myself I would only write one or two lines about the subject, but I see I am still to pissed off about this issue, and I won't stop talking if I let myself be carried away by it.
    Well, I will have to be satisfied with the Men's World Cup. :roll:


    PS: The first guess is pretty funny, but it is hard to believe, but I do think someone in FIVB don't like Russians for some reason. The fact Russia didn't want to go to the WGP 08 - so what, only Brazil cares for this championship anyway - didn't help either.

  • Quote from "Russkii"

    Really, I lost total motivation to watch the World Cup. I was very excited about it, counting the days to beat our customers Brazil once again. :lol: This World Cup will be very weak and unexciting without the World Champions and the Olympic Champions. Anyway, I will be cheering for my Serbian brothers - sisters actually. Although it will be hard for them, I will be cheering almost as if they were Russia herself.
    Would be good to see Serbia and Poland as gold and silver medalists respectively. I don't like any other National Team to chose as third place, but maybe the USA, because it is the least bad among the others.


    Well, I think there might be a few surprises, but I think that Brazil-Italy-Cuba-USA are the favorite for the 3 first places. I'd like that some surprise happened, but I think the medals will go to at least 2 of these teams... I'd like Serbia to get one of the 3 spots for OG :)


    But I don't understand what you mean with the least bad among other teams, because in technique, I'm sure that Brazil and Italy are far away ahead of Serbia and Poland (in my opinion, of course). Maybe you dislike the other teams ;) I think that WC would be important if it was a high-level championship, which (in this edition at least) won't be... At least in my opinion this year's WC will be an upgraded version of Grand Prix... the only incentive is the 3 spots for OG, but as you said and I completely agree, Russia will go to OG anyway...


    But about Brazil being defeated by Russia... I still think that the day Brazil will beat Russia's main team is faaaaaaaaar away... I may be wrong, but I'd put money on it 8) And it seems you don't like them, at all :P

  • Quote

    Well, I think there might be a few surprises, but I think that Brazil-Italy-Cuba-USA are the favorite for the 3 first places. I'd like that some surprise happened, but I think the medals will go to at least 2 of these teams... I'd like Serbia to get one of the 3 spots for OG


    But I don't understand what you mean with the least bad among other teams, because in technique, I'm sure that Brazil and Italy are far away ahead of Serbia and Poland (in my opinion, of course). Maybe you dislike the other teams I think that WC would be important if it was a high-level championship, which (in this edition at least) won't be... At least in my opinion this year's WC will be an upgraded version of Grand Prix... the only incentive is the 3 spots for OG, but as you said and I completely agree, Russia will go to OG anyway...


    But about Brazil being defeated by Russia... I still think that the day Brazil will beat Russia's main team is faaaaaaaaar away... I may be wrong, but I'd put money on it And it seems you don't like them, at all


    Least bad I meant the one I dislike less. :lol: But I am 90% sure Italy and Brazil have their spots assured, as you said, unless something new happens - Brazil seems to be on a descent, but they are still ahead of Poland and Serbia.
    As for the OG, yeah, Russia will go, but WC is very exciting because there are some many matches, I would have a volleyball blast for couple weeks - considering both men and women matches. Plus, some of the rivalries in women volleyball is SO exciting, like Russia vs Brazil - almost kills of heart attack, every time.
    There is also the fact Russia sucked the whole year, and I was expecting to see them playing better, which won't happen. I am also very worried about some aspects of Russian game, like the pseudo setter Akulova.
    So, what do you think will happen first, Russian guys beating Brazil, or Brazilian girls beating Russia? :D
    PS: Yeah, I am not a fan of Brazilian team. ;)

  • Quote from "Russkii"

    Least bad I meant the one I dislike less. :lol: But I am 90% sure Italy and Brazil have their spots assured, as you said, unless something new happens - Brazil seems to be on a descent, but they are still ahead of Poland and Serbia.


    I don't think that Brazil is in a complete descent... I only think that Brazil started playing with their main team in 2005 while other NTs were with "test" teams, so of course Brazil won everything... but now all other teams have evolved, experienced players returned to play, or new talents were discovered, while in Brazilian team only loses players (I don't consider Fofão/Walewska to make a HUGE difference to the team)... So I think Brazil stopped in time while the others are getting better. Anyway, I don't care at all :P
    Honestly I'd reeeeally like that the 1st were USA, 2nd Italy and 3rd Serbia, but I'm not sure it'll happen :wink2:

  • I've heard about guess #1 some time ago and I think the player was Tatiana Gracheva, but I really don't remember where and from who I've heard that so please don't take it for granted :wink2:
    When I read it, this was named as reason for Russia's exclusion from WGP 2005.

  • I know that fans from Russia might be frustrated. It's normal. But I also don't think, that Russia will have any problems to go to OG. This team is good enough to do that.
    And I don't agree that Brazil and Italy are far away ahead of Serbia and Poland. The distance - especially between this three (and Russia) European teams is not so big. It is not impossible for Serbia to beat Italy , but is also not impossible for Poland to beat Russia etc. It is sport, not politics.

    The most important 3:
    POLAND-SZCZECIN-VOLLEYBALL


    5th place - Prediction Game - World League 2011 :D

  • Quote from "LothiePG"


    I don't think that Brazil is in a complete descent... I only think that Brazil started playing with their main team in 2005 while other NTs were with "test" teams, so of course Brazil won everything... but now all other teams have evolved, experienced players returned to play, or new talents were discovered, while in Brazilian team only loses players (I don't consider Fofão/Walewska to make a HUGE difference to the team)... So I think Brazil stopped in time while the others are getting better. Anyway, I don't care at all :P
    Honestly I'd reeeeally like that the 1st were USA, 2nd Italy and 3rd Serbia, but I'm not sure it'll happen :wink2:


    Actually, you are totally right. As a matter of fact, I agree with you 100%. I also think most of the strongest teams in the world were being reconstructed, and Brazil took the opportunity and started to win everything. Their fans couldn't understand that and started to think Brazil was the best in the world, much ahead of the others, when in fact, they didn't have actual competition.
    Since Athens - and even a bit before that - volleyball was underskilled. It only started to pick up recently.
    Anyway, I don't care too, I hope they continue stopped in time. :)

  • Quote from "Konrad"

    And I don't agree that Brazil and Italy are far away ahead of Serbia and Poland. The distance - especially between this three (and Russia) European teams is not so big. It is not impossible for Serbia to beat Italy , but is also not impossible for Poland to beat Russia etc. It is sport, not politics.


    I think Poland can beat Italy, Serbia can beat Russia, and other teams too, but I don't think both teams have regularity to win all the games to be the champion. On the other hand I believe that teams like Russia, China, Italy, Brazil (ok, the 2007 team maybe doesn't) have this regularity.
    Maybe within some time and more training they'll be real trouble to the actual champions, but by now in tournament like that I think experience counts a lot more than the will to win, because the will, all the teams have :wink2:
    But that is just my point of view, I hope I'm wrong because I'd like to see a more competitive championship :wink2:

  • Yes, I think that regualrity is one of the biggest problems of Poland and Serbia...

    The most important 3:
    POLAND-SZCZECIN-VOLLEYBALL


    5th place - Prediction Game - World League 2011 :D

  • Quote from "WIELKI_ZNAWCA_PIERWSZY"

    Yes it's true.


    Here you have got Italian roster and others:
    http://www.fivb.org/EN/volleyb…RN=WWC2007&TEAM=ITA&sm=37


    We can see Pycia, Frątczak and Śliwa back in Polish NT.
    Still we don't know will Świeniwicz play at WC.


    But I see 18 players on this roster... won't them bring only 12? :wink2: