Junior World Championships 2011

    Sorry guys, I was talking about the maerican 15.hehehe Sander. He really impressed me.


    The family from USA boys are all here, and they are really nice and fun people.. :) They talk to everyone, takes pics, really nice. :)


    Today I was also very impressed with number 10 from Russia!!! (Sorry, I dont know the names, I usually dont follow much men volleyball, not junior for sure..hehe...starting now :))


    And its oficial, Brasil Junior team sucks...with all respect to India, they played great, but Brasil team is so apatic! Anyway, it was actually funny to see the Serbian guys supporting India, they looked an organized supporting team. I think they could not believe that was really happening! :) They celebrated so much in the end, looked they had won th championship, it was fun (though Brasil lost).


    I guess the result is fair. The best 4 teams are in semifinals. Good luck for them!

    Speaking about Francisco Ruiz...


    The Flying Spaniard
    In a sport like volleyball dominated mostly by very tall players -both men and women- Francisco Ruiz is the needle in the haystack, the exception that proves the rule. He is the little giant of the 2011 FIVB Men’s Junior World Championship.
    The Spaniard Ruiz is listed as one of the shortest players among all participants in the competition for men under 21 years- old, where the height average is 190 centimeters tall.
    But the size can be misleading when it is about the 1.78 Ruiz, who is currently the top scorer of Team Spain and is positioned in the 11th place among the best point-producers in the tournament.
    Ruiz compensates his shortcomings in terms of size with a spectacular jumping ability that allows him to reach 344 centimeters when he is spiking.
    Francisco never has done special training like weight lifting to increase that skill that comes natural for him.
    “I always used to jump a lot and I never needed to train specifically for that,” Ruiz says. “I am just fortunate to have this virtue.”
    A player since the tender age of 5 participating in kids’ games in his neighborhood, Ruiz started to play organized volleyball when he was 15 for Unicaja Almeria Team in Spain.
    For his coach Francisco Hervás, Ruiz is an example as player and a very important piece of the team.
    “The boys needed to learn how to play with a short player,” Hervás affirms. “Ruiz is the balance of Spain’s team, a brave leader whose size has never stopped him.”
    Ruiz comments he has never faced problems because of his size or experienced inferiority complex when compared to his bigger peers.
    “I hear a lot of jokes, but I never take them bad or as prejudice,” he says.
    His coach and all those who watch him performing as powerful server and attacker and tireless defender, consider that Ruiz has a beautiful future in the sport.
    “I believe only in good players no matter the size,” Hervás said. “And he is a great one. Maybe he will not grow bigger than he is now, but he has room to continue growing as a player.”


    Written by Adriana Maestrelli, senior student of Journalism at Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Parana and participant of the FIVB Program “Young Writers 4 Young Players”
    FIVB

    Pool E
    07-Aug 10:00 Spain - Iran 0-3 (24-26 20-25 23-25) description stats
    07-Aug 16:00 Russia - USA 3-2 (19-25 27-29 25-21 25-17 15-13) description stats



    Pool F
    07-Aug 12:30 Argentina - Serbia 2-3 (26-24 18-25 25-20 10-25 9-15) description stats
    07-Aug 18:30 India - Brazil 3-2 (36-34 22-25 21-25 25-17 16-14) description stats



    Pool G
    07-Aug 10:00 Tunisia - Canada 1-3 (20-25 21-25 25-21 23-25) description stats
    07-Aug 18:30 Egypt - Japan 2-3 (18-25 25-15 25-20 21-25 14-16) description stats



    Pool H
    07-Aug 12:30 Puerto Rico - Belgium 0-3 (22-25 19-25 21-25) description stats
    07-Aug 16:00 Germany - Bulgaria 3-0 (25-23 29-27 26-24) description stats


    Semifinals
    09-Aug Argentina - USA
    09-Aug Russia - Serbia


    Places 5-8
    09-Aug Iran - India
    09-Aug Brazil - Spain


    Places 9-12
    09-Aug Canada - Germany
    09-Aug Belgium - Japan


    Places 13-16
    08-Aug Tunisia - Puerto Rico
    08-Aug Bulgaria - Egypt


    Well India is decent team, playing without much risk and letting their opponents dominate (that means extra risk for opponents). Their victory over Brazil is clear proof Brazil highy overperformed vs Serbia (what clear to all who have watched Brazilian matches in first round) and that they are mediocre team. In first set Indians managed to save 18-23 with nice defense, while in 2nd set Brazil dominated. IMO Serbia deserved their SF spot but it will be very hard vs Russia. Russia won yesterday but they have some weak spots. Argentina is fav vs USA, simply they're better team, with great defense and nice offensive power (Castellani). USA overachived despite they have flying Sanders but you need defense to beat Argentina. Moreover almost all Argentinians using float serve and USA libero will be under huge pressure.


