2014 FIVB World Championship - Italy - 9/23

    Piccinini is a mess, Diouf is still very very very very slow in defense. Lo Bianco and Ferretti played very well :white: The 4th set was a mess, but then we won and some players took some rest :)


    I really think tomorrow Italy can beat China. This is OUR championship... :cup: Let's go Italy! :super:


    Tomorrow they will not show the match on Rai Sport (which is the channel in wich they show sports except football) but they will show is on Rai 2 and it is a very important step! :thumbsup:


    I am quite sure the final will be Italy - Brazil, but the whole world is so sure about it that it may not happen... let's see what will happen tomorrow

    It's possible, you just have to believe in yourself and really not care what other people say, because I've heard it all.
    If you let someone else dictate what you're going to do in life, then you won't get there.


    Non so neanche come onestamente: in due mesi ero di nuovo in campo.



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    Quote from Canter

    i hope Russia wont invite Sokolova to the nt for 2016 OG thinking that the reason of failure in this WcH has been the absence of her :lol:

    Would be fun, she may have grandchildren by that time :).


    The funny thing is that Kosheleva and Malykh, both sparking with talent and trained from very early days, cannot even closely match Sokolova in reception/defense. The positioning is just wrong. I have a feeling that the key word here is "Karpol".

    Quote from ossubtus

    why are there 3 girls in traditional dress behind the ref at every match? are they performing?


    Looks it's not a traditional dress, but ad campaign !
    Don't you never drink some coffee ? :white:

    Strange to see that , after the failure of Russia NT,
    some guys think to one of the greatest volleyball player of all times 8o

    Italy has to be careful tomorrow because


    1) China NT is a real good squad.
    2) China didn't play today.
    3) China remains on a very good dynamics after the "miracle" of the game vs Dominica.
    4) Revenge is on the air.

    Quote from ravens#7

    This is getting funny! :lol: I'm watching the match with some friends of mine, waiting for the soccer NT game. First question: where is Cacciatori? Second question: where is Piccinini? Third question: who is this ugly witch (referred to one of the italian players)? Same question some minutes later about a russian girl... and then they asked me if Goncharova is a top model... :lol:


    Anyway here in Italy nobody cares about volleyball WCH. All the media is focused on the soccer NT. They just talked about Piccinini and why she isn't starter lately and about Bonitta's 2006 situation. My friends don't know any of the players on court.


    Piccinini coming in during the second set was the only intresting thing from this match. I don't care about this NT team, I still want Brazil to be champion. All I care about is Francesca Piccinini, always and forever. I have to go watching soccer now. :wavy:

    Do you try to qualify for sillyness OG :white:
    If yes, you look :lol: on the good way

    Quote from CarduCat

    Do you try to qualify for sillyness OG :white:
    If yes, you look :lol: on the good way


    I just explaned what volleyball means to the italian people. There was a qualification match for the soccer NT and volleyball WCH in Italy, everybody care about the first one. People here stay in front of screens with pizza and beers supporting soccer NT (we won once again :D ). Even if volleyball NT team could win a medal, tomorrow nobody will talk about it on tv, 'cause nobody really cares. Some tv programs tried to talk about volleyball, but it was all about gossip into it; Angeloni is another good example of what I mean: she is often guest on tv, someone knows who she is, but on the other hand nobody knows who is Del Core... :aww:


    I don't support the volleyball NT anyway. I don't like it. I watched the last 2 matches (today I had to quit at the end of the second set) just because Piccinini is there as capitan.

    Quote from ravens#7


    I just explaned what volleyball means to the italian people. There was a qualification match for the soccer NT and volleyball WCH in Italy, everybody care about the first one. People here stay in front of screens with pizza and beers supporting soccer NT (we won once again :D ). Even if volleyball NT team could win a medal, tomorrow nobody will talk about it on tv, 'cause nobody really cares. Some tv programs tried to talk about volleyball, but it was all about gossip into it; Angeloni is another good example of what I mean: she is often guest on tv, someone knows who she is, but on the other hand nobody knows who is Del Core... :aww:


    I don't support the volleyball NT anyway. I don't like it. I watched the last 2 matches (today I had to quit at the end of the second set) just because Piccinini is there as capitan.

