Men's Olympic Games Test Event

    Quote from J-STAR

    20-24 July 2011
    Can anyone tell me which teams are going to participate in the tournament?. :?:

    A star-studded London 2012 test event featuring the gold and silver medallists from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - the USA and Brazil men's teams will be among those doing battle in a knockout competition that takes place over five days. The quality of the talent on show makes it doubly disappointing that there are no tickets available. However, organisers are currently considering whether it will be possible to donate limited tickets within the local community, so keep an eye out for updates.

    I remember the Netherlands won this tournament in Sydney! But now we will not be invited anymore :(

    Quote from J-STAR

    20-24 July 2011
    Can anyone tell me which teams are going to participate in the tournament?. :?:

    Great Britain, Brazil, USA, Serbia, Egypt and Mexico

    Quote from J-STAR

    Can anyone put me wise about the tourney?. Will it be televised or broadcasted online?. What about the roster of every team?. I'm very curious about team USA!. :?:

    Brazil team from cbv.com


    Setters- Fidele, Daniel e Murilo Radke; os opostos Wallace e Renan; os centrais
    Éder, Gustavão, Isac e Maurício; os OH Thiago Alves, Túlio, Lipe e
    Rogério Mineiro; e o líbero Tiago Brendle

    Serbian team


    KOREKTORI: IVAN MILJKOVIĆ (FENERBAHČE ISTANBUL, TURSKA), SAŠA STAROVIĆ (LATINA, ITALIJA) I TOMISLAV DOKIĆ (SIR PERUĐA, ITALIJA).


    TEHNIČARI: VLADO PETKOVIĆ (ACH VOLEJ BLED, SLOVENIJA) I MIHAJLO MITIĆ (CRVENA ZVEZDA)


    LIBERO: NIKOLA ROSIĆ (FRIDRIHSHAFEN, NEMAČKA).


    BLOKERI: DRAGAN STANKOVIĆ (LUBE MAĆERATA, ITALIJA),
    MARKO PODRAŠČANIN (LUBE MAĆERATA, ITALIJA), BORISLAV PETROVIĆ (VOJVODINA
    NS SEME, NOVI SAD) I MILAN RAŠIĆ (ACH VOLEJ BLED, SLOVENIJA).


    PRIMAČI: NIKOLA KOVAČEVIĆ (LATINA, ITALIJA), MILOŠ
    NIKIĆ (SAN ĐUSTINO, ITALIJA), MILOŠ TERZIĆ (CRVENA ZVEZDA) I MILOŠ VEMIĆ
    (FRIDRIHSHAFEN, NEMAČKA).

    Fixtures


    SERBIA - USA 19.00 (20.00) BRAZIL - EGYPT 15.00 (16.00)
    MEXICO - UNITED KINGDOM 17.00 (18.00)
    2nd ROUND - THURSDAY, 21 JULY:
    SERBIA - UK 19.00 (20.00)
    U.S. - EGYPT 15.00 (16.00)
    BRAZIL - MEXICO 17.00 (18.00)
    3rd ROUND - FRIDAY, 22 JULY:
    SERBIA - EGYPT 15.00 (16.00)
    BRAZIL - UNITED KINGDOM 17.00 (18.00)
    U.S. - MEXICO 19.00 (20.00)
    4th ROUND - SATURDAY, 23 JULY:
    SERBIA - BRAZIL 15.00 (16.00)
    EGYPT - MEXICO 17.00 (18.00)
    USA - UNITED KINGDOM 19.00 (20.00)
    5th ROUND - SUNDAY, 24 JULY:
    SERBIA - MEXICO 11.00 (12.00)
    EGYPT - GREAT BRITAIN 13.00 (14.00)
    BRAZIL - USA 15.00 (16.00)

    Quote from J-STAR

    Can anyone put me wise about the tourney?. Will it be televised or broadcasted online?


    I doubt it, because the event is supposedly "secret". When I say "secret", that is the official line, but everyone here has known about it since April, the GB players have been talking openly about it to everyone both in person and on Facebook, it's on foreign federation websites and the BBC are tweeting on the womens version which has been taking place yesterday and today. Oh and there is this thread :lol:

    What a pity!. Will we be able to follow the matches through live score, at least?. I'm really sad because I have no clue about the roster that has been chosen to represent USA. Too bad, USAV hasn't written a line about that. I am up in arms!. X(

    Thanks for news. Where do you find it?

    Was on the Serbian federations website, with the team list

    U.S. Men’s National Team Roster (FINALLY!)


    No. Name (Position, Height, Hometown, College)
    1. Matt Anderson (OH, 6-10, West Seneca, N.Y., Penn State)
    3. Evan Patak (Opp, 6-8, Pleasanton, Calif., UC Santa Barbara)
    4. David Smith (MB, 6-7, Saugus, Calif., UC Irvine)
    6. Paul Lotman (OH, 6-7, Lakewood, Calif., Long Beach State)
    9. Murphy Troy (Opp, 6-8, St. Louis, Mo., USC)
    10. Riley Salmon (L, 6-6, League City, Texas, Pierce College)
    12. Russell Holmes (MB, 6-8, Fountain Valley, Calif., BYU)
    13. Brian Thornton (S, 6-3, San Clemente, Calif., UC Irvine)
    14. Kevin Hansen (S, 6-5, Newport Beach, Calif., Stanford)
    17. Max Holt (MB, 6-9, Cincinnati, Ohio, Penn State)
    18. Jayson Jablonsky (OH, 6-5, Yorba Linda, Calif., UC Irvine)
    19. Robert Tarr (OH, 6-6, Cape Canaveral, Fla., Long Beach State)


    Riley Salmon playing as a libero sounds a little odd to me. He is a good receiver, but...I don't know. ?(

    Hosts Great Britain sealed a sensational 3-1 (25-15, 25-20, 21-25, 25-23) win over Mexico while Brazil saw off Egypt in straight sets (25-22, 25-23, 25-16) and Serbia beat USA 3-1 (16-25, 25-17, 25-16, 26-24) in the first day of action at the London International Invitational Competition at Earls Court on Monday.