    P.S. No.10 in Russia is Leonid Shchadilov :whistle: he will join Dinamo Moscow first team this season. :teach: also Igor Filipov from Yaroslavich is great MB, best blocker on WCH. Another thing is important regarding Russia. They're without Nikishin, as I remember he was best scorer on last ECH when Russia took gold medal.

    Forgot to mention Iran - India will be great match in classification places 5-8. Iran won yesterday vs Spain, total domination during the match and India are flying high after beating Brazil. :whistle:


    Simon Hirsch recovered for Germans (first opposite, injured during 2nd match in first round I think) and Germans done nice job if you know they're without best scorer from qualification tournament Bergmann, 2nd best scorer Marks and another OH Jankowski.


    Belgium showed some nice matches but what's surprising Deroo isn't their best player here, Francois Lecat is.


    mosi what was score Iran - India on Asian Junior Championship last year?

    About belgian players I think you didn't see them playing.In statistics Lecat is maybe a little better in spiking but on the field it's another thing...Deroo is by far superior ;-) Despite attracting all the block on him, he keeps receiving all the importants balls and scoring without problems...Very impressive player!

    Quote from Thorn

    About belgian players I think you didn't see them playing.In statistics Lecat is maybe a little better in spiking but on the field it's another thing...Deroo is by far superior ;-) Despite attracting all the block on him, he keeps receiving all the importants balls and scoring without problems...Very impressive player!


    There's room for more than one good player: François Lecat (1993) is one year younger than Deroo. He plays on opposite position, while his usual role is outside hitter.
    Coming season, he will play for Maaseik.


    So far, good tournament for Belgium team. First match against Serbia was dissapointing (3-0, never over 20 points I believe), other games pretty consistent.
    Serbia and Iran deserved qualification.


    I read that German team even had to fly in another setter after the injury of their first setter.


    Bulgaria has powerful attackers (Penchev, Jeliazkov), but apparently made way too many errors in game against Belgium (3-1).


    Curious to see how they will perform against Japan: clearly very different style of play.

    Quote

    Bulgaria has powerful attackers (Penchev, Jeliazkov), but apparently made way too many errors in game against Belgium (3-1).

    Here we can argue a lot about the "power" of Zhelyazkov :D

    Quote from YavorD

    Here we can argue a lot about the "power" of Zhelyazkov :D

    That's what they said in the match summary, written by somebody in the Belgian delegation. So, it's not the case?

    Quote from Richard

    That's what they said in the match summary, written by somebody in the Belgian delegation. So, it's not the case?


    He can get very powerful with proper training, but currently I am not impressed by his power. He is not like Tsvetan Sokolov when he was on the same age.

    In fact Lecat had a contract with Tilburg wich was on collaboration with Maaseik and Lecat could train with Maaseik but had to play in Tilburg but this club had financial problems so it collapse and I think Lecat is now free...

    Quote from Richard

    That's what they said in the match summary, written by somebody in the Belgian delegation. So, it's not the case?

    No, it's not the case. The guy is extremely skinny, compared to the Russian or Iranian youngsters he looks like a child in a playground. His technique is very strange, I don't know why they didn't correct it when he was younger, but his spikes are very powerless, it's only a rare case that sometimes he does something more impressive, but overall he is not powerful at all!

    Ramonda is awesome!
    I think I overrated Ivan, I thought he would be an brilliant opposite player, but his performance just now hardly pleased me. He got a really long way to qualify for Argentia NT opp.


    Good job by Sander of USA, however, the whole team made too many horrible errors. It's kinda seemed like USA generously send Argentina to the final.

    Quote from Kaziyski

    Argentina is first finalist on WCH :obey: :drink: with these guys Argentina won't have worries about their NT in the future :whistle: :win:

    Really with these guys Argentina doesn't have to worry about the future. Such an amazing and young players! Bright future in front of this team! :whistle:

    Quote from Martee

    Ramonda is awesome!
    I think I overrated Ivan, I thought he would be an brilliant opposite player, but his performance just now hardly pleased me. He got a really long way to qualify for Argentia NT opp.


    Good job by Sander of USA, however, the whole team made too many horrible errors. It's kinda seemed like USA generously send Argentina to the final.


    well Castellani is quite young so he can't keep same level in every match :whistle:


    btw Russia trashed Serbia :white: impressive game for Filipov and Russian block - 32 blocks in 4 sets :cheesy: :obey: :what: for Serbia only Atanasijević playe, Kovačević totally out of match. But still I rate them as better team than USA :whistle:

    What Russians did tonight to Serbian attackers is a crime in every aspect - 32 kill blocks!!! Igor Filippov alone with 11! I don't know what should happen tomorrow so that Argentina can take the title, this Russian team is invincible! Atanasijevic left pretty much alone versus Russia, Serbia didn't show good teamplay, Kovacevic also disappointed, the comeback to 1-2 was the only thing they could do.