2015 World Cup - Japan - 8/22

    It has been a long time since I wrote in the forum. However, I could not resist anymore when I see this hot discussion.


    What Sidney and Miguel has showed in their last post does not prove anything about the strength of European teams. For the last decade, and most probably for the next one as well, USA, BRA and CHN have been powerhouses of the volleyball world. They have constantly reached to semis in almost every important FIVB tournament. (I don't put Japan among these 3 since they are generally strong in their home soil and does not have constant domination over other powerful teams except in a few tournaments.) Although most of the European teams have not reached medals in OG, they still have very good WCh and WC records (especially RUS, ITA and SRB). It does not mean that they are still not medal contenders and can beat the top 3 teams as we have witnessed before many times. Indeed, Joana also pointed out a crucial issue; the fact about comperatively longer, more challenging and more complicated route of the European teams through OG qualifications, which certainly affects their performance during OG.


    To illustrate my point, I want to make an anology between European NT teams and Italian club teams. Italian club teams are not the medal contender or among the top 4 teams anymore (compared to Eczacıbaşı, Fenerbahçe, Vakıfbank and Dinamo Kazan, in this case they are BRA, USA and CHN of the club level), however Italian clubs still make surprises and their presence adds a lot of value to the CL. More importantly, why Italian league is still the most fun to watch? Due to participating clubs in Serie A has very close levels. Now, the ones who are in favour of having Algeria, Peru, Puerto Rico instead of Italy, Turkey and Netherlands should answer if they would prefer to watch an OG which has many exciting matches with full of surprises, like Italian league, or an OG consisting of only 4-5 very strong teams and 7-8 mediocre/weak teams, such as Turkish league. Since OG is the MOST important and MOST prestigious tournament of volleyball, I would prefer to watch unpredictable matches played by high quality stars. This is not only very important for us, volleyball lovers, but also anybody who would just start to follow volleyball by watching OG. (I know many people who felt in love volleyball after watching some dog-eat-dog matches in previous OG). Thus, having more teams who can beat top teams would be a good idea for volleyball's worldwide reputation and marketing.


    Personally, I enjoy much more while watching Italian league matches than watching Turkish league matches and I believe FIVB should not make a concession to any weak team for the sake of diversity, which can already be provided via WCh or Grand Prix.

    Volleybal has an unnecessarily complicated qualifying system, which is also quite arbitrary and unfair, with ranking lists being used for entry into World Cup, for example - and I say it even though it has favoured Serbia this time.
    Basketball has it much more simple and practical - continental championships are qualifying tournaments at the same time with winners (or finalists) going directly to the Olympics and the following teams (the number depending on the continent) are going to the qualiyfing tournament competing against teams from the whole world.
    Volleyball should have it like that. Let the Netherlands compete against Dominican Republic or Germany against Korea or Puerto Rico against Italy to decide who deserves to play at the Olympics.


    Now even the value and importance of European Championship is being diminished. Imagine if Russia and Serbia qualify for Rio now, they might as well tank the ECh as there's nothing at stake for them anymore there and they've already had a long, exhausting summer.

    Totally agree with Joana.


    Well, If nobody could qualify to the olympic games 2020 from WC 2019, I'd probably boycott the tournament, It's crazy scheduled, causes a lot of bad injuries and tiredness. And I'm not so much entertained by Serbia beating Algeria 25-3 per set or Kenya playing against Algeria.


    I really have no clue what FIVB thinking and Im pretty sure many of you would agree, European Championship which is coming soon is in fact the most interesting volleyball festival, not this WC. Russia and Serbia will probably not make it to Rio through this WC and Europe's spots will be not sufficient, but thats what it is, and we are going to see 25-10 matches due to the sake of diversity. How great is that?

    i have to say, it seems unfair for me that there'll be a maximum of 4 european teams at the olympics. RUS is not likely to qualify here, so if SRB does, then europe has another 3 chances to qualify.


    if SRB doesn't (and CHN and US do), then there'll be only 3 european teams at the olympics. that seems low.


    this system seems really stupid, i just realized, because it's best for PUR for example to finish 3rd (and not 2nd) at NORCECA because going to the last world/intercontinental qualifying tournament will be easier than going to the combined world qual./asian qual. tournament.


