World League 2011

    about italian NT, good point! Actually Berruto's idea was to use three OH, savani-parodi-zaytsev, with no opposite. Parodi was supposed to receive always, Savani (probably) to play as "false" opposite (in fact I was surprised that Zaytsev and not Savani played as OH1, I expected berruto to try both in different matches). Of course that had to change, but for the Olympics (and Olympics qualification) it will probably become effective, if Parodi will ricover well=). But he said in an interwiev that probably he won't play the european league, because even if he is supposed to come back in august, could be stupid to hurry (and play the EL with only 1 month of training after 4-5 month out of the court) :olympia:

    Quote from Konrad


    However, our libero is not "new" ;)


    He plays like new one, like a champion!


    KK15, you mean - European Championship, right? :drink:

    Quote from brahmin

    Japan has been getting blocked so much, 57 blocks by Russia and Bulgaria combined. 4 blocks a set on average.


    Does not leave much margin for error to win with.


    Russia and Bulgaria are the countries with the best block in the world (Brazil are close in recent years, USA too)

    Quote from brahmin

    Japan has been getting blocked so much, 57 blocks by Russia and Bulgaria combined. 4 blocks a set on average.


    Does not leave much margin for error to win with.

    I think Japan had employed a totally wrong tactics :sos: . I haven't watched their matches vs Russia but I guess it was very simmilar with what they've played with Bulgaria. Japan did absolutely nothing to avoid the block, I didn't see any pipes for excample :teach: or any other combinations which is strange! They could have played more tactically wise with the block , like example Spain did with Bulgaria in the last WCH.


    The most hilarious thing was that after the first match Bul - Jap, their captain said that we have won the match, but didn't show them any good arguments for that and said we didn't have a smooth defence for example! Lol! I was shocked of the fact they've somewhat expected us to defeat them with smoother defence! :lol: Like they have never watched a match of Bulgaria and Russia! Defence??? :cheesy: WTF?

    We are good in defense, Nadejda. May be not like USA, Brazil, or Japan, but we are much better than 4-5 years ago. And we did show them great arguments - unstoppable Kaziyski and Bratoev, solid Nikolov

    Quote from raylight

    We are good in defense, Nadejda. May be not like USA, Brazil, or Japan, but we are much better than 4-5 years ago. And we did show them great arguments - unstoppable Kaziyski and Bratoev, solid Nikolov

    Sure but a smooth defence is not the first word that is comming to your mind with teams like Russia and Bulgaria, no? Let alone expecting that to be the great argument of winning a match :lol:

    The second match Brazil - Poland was so freackin' amazing. When I saw Murilo and Gustavo in game together I had to say "Oh my God, thank you!" :cheesy: I love them so much and I didn't see Gustavo for a very long time. I must say that Giba is so weak :down: I don't understand why he plays in basic six. Where the hell is Dante? Murilo + Dante = dream team.
    Our guys were so good yesterday, especially Ignaczak and Kurek and ofcourse Kubiak who I hope will be in basic six from this moment. I like Ruciak but he is worse than he was last year. Ignaczak! Love him love him love him! :heart: He wasn't worse than Sergio at all. They played like equal.


    Argentina. What a nice surprise this team made. I really like Facundo Conte and de Cecco. They are pretty awsome.
    I am so disapointed with Germany. It's a big lost for this team playing without Grozer.
    I was very happy when I saw Mikko Esko in match Serbia - Finland. He is the best. I miss Pasi Hyvarinen. He is a new hope on his position. I like his deffence as well as Ferdinad Tille's. They are both young and they are getting better and better.
    I can't believe that France plays even worse than last year. ?( What happened to them I don't know. Changing players positions was a little shocking last year. Especially when I saw Vadeleux on attack. This year I think that Blain don't have idea how to help his players.
    And in the end I have to say, what a shame that Cuban team is without the best players like Simon and Leal. It ma be an end of this team. Because of situation in country of course. Well... Shame.

    I thought that de Cecco will be play in Skra next year but it didn't work :( I hope in future he will play in Poland.

    Quote from bella

    . I must say that Giba is so weak :down: I don't understand why he plays in basic six. Where the hell is Dante? Murilo + Dante = dream team..

    I agree with you. Giba is not the same anymore. I prefer Dante and Murilo. But Dante arrived a little late in Brazil for this season, so I think he's not 100% yet. Murillo did not play the first and the second match because Jaqueline, his wife, had a pregnancy miscarriage. Well, let's just see who is going to be in the basic six on the next match. =)

    I heard about Jaqueline. It will be a very special baby ;)
    I was a little bit sad because Murilo had offer from Skra Bełchatów and I almost danced from happiness when I heard that he could play in Poland next year. But. He will be father. I hope I will see him one day. But now I wish them so much luck, love and everything :flower:

    "People wait all week for friday, all year for summer, all life for happiness."

    Edited once, last by bella ().

    Hate to be the one who bears the bad news, but I think that Miguel was pointing actually to the fact that Murilo didn't play the first two matches with the guys, in Puerto Rico, cause he and Jaqueline had just lost their baby. So, that's why he was out the first weekend.


    As for Giba, I think at this point unless you're a really die hard Giba fan, you'd agree (most people would, I think) that there's no way for him to be starter in the NT, anymore. He's probably still OH n°3 in terms of quality, but he's really far now from both Murilo and Dante. To tell you the truth, maybe now he might be below João Paulo Bravo. I haven't followed Bravo closely all these recent years where he played in Italy and Turkey, but I know he's a good OH and I think, to say the least, he did a very solid job in these first 4 games. Maybe at this point he's a bit better than Giba.

    I totally agree with you Yates. Actually, Giba is still in NT because of everything he represents: he gives reliability to the newer players and during a long time he was the best brazilian player. But I think his time is gone and Murillo and Dante are much better than him now. I don't know much about JP Bravo either. But I could observe he's a good player technically. Nevertheless, he's not that tall. I think he's not going to stay in the national team for a longer time. Still,Thiago Alves is not in a good phase of his career. So, these are the best options (except for Luiz Felipe Chupita, who could be there instead of Thiago Alves in my opinion). It's a pitty that Samuel had hurt his shoulder. Since that, he could not play like he used to do.

    I've always thought Dante was the best OH/OPP (wing spiker) of Brazil.

    It so sad. I heard about Jaqueline and Murilo today in polish media. I cried after I had heard about it. ;( I didn't understand well your message Miguel about a pregnance. What an unfair life. I wish them to find a consolation and happiness. Show must go on. Murilo is so strong, after this horrible accident he came back to playing and he is still the best.

    so, two rounds are played by the german team and more or less everything went as expected. Two tight matches against bulgaria and two losses to the russians. If the russian team takes it seriously till the end, they should win the group and leave germans and bulgarians battling for the second place.


    Great comeback by Huebner, by the way. :obey: I was really surprised, when i saw him playing. In the regular season he just made FIVE matches and now he shows Böhme and Guenthoer how things are done on international level. Unfortunately his body allows him just one match per weekend. I just hope they watch him well and learn a lot. Without good blocking middles, we will hardly have a chance against the good teams.

    3 points for Germany without Grozer wasn't expected by anyone. Bulgaria is the stronger team in such case

    Quote from raylight

    3 points for Germany without Grozer wasn't expected by anyone. Bulgaria is the stronger team in such case


    Sorry, but who the fuck is Grozer- s just another overrated "high jumper".
    Schöps is like 2 times better and 10 times smarter player.

    Is Gustavo injured and out of the WL?