Personal views on almost all teams

    well, since there isnt much new threads after the world cup for discussion, i decide to add some interesting views on almost every teams in the international spot, especially at the approach of the very important new season :)


    so, i will start from the world cup last year--which seems a very long time ago already---but the impressive italians stuck in the heads of all the volley fans


    its unstoppable streak of winning is the most impressive of all when italy lost only two sets to the serbians. still aguero and Gioli really stands out, so, any teams should look out for this two


    as usual, i guess russia this year will cause great trouble to this italian team, as i can see that borodakova is already back--- she played so wel in the last set when she stuffed 3 points at the beginning of the final set in the qualification game against poland


    also, andrushko is definitely the next gamova on court; since kulikova did not play so brightly, i guess there is still chance to artamonova to come back, cos her reception and offensive capabilities are there even though she is in her 33 years old :teach:


    after the world cup, i think guimaraes should decide whether he needed to re-called Marianne cos she is strong enough; in the world cup, once again, it proved me right to say that Paula is better than Jac, who was stuffed and stuffed :^ please give marianne another chance

    Hi colossus! Interesting topic! :)


    Italy was really impressive last year!! You can't imagine how happy I was watching them! But my question is, will they be able to keep that level also this year? Aguero was really on fire and Gioli scored points as a spiker. But don't forget the defence and the very good reception by Cardullo and Del Core. The attacks and the blocks of Barazza, the sets of Lo Bianco and Ferretti ... All it worked. I think the team was very united, because all of the players played very good.


    Russia is improving from the bad 2007. We've seen them in better form at the Qual.Tournament. Gamova's powerful jump serves and spikes are back. Borodakova is ready to be back on court as well. Probably they need a major help in defence and reception (Sokolova and Artamonova) and a more precise setting. It would be great if both Artamonova and Tichtenko are back, but unfortunately Tichtchenko doesn't play anymore. I hope that Godina heals soon and that we will be able to see her amazing serves. Hope the Ace Queen is back.


    Serbia is a young and interesting team. But the coach must call back Spasojevic, Krsmanovic, Tomasevic and Eric (or Golubovic). You need also experienced players at the Olympics, not 16 years old girls. Brakocevic has to be the opposite of the team and Djerisilo has to return an OH. I've seen the stats of Vicenza in 04/05 and 05/06 and Djerisilo always received. I don't understand why she wants to play opposite. Brakocevic is more useful as OPP and Ivana has to understand she is more useful as OH.


    Poland. They have a great coach, who really did a lot for Italian NT and now is doing good to Poland. He took Dziekiewicz and Sadurek to NT and they both were good surprises. Poland won for the first time against China, that was a good achievement. Skowronska is doing good job as OPP, she is far more useful in that position. Podolec too improved a lot from 2006. She improved in spiking, receiving and serving.

    thx sanba for your keen reponse :)


    Undoubtedly, samba, serbian trio is the new rising force in europe since 2006. there is no doubt they will succeed in the quali tournament in japan. the only worry is that serbia is not used to the quick play of japan and brazil


    as for Italy, the greatnes of this team is that they have strong reserves---Eliza Togut and Anzanello, and other less significant players


    i cant imagine if aguero plays outside hitter and Togut as Opposite, italy will have two powerful attackers to rely on, plus Gioli and Barazza to block


    as for the russian team, i guess it would be hard to Tichenko to find the way back to the NT cos Merkulova and Borodakova have occupy the blocker positions, her quick balls will only be in memory now :(


    i dont know if i am correct or not, poland seems to use rosner as a sub cos poodolec and glinka and skowronska are the new trio of the team----look, two best scorers in this team, so poland can be very offensive, two times european championship, once beat the italian team in GP


    as for usa, Lang Ping has recruited a number of new players as well as veteran players--seems to me that she wants to further improve the reception of the team---strong teams need to keep watch ^^


    as for brazil, mm, this brazilian team is so quick and so good that it has almost surpass the days when Hilma and Moser played in the NT ----any brazil fans have any updates on the Br azilian team or Marianne ????

    Quote from colossus

    as for brazil, mm, this brazilian team is so quick and so good that it has almost surpass the days when Hilma and Moser played in the NT ----any brazil fans have any updates on the Br azilian team or Marianne ????

    This week Zé gave an interview and said some things:
    He gives as certain Fofão, but mentioned that Paula, Jaqueline and Walewska are in great shape, then most likely they'll be on the team. He has doubts on the middle blockers and opposite, because he wants players that can play in more than one position. And he also has not very much idea who will be the second setter, but most likely Carolina.
    About Mari, he only said that she needs to understand how serious is to be with the National team, and to have discipline and will to practice.

