2014 FIVB World Championship - Italy - 9/23

  • Not sure yet if I'm a big fan of this system. It means that the 3rd ranked teams of 2nd round still have a chance to reach the final, but it means again more matches for the teams...


    Yes, this system is crazy. Best teams will have to play 13 games in 18 days! It's just too much for anyone!

  • Christina not French ? What is that bad joke ?
    Norvegian mother and ... French father ; near Strasbourg it's true, so close to Germany, but if you want to awake old nationalist monsters, go on with this silly topic X(
    I just add that Jean-Luc Bauer was a professional volleyball player :rolleyes:


    Are there many other Alsaciennes in the French team? Because she's not the only one with a German-sounding surname, like in Alsace...


  • You get me now? I don't like it when they change nationality just for volleyball


    Yes I got it) Still I can't understand why are you so convienced that Aguero hasn't change her nationality just for volleyball, but really it's ok, let's get it over with. :drink:

  • Maybe I choose wrong words.. What I wanted to say was Calderon wouldn't get Russian citizenship if the club did not need her to play as Russian, so that's why I don't think she should play for Russian NT. Same for any other player for ex. If Dani Scott, who had or still has a Brazilian husband and plays in Brazil for so many years, gets citizenship just so she can play as Brazilian in her club and the club can hire one more foreigner I don't think she should play for Brazilian NT... You get me now? I don't like it when they change nationality just for volleyball

    I think you chose bad examples. First of all, as far as I know Calderon still plays as Cuban in Krasnodar. Second, the players you mention do/would have a "real" connection to their new country if they'd choose to change nationality, even if it's mainly for volleyball. What I meant when I originally said that I don't like it when players change nationality just for volleyball was the situation of Mammadova and Rahimova who as far as I know had no connection at all to Azerbaijan and are only there to play volleyball. Mammadova played in Ukraine Junior NT as Natalya Skazka, I don't know the details how she ended up playing for Azerbaijan but she has no Azeri husband or anything like that as far as I know.
    Another example is Croatia NT from the 90s that had several former Soviet players (Kirillova, Sidorenko, Chebukina, Likhtenchtein), and at that time there was no limit yet as it exists now. I remember reading that Croatia qualified to 2000 Olympics with 4 naturalized players in the team, and then FIVB made the law that only one player who played for another NT before may play, so for the Olympics the coach had to choose one naturalized player and it was Chebukina.


    But just to make it clear: in general, I have no problem at all with naturalized players in teams. I just find it sad when there are countries who found their NT on the basis of them...

  • I think it is a bit complicated to talk about naturalized players in europe, especially in balcan region and east europe, because we generally don't know exaclty what are their roots, Mihajlovic, and Kosheleva are exemple, they was born abroad but their ethinicity are from Russia and Servia ( considering what people say on internet ) but in these case i don't think they should be considered foreign, now players like Mammadova-Skazka i do not agree because she changed her nationality only on purpose to succeed internationally whilst her suceed she should pursue on CLUB LEVEL.


    But we live in an globalized world so one player naturalized is acceptable, what shouldn't apply is this rule of have played or not in senior level, what does it change ? It's is unfair seeing Azerbaijan with Mammadova, Rahimova and Aghayeva, and Russia for exemple due to Goncharova selection avoided to count on Maryukhnich ( not that it would happend, but just an exemple ).

  • I'm so sorry for Poland and Czech Republic! Belgium played great yesterday, Van Hecke was really unstoppable. it is a pity that so many good teams and players won't partecipate, but this is it. I think it is time for Poland to make a big change, of course they won't have big results immediately but young girls have to gain experience (like the italian ones).

  • Korea defeated by Kazakhstan was definitely greater surprise because Belgium is playing on good level :thumbup:


    well, that's the problem with these playoffs where qualification depends on just one match or the luck of the draw (like turkey drawing romania as its toughest opponent, but poland getting belgium).


    i have to say, maybe what was really surprising was korea in london, before that, nobody would have predicted them finishing in the top 4, right?

  • It's visible that many Ukrainian players choose to play for another country (Mammadova, V.Goncharova, Obmochaeva, Liktoras, Krivets...). I've read an interesting interview with Maria Liktoras and she said that quitting her homeland wasn't very painful for her. She was born in 1975 when UKR didn't exist as a country. She doesn't have an emotional connection with UKR as she was born in Soviet Union. As for Poland Liktoras stated that she spent many years in Polish league and only Poland gave her proper conditions for development as a player.



    Now Masza lives in Poland and is politically active. She was even elected to city council. :D

  • Someone calculated it some pages back. The African and NORCECA qualifiers haven't been played yet, and in the past only the top 3 teams in every pool have been drawn using this serpentine system and the other 3 by drawing of lots. So the groups as above are probably not true...


    I did it, but in the past top 4 team were seeded by serpentine system and last two were drawn. First 3 of each pool except Group D is correct (Instead of Crotia it will be either Kenia or Algeria) New system might be good to keep third of each groups final hope alive however too many matches on top level means too many injury risk :S

  • when Kazakhistan beat S.Korea, Was Kim Yeon on the court ?
    i thought S.KOrea was some kind of stable team.seems not...


    Korea team doesn't want to qualify, they are the host of 2014 Asia Games, which is about the same time with WCH.

    Lloyd + Naz + Wołosz + Hanke + Smutná + Mori
    Bokan + Zakrievskaja + Bricio + Vilponen + Jupïter + A.Lazić + Stepanova + Marković
    Onyejekwe + N.Dimitrova + Crkoňová + de Kruijf + Truškina + Thibeault + Omelčenko + Schauss
    Rourke + Bošković + Fabris + Kajalina + Collar + Simić + Miklai + Vasilantonaki
    Courtois + Venegas + Gaído + Castillo + Gómez + Kiselyova

  • Not a surprise that Poland was eliminated...


    Poland is a team with old players that played their better years a long time ago.


    There is not quality in that team and thing will get worse for them, before they get better.

  • Not a surprise that Poland was eliminated...


    Poland is a team with old players that played their better years a long time ago.


    There is not quality in that team and thing will get worse for them, before they get better.


    those aged players still could have took Poland to WcH 14.. but seems there was some problems in the team such as : insufficient preparation,missing chemistry,motivation etc. im only sorry/sad for polish users here and the supporters in Atlas Arena..