    the intercontinental qual. is only 4 teams: african qual. 2nd and 3rd, NORCECA 3rd and CSV 3rd. that's really stupid because those are really low teams. the world qual./asian qual. tournament has much tougher teams. this is totally upside down.


    i don't mind PUR going… but if they finish 2nd in NORCECA (assuming US qualifies now at WC), then they might not qualify at the world qual. tournament; but CUB (finishing 3rd) will have an easy time at the last intercontinental qual.


    same with PER. let's say ARG takes CSV spot. if PER finishes 2nd, they go to the world qual./asian tournament, and they won't qualify because it's too tough. but if they finish 3rd, they go to the easier, last tournament.


    SUPER STUPID.


    i don't mind seeing SRB, TUR,ITA, RUS at olympics, maybe a 5th euro team (BUL? CRO? AZE?) but i don't think it should be only 3.


    if CHN qualifies here, then it seems THA, TPE, KOR will join JPN in the qual. tournament, fighting with 2 euro teams for 3 spots?

    joana, it's true JPN will not have to try too hard against CHN but i also think chances of JPN beating CHN are very low now…


    i'm disappointed DOM lost to KOR, i thought they had a good chance to beat them, but then i also thought DOM would beat JPN and they self-destructed again… anyone watch DOM x KOR? what happened?


    i find this RUS team very boring… no wonder they won't qualify here...

    Yeah, but you should remember that non-european team don't have to worry about qualifications and other things... For example, USA will always play WGP, WCH, OG, cause there is not much to defeat there. European teams not so long ago had WGP qualification tournament, now WCH qualification, ECH qualification, numerous Olympics qualification. It's not that easy with points either, Brazil gets 30 point to ranking for beating Argentina, while Europe champion (lately Russia) has to face Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Nederlands and so on.


    So in general USA and Brazil especially can ignore their continental champs, each qualification tournament, it's all about OG, WCH and WGP and for them it is all.

    Yeah that is true. Look at ECH this year, this will be very interesting tournamte. Rus, Ita, Srb, Tur, Bug, Cro, Ned, Bel.. so many good teams.

    i agree with most of you but imagine you play against Brazil a tough match then you play Algeria ... wouldnt it be some kind of relief for your team to take some rest ? i dont think the teams would want to face all tough opponents but weak opponents instead..even teams like Usa and Brazil too.. :thumbsup:

    I think what Serdar wrote is just perfect.


    Its the Olympics, its the biggest stage you can have for the sport. Yes, you do have to think about quality, imagine an unforgetabble Games, with so many competitive teams...that would call so much attention for the sport. Fans watching every single match...


    Not even telling the qualification system punish many times countries that really invest in the sport.


    EDIT: Just to set my opinion about this...


    I guess what everyone is questioning here is not reallt who qualifies in the end...but how the Qualification system is done....Its unfair. It does not give the same chances for the teams to Qualify.


    I mean, we are all talking about Europeans, but what about this protection that there is with Japan, everytime the Qualification Tournaments being there. And I won't even remember you guys what happened last World Qualification tournament, that they completely stole Germany vacancy in London 2012. The hole thing is just ridiculous.

    well, i just watched DOM x KOR. disappointed DOM didn't win but korean coach made a good move, moving kim hee-jin to OPP and she took a lot of pressure off KYK, contributing many kills. the MBs were yang hyojin and kim suji, but yang landed badly on her foot and was subbed by park jeongah. surprised with the other players, he started lee dayeong as setter but not her twin as OH, instead it was lee soyoung, who i have never heard of. i think lee soyoung was a good addition in passing and also attacking. KYK had some amazing kills and serves. KOR totally out-blocked DOM.


    DOM showed the future with good performance of 17 y.o. jineiry martinez as sub MB, great kills by this player. pri rivera and mambru had a good match too. castillo as usual amazing. anyone know why eve-mejia is not here?


    btw, i did not know KOR coach, lee jungchul, but wow, he's tall and handsome… :D ferhat is very cute but he's like a baby, and lee is more like a daddy. 8)

    i think there are only two teams that maybe shouldn't be here. obviously every continent should have a team here, but i think 2 teams each from CSV (besides BRA) and africa is too many. so instead of PER and ALG, i'd have had TUR, ITA or THA. i think it'd be more competitive.