    Quote from LothiePG


    This week Zé gave an interview and said some things:
    He gives as certain Fofão, but mentioned that Paula, Jaqueline and Walewska are in great shape, then most likely they'll be on the team. He has doubts on the middle blockers and opposite, because he wants players that can play in more than one position. And he also has not very much idea who will be the second setter, but most likely Carolina.
    About Mari, he only said that she needs to understand how serious is to be with the National team, and to have discipline and will to practice.


    wow, it seems quite a problems that he said mari had to understand how serious to be with the team and DISCIPLINE, oooopp, sounds like Ze Roberto has given up on her


    i think Jac and Paula are very important to his team cos she shared reception responsibility, naturally ze would keep them


    as for the MBs, is he trying to replace one of the players, Walewska, Fabiana, Thaiza???


    but the opposite, seems Sheilla is one of the better players thru-out the world cup tournament, so, he is trying to find a new sub


    im also interested in how he will use pareira, will she be the new opposite ???

    by Pereira you mean Natália? I'm not sure he's going to take her.
    he also mentioned Valeskinha and Renatinha as possibilities. I don't think he trusts Thaísa enough and most certainly won't take Carol.
    Sheilla is a good opposite but she's only one... still not enough for the team.
    He said also he'll use the Grand Prix to test some players then after it he picks the 12 that will be in Beijing.

    Quote from LothiePG

    by Pereira you mean Natália? I'm not sure he's going to take her.
    he also mentioned Valeskinha and Renatinha as possibilities. I don't think he trusts Thaísa enough and most certainly won't take Carol.
    Sheilla is a good opposite but she's only one... still not enough for the team.
    He said also he'll use the Grand Prix to test some players then after it he picks the 12 that will be in Beijing.


    oh, i see, but i never saw him use natalia, he didnt give her a chance, maybe this gp?


    so, he is looking for a much more powerful player for opposite,


    if he is going to try sth new, we have wait it out ^^

    Jaqueline, Paula, Erika, Walewska and Valeskinha are all excellent receivers and defenders. So Ze could even have Waleska and Valeskinha help in reception and defence.


    The problem is attack. He has to find the ones who are in the best shape. The best attacker last year was Paula.


    I'll say Fofao as setter. Fernandinha as second setter (she is doing a good job in Santeramo). Sheilla and Mari as OPP. Paula, Jaqueline, Erika, Valeskinha as OH. Walewska, Fabiana and Thaisa as MB. And Fabi as libero.


    Keeping in mind that: Mari can play as OH, Valeskinha can play as MB and Walewska as receiving MB.


    In this way Brazil will be a team with a lot of flexibile players.

    Quote from colossus

    Just heard that barazza injured herself in the team?


    any updates?


    Unfortunately her injury is very bad. She has to stop for three months. Barazza and Gioli is the best blocking couple Italy has. There are Anzanello, Guiggi, Paggi, Mello and Leggeri, but Gioli&Barazza are my favourite.


    If Togut returns to play as she played in 2002, she and Aguero together on fire will be WOW to watch!!!

    ' as usual, i guess russia this year will cause great trouble to this italian team, as i can see that borodakova is already back'


    But Sokolova hasnt played well recently.
    Would that weaken the Russian team?

    since russia will nt participate in this years GP, i guess italy will meet russia in OG preliminaries


    Borodakova is just back, so, just watch out, cos her blocking helps a lot to russia ^^


    as some unknown source said guimaraes wants to use waleskinha


    i just saw some matches in which waleskinha played----she is an amzing jumper, her hands are completely up above the net when blocking !!! though she is onlty 180cm tall


    and the reason why roberto still wants her is her speedy attack ---obviously Ze wants to increase the attack speed --- she is so much faster than other middle blockers

    since cuba is trying out new blood in china, maybe i give an update on this
    cuba surprisingly uses 5 players will jump serve ---- this is really powerful, carrillo, sanchez, barros, santos, and silie
    they almost destroy the chinese reception


    1st, beautiful barros plays hitter most of the time except carrillo is at the left wing and she is in the middle; barros is really amazing cos she is very stable, compared with carcacess


    2nd, the new setter is quite good and she really adjusts tactics according to the levels of the game, she varies her sets smartly


    3rd, mesa is back, and the cubans seem to have an easier task of playing as reception improves
    don't know if calderon can play in the starting line up though ^