    The event is being held as a test event ahead of next year’s London 2012 Olympic Games.


    Great Britain started the first set rapidly, surging into an early lead as the blocks and spikes of Oluwadamilola Bakare proved significant. Mexico’s Tomas Aguilera struck back with three points but it wasn’t enough as the home side struck the opening blow.


    The second set unfolded along similar lines with four powerful spikes from Bakare and two from Mark McGiven which again saw Great Britain move into the lead. Mexico were adamant not to let a second set slip but they fell behind as the hosts took a 2-0 lead.


    Great Britain’s luck then seemed to run out as a number of errors and excellent play from Mexico’s Pedro Rangel, Samuel Cordova and libero Eduardo Morales saw the Central American side clinch a set back to keep their hopes alive.


    The fourth set was a scrappy affair with a number of unforced errors on both sides of the net. But the reintroduction of the talismanic Bakare, who had sat out most of the third set, proved decisive as he scored six spikes and two blocks. With the score poised at 23-23, it was two spikes from Bakare that saw his side take the set and with it the match.


    Meanwhile, a young Brazil defeated Egypt in their first game of the competition as the experienced African side – which included eight members of their Beijing 2008 Olympic Games squad – could not hold back the current world champions.


    The first set established the tone of the game, with the experienced Wallace De Souza grounding numerous aggressive spikes for Brazil team, while Egypt kept in touch largely thanks to the spiking of Ahmed Abdelhay. Brazil’s libero Tiago Brendle was in impressive form, while Egypt struck back with points from Saleh Youssef. The teams traded points to reach 20-20, before Brazil finally pulled away to take the first set 25-22.


    The second set followed a similar pattern, with De Souza grounding four fine spikes, Eder Carbonera hitting three and Thiago Alves also getting three kills. Egypt’s Abdelhay was the most impressive individual of the set, smashing six spikes, but his team-mates made too many errors as Brazil again edged the set.


    The final set saw Brazil begin to dominate, with De Souza again rampant, hitting five excellent spikes and making a key block as the Egyptians struggled to find a way back into the match.


    Despite Abdelhay’s continued excellence Egypt were visibly tired and eventually fell to the Brazilians.


    The final match of the day saw an almost full strength USA and Serbian side clash in what was a thrilling book end to the day.


    It all looked to be going the American’s way early on in the game as they easily clinched the first set with little difficulty. However Serbia bounced back in the next two sets to shock the US ahead of the fourth set.


    The Olympic champions fought valiantly in the fourth as they felt the match slipping away from them, and eventually the side went down in a nail-biting finish which saw the Serbians slip slightly ahead at 26-24.


    Day two of the tournament will see USA take on Egypt, Mexico face Brazil and hosts Great Britain battle an experienced and tough Serbian side.
    FIVB

    Quote from J-STAR

    What's the good of holding an event that no-one can see?. Fans of volleyball, like me, would love to watch this tournament that seem to be very interesting. Unacceptable!. X(


    I agree. If nobody watches the match, did it really happen?

    got an opportunity to go to this event today, and am also going tomorrow and saturday! today I watched: -


    Egypt v USA - USA won 3-0. Egypt has got their full team. Good play from the opposite and the setter, but not much else. USA controlled the match with brilliant blocking and defence. Their transition game was far too superior. Evan Pattack played well opposite, especially brilliant was his serving. I dont have stats for the match but I suspect he was in the 40s in his attack efficiency. Lambourne and Anderson did a good job on the outside. USA showed great skill in using the block of the Egyptians. Egypt played as normal, andi n the end they made far too many mistakes.



    Brazil v Mexico - Brazil won 3-0. Brazil was far too good for a very young and inexperienced Mexican team. Brazil was superior in every aspect, serving, blocking, attacking etc. Mexico did not score beyond 14 for every set. Thiago Alves was very good for Brazil, along with Eder in the middle - they were my players of the match, and both their serves were very good. Thiago and Wallace (the young Wallace) are the only players to have had anything to do with the national team, the rest of the Brazilian team combines some good players from Superliga - namely Eder and Lipe, and some of the under 21 players.



    Serbia v UK - Serbia won 3-0. Serbia rested some of their A team players (Serbia is the only team in this tournament who brought their full A team. Even Milkovich is here but he is not playing - I didn't see him in the hall). Nikic seemed injured. He received some attention on his knee before the match and he didn't play the whole match. The A team players on court were Podrascanin, Kovacevic, Rasic, Dokic and Terzic. Serbia played well, and were always in control - bu the third set they were down 16-13, then came up to 24 - 23, then it was 24 all, and then they pulled away to win 27-25. Great Britain played well in all areas, but their attacking was too predictable, and in the end the Serbian block caused them to panic at moments. The British team looks better each time, and will now need to play a quicker game which uses all attacking options to play a more dynamic game.



    The teams are not all evenly matched, which means some of the games in the tournament are not really as competitive. Apparently USA V Serbia yesterday was good and Serbia won in 5. The match to watch is Brazil V Serbia, which should be good, as well as Brazil v USA. These teams, even with B teams, still play a style similar to the A teams.


    Hope this helps some wh ocannot go to see these matches. I will look out for where videos from this will be posted, unfortunately I cannot record any of the matches :(