World League 2010

I would take this one point for 3:2 defeat as a success - before the game. But after the match I'm rather pissed off. We could - and should - have won it. Germans won by 3 points against Argentina, so our situation it group got worse. We didn't win 1 point, but lost 2...

a littlebit off-topic: is there a reason why osmany juantorena doesn't play in Cuban national team ?

Because Juantorena was suspended for positive doping test .

Quote from raylight

I am not sure that Poland is theoretically better than Cuba with the full squad and they played without Zagumni and Wlazly

Raylight, when I wrote this: 'Oh come on, everyone can lose with everyone. Doesn't matter if one of
the teams is theoretically better' I didn't mean Poland or Cuba. I wrote it generally. I meant that every team can win or lose with every team...I didn't mean Poland or Cuba And personally I think Cuba may be(is) better than Poland They have soo big potential, they're just insane in attack and serve, if they improve their reception and mentality I think they may dethrone Brazil. They have potential to be the best in the world- no doubt.

Netherlands - Bulgaria 0-3 (19-25, 22-25, 23-25).

A deserved win for Bulgaria. They made much less mistakes and Zhekov, Aleksiev and Salparov made the difference (in general you could see Bulgaria is much more experienced on high international level).

The Dutch team had many chances in third set but they refused to take it due to a lot of mistakes in decisive points.

Avital Selinger was co-commentator and he was very impressed by Aleksiev and especially Zhekov.

On Dutch side Kooistra played a great match again. van Harskamp was in bad shape today (he should play more in middle-attack). In general The Dutch serve was too weak. They need to take more risk tomorrow.

The 0-3 victory in Brasilia was a miracle. We still need to improve a few years to win against teams like Brazil and Bulgaria more than one single match.

We all know very well that Cuba is amazing team with some great players like Wilfredo Leon and captain Roberlandi Simon . They can beat everyone and for this reason every other team hopes Cuba to stay on this form but do not increase their receiving qualty and mentalty because they really can become a new world hegemon in the volleyball.

Great match! It was really interesting to be watched. Amazing performance of the whole team of Bulgaria and especially Aleksiev, Zhekov, Salparov and Nikolov. I'm glad to see our block and serve so steady. The match reminded me of the 'Old School' games and both teams paly exactly the style of volley which I like the most - so powerful and attractive If we continue developing our game the same way I can predict only good things for us.

As for Holland - I really like them and the way they stay on the field, definately one of my favourite teams with very good and athletic players and I expect a lot from them in the very near future. If tomorrow they show the game from the third set we may have problems but still from what I saw today I belive that we will succed to achiev a second win.

btw. Holland were soooo powerful that they twice tried to send the ball into Cosmos - first Dijk and after him Kooy who actually almost did it

A perfect Bulgaria today, but I would fully enjoy this victory only if we repeat the performance tomorrow since we need 6 points! I expect a different home side tomorrow, they played nice, but we did an amazing job, especially in the decisive moments to close the game in 3 sets. I think a second game like this would be very hard to accomplish, but we hope to win again

I have some things to say about our NT, but wanna see first how they will perform tomorrow. We improved every detail in our game compared to the visits in Brazil, but let's wait till tomorrow. Three names to mention in the Dutch NT. First, really impressive Dick Kooy, it was the first complete game I watched with his participation (also watched 2 sets with him in the second game vs. Brazil), he is very young, but he already has a good serve, a really nice attack and a high jump. What he is missing for now are decent reception and strong block, but he has all the time in the world to improve these elements, he really reminds me of Horstink now that he is not playing. I really liked Kooy I was also impressed by Klapwijk, it was the second time I watched him, he has a very unusual way of attacking the ball. Klapwijk almost doesn't jump, but has a great swing and attacks a very fast ball with the left hand, which makes him hard to stop sometimes. Of course, he knows the setter van Harskamp well enough, that's why this combination is so successful. The only serious minus for this guy (apart from the relatively lower attack, I never saw him attack over the block) is the attacking efficiency, it's also a bit lower than what it should be for an opposite, but maybe he had just a worse day. The last name is van Harskamp, I don't wanna say something extraordinary about him, I just think he is not that good for the level of this NT. The only bonus I see is the thunder combinations between the setter and Klapwijk, they played together a lot both in the Dutch league and Noliko and the results are obvious. But the setting position in general is the main problem, in my modest opinion, for this Dutch squad. Otherwise, they have amazing players and great potential. And not to forget the missing Horstink

