World Championships 2010

If you saw the game between Cuba and Serbia, and especially the 4th set, you probably saw the moment at which Cuba totally lost the game and more or less surrendered - the injury of Joandry Leal. I think he sprained his ankle, at least looked so, and if it's true, he might miss the games till the end of the torurnament.. Of course, we should wait for the news to confirm it, but IMO the replacement Henry Bell is not of the same level anymore. I said anymore because he used to be a great attacker some years ago when he played in Russia, but now the young Leal is much better! I am not sure how much the Cuban team will be affected by the injury of Leal, let's hope he comes back soon enough and there's nothing serious, but without him the power of Cuba against the awaiting opponents Russia and Brazil surely reduces!

Also, I can't say USA wanted to lose tonight's game, there's no proof of that, the only thing we can admit is that this US team is quite far away from the 2008 team. I was just wondering why David Lee came in only in the last third set, he didn't start because of the internationally inexperienced Holt and Holmes and I simply don't get it...

Quote from 6persei

Oh my!! It Seems that in the next round we are going to have another "death group": pool Q with (probably) RUS + BRA + CUB. wow ...

i think maybe one of them(Russia or Brazil) will try to lose their next match to avoid a confrontation in the next round
this only my wildest imagination because of this absurd or very crazy formula

and even they will do it they are doomed to meet in the semifinals..

Quote from YavorD

Also, I can't say USA wanted to lose tonight's game, there's no proof of that, the only thing we can admit is that this US team is quite far away from the 2008 team. I was just wondering why David Lee came in only in the last third set, he didn't start because of the internationally inexperienced Holt and Holmes and I simply don't get it...

Lee is having problems with his back (problem from few days ago)...so probably coach didn't want to force him too much...He didn't play one match at all. He's getting better now

Quote from YavorD

If you saw the game between Cuba and Serbia, and especially the 4th set, you probably saw the moment at which Cuba totally lost the game and more or less surrendered - the injury of Joandry Leal. I think he sprained his ankle, at least looked so, and if it's true, he might miss the games till the end of the torurnament.. Of course, we should wait for the news to confirm it, but IMO the replacement Henry Bell is not of the same level anymore. I said anymore because he used to be a great attacker some years ago when he played in Russia, but now the young Leal is much better! I am not sure how much the Cuban team will be affected by the injury of Leal, let's hope he comes back soon enough and there's nothing serious, but without him the power of Cuba against the awaiting opponents Russia and Brazil surely reduces!

Also, I can't say USA wanted to lose tonight's game, there's no proof of that, the only thing we can admit is that this US team is quite far away from the 2008 team. I was just wondering why David Lee came in only in the last third set, he didn't start because of the internationally inexperienced Holt and Holmes and I simply don't get it...

about ankle injuries it is very easy to predict how bad injury is in slow motion repeat. Leal had luck to land near his teammate so he grabbed him and stopped wrong movement, ankle got only small distortion. So it really wasnt weird when he got back into play after 5-6 minutes. He was warm, it will hurt a little but with proper bandage he will play as nothing has happened. And in addition, he can skip mexico without any circumstances. Injury is smallest it could be, in terms of degree of distortion

Yeah, guys, so little love for Brazil here... hahaha...

Honestly, I was very skeptical about our chances to win this championship. Unfortunately, we don't have the same amount of great players anymore, as we had in 02 and 06. I think we do have two amazing oh's, both probably at the top level of their careers. We have some other very good players too, but not as good as Murilo and Dante. Some haven't developed their whole potential yet, and others, maybe, won't become geniuses, but can at least help us in our tactical system, if they can push themselves over their limits. But today I think Brazil proved that it can win this thing. Specially since our opponents aren't really that scary. So I'm glad about this game. Vissoto improved a lot, I hope he can continue, as well as the whole team.

Quote from yates

Yeah, guys, so little love for Brazil here... hahaha...

Honestly, I was very skeptical about our chances to win this championship. Unfortunately, we don't have the same amount of great players anymore, as we had in 02 and 06. I think we do have two amazing oh's, both probably at the top level of their careers. We have some other very good players too, but not as good as Murilo and Dante. Some haven't developed their whole potential yet, and others, maybe, won't become geniuses, but can at least help us in our tactical system, if they can push themselves over their limits. But today I think Brazil proved that it can win this thing. Specially since our opponents aren't really that scary. So I'm glad about this game. Vissoto improved a lot, I hope he can continue, as well as the whole team.

