2014 FIVB World Championship - Poland - 8/30

Bulgaria aways lose tie breaks with 15-8 or something...If all sets were played to 15 points Bulgria would be a team at the same level like Japan or Puerto Rico

If I remember well Aleksiev missed attack on match point vs 1 blocker or even without block

http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyb…p?Tourn=MWCH2010&Phase=17

Only watched the first set of german match but it seems it went on in a good fashion. Hopefully they arrived now in the tournament. I hope as well, Heynen stays with one-libero-system. Obviously the team is more comfortable with this.

It looks like Cuba was a bit overperforming against Finland as well. It drives me mad to know what a great team this could be if they played with their best players

Quote from TimHH

It looks like Cuba was a bit overperforming against Finland as well. It drives me mad to know what a great team this could be if they played with their best players

My thoughts exactly. This is what I think whenever I see these guys. It really fills me with great sadness/anger that such talented and prospective young people fall victim of a preposterous political system

After loosing two tight sets, Korea is givving up. Finnish fans are having big fun

Crazy Yuan Zhi !

Quote from Ojla

My thoughts exactly. This is what I think whenever I see these guys. It really fills me with great sadness/anger that such talented and prospective young people fall victim of a preposterous political system

uh… what does the political system have to do with how good a team is? regardless of what your politics are, terrible and evil regimes can create great teams, right? i mean, this is the same system that produced 3 straight gold medals in women's VB. not to mention, soviet union (or US or china or GDR or GBR, etc.).

Quote from TimHH

After loosing two tight sets, Korea is givving up. Finnish fans are having big fun

i saw some of this match. weird how at the end the korean coaching staff wouldn't even go over to shake hands with the finns. bizarre.

in the beginning of the match, i thought the KOR counterattack using fast sets to the middle was very impressive.

Quote from ossubtus

uh… what does the political system have to do with how good a team is? regardless of what your politics are, terrible and evil regimes can create great teams, right? i mean, this is the same system that produced 3 straight gold medals in women's VB. not to mention, soviet union (or US or china or GDR or GBR, etc.).

I meant suspensions of top Cuban players. Players who make a big difference for Cuba. I'm not denying the fact that Cubans have made some great results under the exact same system, but it's also banning some great players from playing for their NT and it clearly doesn't infulence Cuban team in a good way.

Tunisian coach is very severe!! the way he shouted at one of the players during the time out sidebar... why do so many passers have problems with Wallace's jump serve? It seems so slow and just easy to pass......

Couldn't watch the game but judging by the stats it was exactly as I thought it would be. Canada won thanks to their block-defense.
Bulgaria is just an average team atm.

This Spiridinov should be punished. Cheeky and unprofessional; he seriously has some problems, doesn't he?

Quote from Agguerro

Tunisian coach is very severe!! the way he shouted at one of the players during the time out sidebar... why do so many passers have problems with Wallace's jump serve? It seems so slow and just easy to pass......

U havent heard Sergey Shlyapnikov, Russian Junior NT coach players on timeout are standing like soldiers while he is shouting out of his mind

meanwhile Russ v Egypt - Again Spiridonov is allowed to get away with anything - not sure if referees are afraid of Russia.....

FIVB Volleyball ‏@FIVBMensWCH 1 hBrazil's Captain Bruno Rezende was injured in the right hand and had to go to the hospital #FIVBMensWCH

What happened?

i watched a little bit of the US x BEL and US x IRN matches. can someone tell me why is muguatutia in there if christenson is not gonna set him? is he there just to pass? most outside sets go to sander and anderson.

Quote from YavorD

On the official Team USA's pages, or at least those with probably more accurate physical data, he is 198 cm (6-6 according to the American foot system). So I think you are right.

thanks. he's listed as 183 cm on the fivb site, which made me think, wow, he's one of the shortest OH in the world.

btw, i don't believe matt anderson is only 202 cm (6' ft 8 ) because he certainly is taller than christenson or even david lee. he must be at least 205cm.

Quote from Kaziyski

If I remember well Aleksiev missed attack on match point vs 1 blocker or even without block

http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyb…p?Tourn=MWCH2010&Phase=17

He missed on an empty net after a great Kaziyski serve, then Cuba (don't remember who of the left-handers did it, either Cepeda or Hernandez) aced the set. It's very harsh to judge a player based on a sole action like this, but I guess there are some moments that are going to stay with Todor Aleksiev even after his career ends, unfortunately.

We've discussed mentality issues many times, as well as Bulgarian fallouts during the years. Just as a note to this game with Cuba at the WCH 2010, Bulgaria didn't surrender back then, played equally well, in my opinion, and eventually lost against a very, very strong Cuban team. Yes, we have issues, now it's not the time to reopen the old box. I couldn't watch the match yesterday, I will download it and probably rewatch it later. I read Konstantinov made some tactical mistakes, probably true, I don't know. However, scratching the team off the Final Six list of favourites is not totally fair yet. Yes, I don't like the way they play right now, I don't quite approve the whole list of 14 players and you might call me an optimist now, but if there's something I trust, it is Konstantinov's judgement, proven right many times. He said he doesn't like the display of his team and before departing to Poland he said he took the risk with the preparation in a way that Bulgaria might be in a better shape for the second phase of the tournament due to the program he chose. Whether it is true and whether it will pay off, we will see. What I will be more pleased to see now is a full-points win over China, as weird as it may sound. In the second round there's Germany, Finland, Cuba or Korea - all teams that could steal/give points from/to Canada. Besides, Canada is a one-man team, Schmitt is not going to make 30 points in every game. There's still a chance Bulgaria makes it, but indeed they will need to show us that the system and the preparation chosen by Konstantinov are both working.