2012 Olympic Games

  • IMO, USA is a really strong team, but they aren't perfect like everyone is saying here and around the world hahaha. Yesterday, Davis showed that she's not good at receive, and Berg sometimes get lost and makes a bad distribution. Brazil, Russia and Italy can beat them.


    About Brazil, I was so sad yesterday with my team's match against Turkey. We played terrible, Sheilla didn't worked and Fernandinha didn't showed why Ze choose her for the olympics in Fabiola's place. She insisted A LOT with the OH's, and the OH's were not playing well. Thaisa and Fabiana did not receive balls, and our middle blockers are so strong and important for the overview of the game. I hope that Ze makes the team play better against USA because we can't lost this match! :)


    I don't think fernandinha played bad, how could she work with the central with such a bad reception? and all the times she left the OH with single block, the problem is that the OH wans't attacking well. I think her bigger mistake was to don't give more balls to sheila

  • IMO Jaqueline should never be in the starting lineup :whistle:


    This would be wonderful. Please, Santa, make it happen.


    Although I like her very much she proved that she shouldn't be starter, maybe in next matches she'll play better :roll:


    We've been waiting for years for that happen. I'm kinda done with her.


    By the way, about Turkey: I see people complaining about Motta letting Neslihan out of court in the 5th set (which I agree), I see people debating about Naz and the setters (didn't think it was such a key thing in this match, but overall thought she did a good job, could've worked with Toksoy more), I see people talking about Neriman (thought she started very good, but as the match progressed, her level sunk), and I see people talking about the liberos (I actually thought the reception libero was not very good). What I don't see is people talking about Gözde, and that makes me quite suprised.


    I expected her to be Turkey's weakest link, at least in attack. Not what happened. She played with such consistency, at times she was scoring easier than Neslihan and Neriman, overall good match in serve and reception. To me, she was the star of Turkey team yesterday and I really don't get why Motta took her out (he should've replaced Neriman with Gumus, instead. - I actually thought he really shot his own foot a couple of times.) Am I alone in this one? No love for Gözde?

  • One person said USA is perfect team not everyone ;) We all know that the Olympics are different than the WGP and there is no perfect team.

  • One person said USA is perfect team not everyone ;) We all know that the Olympics are different than the WGP and there is no perfect team.


    And if that one person was me, I said they would be perfect with a better libero ;) But I agree that there is no absolute perfection...but their strength is that they commit few errors, for example Logan Tom usually has a very low % in attack all over the summer, but the ball always stays in play and USA makes the points somewhere else eventually.

  • about the team's jerseys, there weren't too many changes in usa, Russia, and Japan's jerseys. Serbia's jersey is the most elegant. Love the richness of the blue color. China and DR's shirts look good too. Brazil's jersey looks too simple to my taste while Italy with those gold-wing-like design looks off to me.


  • And if that one person was me, I said they would be perfect with a better libero ;) But I agree that there is no absolute perfection...but their strength is that they commit few errors, for example Logan Tom usually has a very low % in attack all over the summer, but the ball always stays in play and USA makes the points somewhere else eventually.


    I think USA can be in danger facing teams with good block-out players, since their blockers gets up early with high hands in the block. Esp. Kim used that very, very effective yesterday, but also some other korean players. Obviously its very hard to hit over USA´s high block, so 2 be very good using block-outs is almost neccesary to beat them. Sokolova was at least before the best block-out player I know, I hope if they face them, she can show that ability again.

  • Excited for USA-Brazil tomorrow! Its going to be fun! :box:

    "[size=8]It's years and years of work and sacrifice and dedication. Along with a lot of these girls, we've sweat and we've bled and we've cried together in past Olympics. It just brought tears to my eyes, & I'm more than thrilled. This will be forever." -LOGAN MAILE LEI TOM (Silver Medallist - 2008 Beijing & 2012 London Olympic Games, 2011 World Cup runner up, 2003 & 2007 World Cup 3rd place, 2002 World Champs runner up, 4-time World GrandPrix Champs)

  • There's just too much hate for Team USA on this forum! :whistle: Just kidding!


    But anyway, I still think USA is one of the most polished teams playing in London right now. They'll be tough to beat if they sort out those inconsistencies.

    "[size=8]It's years and years of work and sacrifice and dedication. Along with a lot of these girls, we've sweat and we've bled and we've cried together in past Olympics. It just brought tears to my eyes, & I'm more than thrilled. This will be forever." -LOGAN MAILE LEI TOM (Silver Medallist - 2008 Beijing & 2012 London Olympic Games, 2011 World Cup runner up, 2003 & 2007 World Cup 3rd place, 2002 World Champs runner up, 4-time World GrandPrix Champs)

  • Gozde is the secret weapon of turkish team we generally forget to mention her but she is really important part of this team even her role is more crucial than Neslihan's she attacks,recieves in a deep line to help Neriman and also digging as effective as a libero so i totally agree with you :win: This year she reached to her top form and i think she is NOW even better than most of complete OHs as quality of volleyball.