    I know what you mean, it is very similar in Turkey. But I can ensure you that there are really big volleyball fans in those countries that care more about volleyball than soccer. Moreover, don't you have almost 7 divisions in Italian volleyball? That is a good indicator that volleyball is a huge sport in Italy. I live in Sweden and I can tell you, here people don't know anything and don't care at all about volleyball. People even ask if I mean handball sometimes and then say - "Yeah! Thats the one you don't hold the ball in your hand and push it".


    Anyway coming back to the tonight's game, Italy and Brazil are the teams that deserved to be in the finals in this WCH. If Italy does not make silly errors tomorrow, China does not have a single chance. All China can offer tomorrow is Zhu Ting and with Italy serving properly, China won't be able to use middles, opposite and Hui properly.
    I honestly preferred Russia over USA in the semis although USA played more of a team play. I really miss the times that Hooker was murdering the ball. Now from USA, I don't see such moves and don't enjoy the way they play. Any team serving well will damage their system and block USA spiker in single block because the sets don't allow spikers to adjust anything but just hit madly. On the other hand, Marichev is a crazy guy (in a fun way) that used 2 opposites and an attacking OH on court in the same time. I really appreciate his courage and found it exciting every time Kosheleva or Goncharova got the ball. The system would work excellent if Gamova & Goncharova showed their usual attacking performances. Then we would be talking about how good Russia is and how clever Marichev is.


    Btw, does anyone know if Harmotto is sick? She looks really pale as almost she is dealing with a serious disease. Or is it just because she stopped using make up since she got married? :lol:

    Dominicans choked n the most important game, but it was rather obvious that they won't win it. De La Cruz disappointed, Castillo was outstanding once again, but she may not get award for best L ;( (I'm almost sure that they'll give awards only for Top 4 countries like in Men's WCH).


    Bye bye Russia :wavy: team has problems with injuries of Morozova, Shlyakhovaya and Pasynkova (maybe also with Kutyukova, she could've helped here more than Shcherban IMHO). Other cases here are too late comeback by Gamova (she wasn't in as good shape as in Kazan :wavy: ) and too late converting Obmochaeva back to OH, they should've train it in WGP :whistle:


    So SF's are:
    Brazil - USA
    Italy - China


    Looking overall performances final should be Italy - Brazil :teach:

    Gold medal - World League 2013 Prediction Game
    Bronze medal - World League 2012 Prediction Game

    Quote from marshmellow

    Sundy just butchers Chirichella's name all week :pinch:


    "Chir-che-la" :D


    Quote from ossubtus

    sunderland is certainly very knowledgeable about VB but he is a bit … confused about names and facts often.


    I am 100% positive that starting NOW, Sunderland will pronounce her name correctly (Kirikella) ;)

    I'll support USA today. I've never liked Brazil (I don't even support their soccer NT) and I hope it will end for then like the disaster of the football world championship #sorrynotsorry


    There will always be an American girl insde of me supporting USA :whistle:


    My dream final is Italy - USA and Leo will start the match with 8 serves in a row... Then it will be closed with the double change: Ferretti will score some aces and Diouf will block someone.


    I want this sort of double "revenge": USA against Brazil beause of the last 2 gold medal matches at the Olympics and I want Leo ad Ferretti do what Berg did to Italy in the quarter-final in Beijin 2008 (but it sounds like something that will never happen)

    It's possible, you just have to believe in yourself and really not care what other people say, because I've heard it all.
    If you let someone else dictate what you're going to do in life, then you won't get there.


    Non so neanche come onestamente: in due mesi ero di nuovo in campo.



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    Gamova's message to fans on Volleyrussia:


    Quote

    Dear friends, thank you all for your support! Maybe my decision to return to the national team in August was too hurried, but my desire to help to the team and the country was so strong! Unfortunately, reality dictates of their own. Once again I want to say thank you to our team and all the staff. Thank you my friends and fans! Ahead of the club season is starting, Champions League and many beautiful volleyball! Cheer for us and the beautiful game! The battle continues)))!!!

    No of course but the ads of this brand are everywhere


    Promessi Sposi : popular because (mostly) studied at school ...


    Volleyball in Italy : 1st sport for women, no ?