Btw, what the hell is wrong with the French NT? Yesterday I just mentioned that the Asian teams are worse than ever, and today France lost all the 3 points at home. I watched both games against China, but have no reasonable explanation about what happened today...

After one year away from Nt, today Brazil could count with Dante back on court!!!!It is so nice to see him back!!!!And he did amazing!!!!!!Great match, he is incredible career moment....I dont even wanna know how Bernardinho will make to choose two between Dante, Murilo and Giba..hehehehehe

Also was inside court today Wallace in place of Vissoto, is nice to see that too, cause Wallace for me has great potencial, he can go really high, and he is really powerful but also quite smart kid. We play much faster with him than with Vissotto. IT was his first game starting in NT and he did quite good as well.

But we need urgently the coming back of Serginho to try to win something, Mário Junior is a good libero, but he makes to many mistakes in reception!!!!!!!!!:S

Now will be really hard for the guys, all games away...Europe, Korea then back to Europe, quite tiring too. Hope then can make it...(sorry Bulgaria and Dutch friends...I would like to see you all in fial round as well, but unfortunetly we ended in same groups... )

Pol-Cub 3:0

third set - 25:12 !! Mozdzonek- KING of the block in this third set

Brilliant tactic- thank you Daniel Castelani

Indeed!!!!Polska did very well!!!!!!Congrats guys!!!!!

Everyone did great in the team today.

Poland show that what everybody expect. Poland played other players than one day ago At the most important moment showed "cool head" . It was key to victory but on the other hand Cuba made a lot of mistakes. Cuba used only strong and count on own reach in attack. In Polish team setter Łomacz was definitely better than Żygadło one day ago. Gruszka and Kurek played better than last time. The best player of the match was Marcin Możdżonek with 6 killing blocks and fantastic jump-float serve. Winiarski showed how good technique he has but Michał isn't in the full condition yet.

Young players from Cuba think that can everything. Transgress the other side of the net and think that they can do this. It was good that Winiarski reacted on this and have an argument. Players discussed about this after match.

I don't like Leal behaviour. He haven't respect for the opponent. He thinks that what he do is good

Quote from YavorD

A perfect Bulgaria today, but I would fully enjoy this victory only if we repeat the performance tomorrow since we need 6 points! I expect a different home side tomorrow, they played nice, but we did an amazing job, especially in the decisive moments to close the game in 3 sets. I think a second game like this would be very hard to accomplish, but we hope to win again

I have some things to say about our NT, but wanna see first how they will perform tomorrow. We improved every detail in our game compared to the visits in Brazil, but let's wait till tomorrow. Three names to mention in the Dutch NT. First, really impressive Dick Kooy, it was the first complete game I watched with his participation (also watched 2 sets with him in the second game vs. Brazil), he is very young, but he already has a good serve, a really nice attack and a high jump. What he is missing for now are decent reception and strong block, but he has all the time in the world to improve these elements, he really reminds me of Horstink now that he is not playing. I really liked Kooy I was also impressed by Klapwijk, it was the second time I watched him, he has a very unusual way of attacking the ball. Klapwijk almost doesn't jump, but has a great swing and attacks a very fast ball with the left hand, which makes him hard to stop sometimes. Of course, he knows the setter van Harskamp well enough, that's why this combination is so successful. The only serious minus for this guy (apart from the relatively lower attack, I never saw him attack over the block) is the attacking efficiency, it's also a bit lower than what it should be for an opposite, but maybe he had just a worse day. The last name is van Harskamp, I don't wanna say something extraordinary about him, I just think he is not that good for the level of this NT. The only bonus I see is the thunder combinations between the setter and Klapwijk, they played together a lot both in the Dutch league and Noliko and the results are obvious. But the setting position in general is the main problem, in my modest opinion, for this Dutch squad. Otherwise, they have amazing players and great potential. And not to forget the missing Horstink