    2010/2011 Eczacıbaşı VitrA - Turkish Cup Winner :cup:
    2011/2012 Eczacıbaşı VitrA - Super Cup Winner :cup:

  • Gozde is the secret weapon of turkish team we generally forget to mention her but she is really important part of this team even her role is more crucial than Neslihan's she attacks,recieves in a deep line to help Neriman and also digging as effective as a libero so i totally agree with you :win: This year she reached to her top form and i think she is NOW even better than most of complete OHs as quality of volleyball.


    I agree with you guys (and also the BBC-commentator) about Gozde: she was best Turkish player in yesterday's match :win:

  • me i don't for me it was neriman who was the best player :lol:

  • I don't think fernandinha played bad, how could she work with the central with such a bad reception? and all the times she left the OH with single block, the problem is that the OH wans't attacking well. I think her bigger mistake was to don't give more balls to sheila


    I respect your opinion, but if you watch the game again, you can see that Brazil had a good reception in some parts of the game, mainly in the 1st and 3rd sets, and Fernandinha prefered to set to the OH's, with a higher ball... Jaqueline is a good attacker, but she needs to receive a fast ball, and


    Fernandinha didn't set to Thaisa and Fabiana, and when she did, did badly. She's better than what she showed yesterday.


  • For me Esra did better job than her, especially in the most critical points she score, So I was happy that she is substituted by Esra. Another point about Gözde is that she is too dependant on a spesific kind of fast and short set which is generally hard to do in the case of bad reception, for example, Esra is also short player but she still can make many block-out in the case of high sets whereas Gözde always try to hit the ball as powerful as she can :whistle: However, I agree that her defense is crucial for the team

  • Also, remember that Turkey turned 4th set around with Esra and Polen on court, so for me it was logical that Motta let them on court for 5th set as well. However I agree that at least Neslihan should have returned, but Gözde was not that impressive and as Serdar pointed out, she is very dependent on fast sets and Brazil blocked her a few times...

  • Tomorow we have 6 very interesting games. :thumbsup: It's difficult to predict all the results. Even Algieria-Great Britain can be interesting.


    Especially I wait for JPN-ITA match. IMO Italy and Japan are the most underestimated teams. I think that these teams will perform in OG beter then most of us expect:!:

  • Tomorow we have 6 very interesting games. :thumbsup: It's difficult to predict all the results. Even Algieria-Great Britain can be interesting.


    Especially I wait for JPN-ITA match. IMO Italy and Japan are the most underestimated teams. I think that these teams will perform in OG beter then most of us expect:!:


    I think Russia won't have any problems against DOM, but all other matches will really be interesting...but I don't agree about Italy and Japan, I would be surprised if either of these teams reaches semifinal.

  • Tomorow we have 6 very interesting games. :thumbsup: It's difficult to predict all the results. Even Algieria-Great Britain can be interesting.


    Especially I wait for JPN-ITA match. IMO Italy and Japan are the most underestimated teams. I think that these teams will perform in OG beter then most of us expect:!:



    Japan, yes I agree that they are an underestimated team. However Italy is expected to do well in this Olympic Games as they are the reigning World Cup champions returning most of its veterans.

    "[size=8]It's years and years of work and sacrifice and dedication. Along with a lot of these girls, we've sweat and we've bled and we've cried together in past Olympics. It just brought tears to my eyes, & I'm more than thrilled. This will be forever." -LOGAN MAILE LEI TOM (Silver Medallist - 2008 Beijing & 2012 London Olympic Games, 2011 World Cup runner up, 2003 & 2007 World Cup 3rd place, 2002 World Champs runner up, 4-time World GrandPrix Champs)

  • I think Russia won't have any problems against DOM, but all other matches will really be interesting...but I don't agree about Italy and Japan, I would be surprised if either of these teams reaches semifinal.

    Yes, I already know that you doesn't believe in ITA. I hope you are wrong because I want ITA to achieve a good result. 8)


    Yes, DOM-RUS is the most predictible one but DOM seems to be a bit better than some weeks ago. Anyway Castillo is a great libero (even if she is older than she says :lol: ) and this is an optimistic news for them :D

  • Re: Jacqueline



    She's a good passer, defender but a decent attacker. I don't think Brazil will medal in this Olympic Games with her as a starting OH. I could be wrong...

    "[size=8]It's years and years of work and sacrifice and dedication. Along with a lot of these girls, we've sweat and we've bled and we've cried together in past Olympics. It just brought tears to my eyes, & I'm more than thrilled. This will be forever." -LOGAN MAILE LEI TOM (Silver Medallist - 2008 Beijing & 2012 London Olympic Games, 2011 World Cup runner up, 2003 & 2007 World Cup 3rd place, 2002 World Champs runner up, 4-time World GrandPrix Champs)