I agree...and I must add, with all do respect to Mario Junior, and he today indeed played a bit better.....but, how I miss Serginho!!!!!!!!!hehehehehe I imagine how would be our team with him there! Not only Mario is very inconsistent in reception, but he makes very few defenses, and dont know lacks that care Serginho had with perfection in every touch, in every easy ball. But lets hope Mario Jr shut me up till the end..hehehehehe

I'm really disappointed with Poland-Brazil game... Not, because we lost (I supposed that), but because I didn't see any fight.
Generally - Poles playing like that every time against Brazil. No matter, if Brazil is in better or worse shape. I really can't understand it and it makes me very sad Nothing was good in Polish play yesterday. Just nothing. It was obvious from the very beggining, who would win the game. I hate such matches...
Today we have to beat Bulgaria, so we could stay in the tournament. It will be also very difficult. It doesn't matter we used to beat Bulgaria on big events. It may finish soon and Bulgarians will have completely different attitude , than if we have won yesterday. They have psychological advantege, cause we HAVE to win and they will have another chance. If we don't qualify for the next round, we will take very bad place in the tournament. Just like 2007 ECh. But that time it was something really wrong with the team, which was playing bad and Lozano had some problems with players. Now we have been playing much better, but this one terrible game agianst Brazilians migh be deadly for our team...

Czechs have been doing very well, also Germans are close to the next round. I would never expect, that those teams may finish above us in the WCh...

The division of the teams in the two main categories here is just wrong. I can understand the three stage process, but not the distribution of the teams.
The distribution was wrong back in WCH 2006 - Brazil, Italy, France, Cuba, USA, Bulgaria in the one major category, Russia, Poland and Serbia in the other.
It was wrong in ECH 2007 - Poland, Russia, Bulgaria and Italy in the one group, Serbia in the other.
It was wrong in ECH 2009 - Bulgaria, Italy, Serbia, Russia, Netherlands in the one group, Poland and France in the other.
It is wrong here - Italy in the one group, everyone strong - in the other.
In every wrong CH so far a contender from the weaker pool has reached the final beating tired opponent from the stronger pool. Only in WCH 2006 the contender from the stronger pool has become champion. It obvious that this arrangement makes impact on the results of the teams.

Quote from raylight

WCH 2006

Yeah that's because WCH 2006 was the shit!!! That was like my favorite tournament of all time. Such a good level.

Quote from elcioj

Italia couldn't go any further with this bunch of mediocre players.

your bunch of mediocre players, which i admit myself is not strong as brasil or cuba or russia, reached anyway the 5th place in the last world league....
and so i wouldn't say italy is so a mediocre team...
said this, i don't really think we'll win the world cup

I don't think that Italy is a bunch of mediocre players - they are well organized team of good players. May be they don't thave Kazyiski or Giba, but they are still class.

Quote from raylight

I don't think that Italy is a bunch of mediocre players - they are well organized team of good players. May be they don't thave Kazyiski or Giba, but they are still class.

I 'm longing to watch to ITA-GER, for this match would be a very effective test about ITA's real strenght, and would teach all of us the ttruth about ITA's capability to reach the top...
Good Luck Azzurri !!

Quote from mateo

i will NEVER watch Pol-Bra match again. same story ALL OVER AGAIN like a deja vu. scared bunch of players who ccannot realise they ARE good enough to beat Brazil. that's so frustrating to watch , helpless without will .

Agree. Oh my god...we lost this match in our heads before it began I can't stand it....we have abilities to beat everyone, but...sometimes we just...lose matches in our heads... I'm so afraid of today's match...

I think Polish Titanic will sink after meet with Bulgarian Ice Mountain ..

Another Polish drama currently on stage... Losing self-confidence, poor fighting, farewell to the WCH .. Too sad!

Marlon has chances to come back to WCH!

The biopsy showed he has only an inflamation in colon, it is not Crohn disease as they suspected, so has a cure! He is recovering each day now, and he is back trainning with the group. The main problem now it is to recover the physical part, cause he lost 5 quilos from beggining of the tournament till now.

Finally Bulgaria got us. I can't believe we can change situation in this game. We are playing like Norway...

2:0 for Bulgaria. And it would be a miracle if Polish win that game.

it cannot end like this guys...it CANNOT end like this...
fight for god sake