Btw, what the hell is wrong with the French NT? Yesterday I just mentioned that the Asian teams are worse than ever, and today France lost all the 3 points at home. I watched both games against China, but have no reasonable explanation about what happened today...

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I share your opinion. Yes, I'm verry happy with Kooy. He is a very promising player. I'm also happy with Klapwijk. Ok, he jumps not that high and is far from worldclass, but at least he harmonises well with van Harskamp and he is better than van Dijk.

The setter-position is our main problem indeed; the weakest point in the team. van Harskamp isn't tall enough and he has just one year experience on international level. After the retirement of Blangé in 2000, the Dutch NT lacks a good setter. It's sad but true. Ok. it's unfair to compare any following setter with Blangé - I mean he was generally known as one of the best setters in the world - but it's a fact that the Dutch NT has to deal with modest setters since his retirement.

Quote from YavorD

It's the third week of the intercontinental round and I already confirmed the impression that the two Asian teams competing in the WL this summer are relatively bad and definitely worse than the level they demonstrated some time ago. Japan is not participating, Korea still hasn't won even a set, and I could watch a very weak China today. Something is wrong with these Asian teams, I sincerely hope they're not preparing some surprises for the World Champs

You can say that again! Asian teams are worst than ever. Luckily China has gain 3 points, beating the French yesterday, but Korea still hasn't gotten any points and it seems very remote for Korea to win any game, any time soon. They won 1st set in yesterday's game with Brazil though.

Japan couldn't take part this time due to the revised rules, and for Koreans, Asian Game, which is kicking off November this year in China, is by far more important than any other international competitions. Since it's the only chance for the Korean players to get exempted from military draft.

If I need to single out one reason why Korean's showing such a terrible performance, I'd like to point out their domestic league's heavy reliance on players bought from abroad, for the last three years.

By the way, the Dutch setter, van Harskamp, definitely, needs to make the best use of the middle players. They've got two world-class middle blockers!!Hope the Dutch pulls off better game today.

4 points won on Cuba away is a very good result and it could have been even better, if we hadn't lost this fourth set in the first match. On Sunday Poland took an advantage on many Cuban mistakes, were serving great and showed real class in block. Totally deserved victory. Now we have 6 games at home. 6 games - 6 wins. It won't be easy, but it is possible.
I think Bulgaria will beat Holland again today...

Quote from SpeedVolleyball

You can say that again! Asian teams are worst than ever. Luckily China has gain 3 points, beating the French yesterday, but Korea still hasn't gotten any points and it seems very remote for Korea to win any game, any time soon. They won 1st set in yesterday's game with Brazil though.

Japan couldn't take part this time due to the revised rules, and for Koreans, Asian Game, which is kicking off November this year in China, is by far more important than any other international competitions. Since it's the only chance for the Korean players to get exempted from military draft.

If I need to single out one reason why Korean's showing such a terrible performance, I'd like to point out their domestic league's heavy reliance on players bought from abroad, for the last three years.

By the way, the Dutch setter, van Harskamp, definitely, needs to make the best use of the middle players. They've got two world-class middle blockers!!Hope the Dutch pulls off better game today.

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Indeed. Today van Harskamp should give more sets to the middle-blockers. Than we have the biggest chance for a victory. Yesterday he didn't give the MB enough sets and that was stupid.

Congratulations to the Polish NT !!! It's a great performance to win 3-0 against Cuba I didn't expect Cubal to lose a match 0-3 in WL this year !!