2014 FIVB World Championship - Italy - 9/23

    Quote from locainside

    I may be "old style", but I have never seen USA playing since Berg left the NT and IMO, they are poor without Logan Tom, Hooker and Berg. I'm not against the current players, but Tom was an amazing OH, she was a monsterv in defense and she was so good at setting; Hooker spikes like no much players; and Berg... You know that I love her and so I may be a little bit by her side, but I think she was one of the best setters of the world... Those 3 players are not that easy to replace


    Well, I liked the old style (system) too. But that system (in 2010-2012) evolved directly as a result of having those players (Berg, Tom, Hooker) in the US gym. The success of that system was highly reliant on having those three players.



    Now USA is trying not only to replace those 3 starters but also to adopt a new system of playing. Watching USA play now isn't always pretty or easy on my nerves, but it has interesting moments :D

    Quote from Meatballs

    I agree on most earlier comments, especially that it is more of a system failure than players being bad. I don't think Tom or whoever else could make anything different today for USA with this system. Karch is taking a big risk, if system works well when players receive properly, then noone can stop USA. But when there is a good serving team, USA spikers cant even pass single blocks. In overall, this is an extremely "fragile system" which is influenced by many elements and with this system, US players except Alisha will keep under performing.


    Their current system isn't greatly suited to Alisha's skills either. :|

    Quote from ravens#7


    He isn't a coach. He does nothing. NOTHING. Everybody can be a coach if it's all about motivating the team! But it isn't. The team with the best coach is gonna win. So I would bet Brazil will crash everybody until the end.


    I know you don't like him :D


    While Kiraly may not be my favorite USA coach (it's Lang Ping), I wouldn't say he does nothing as a coach.


    What we see in matches and in particular in timeouts, is only a small portion of the duties of a coach. Most of the work is done in the gym and in between tournaments and matches. I comment about his in-match coaching style because that is what I can readily observe in their games. The rest, I'll have to rely on the words of players who have been in his gym or from when I get to interview in tournaments.

    From what I know, he's clearly trying some things (not nothing) and he has implemented a number of changes to the way they play. I listed some of them before in the USA thread.


    I don't agree with every change (or even most of them), but it's not my job and reputation on the line. He seems to be banking on the belief (or hope?) that he has enough talent in the gym to win Gold(s). I've expressed my doubts that they can master this system. I suspect they may not have the personnel in the gym to pull it off. But I wouldn't mind being proven wrong.

    Please, even defence doesn't work anymore since he moved libero from pos. 5 to pos. 6. No one covers behind the block and Banwarth can't save any block-out because she isn't tall enuogh to reach the ball before it falls. And calling once again Davis was a huge mistake, 'cause when Banwarth plays bad no one can take her place (Hagglund, where are you?). And as I said before the team looks worse and worse. I can't see any improvement...

    Quote from scarpetta

    Lo Bianco's block is non-existing. It is a huge disadvantage for Italy and it was suprising to see USA couldn't use it.
    I can't imagine Kosheleva/Gamova against Lo Bianco's block. :white:

    That's s why (among other items) Ferretti could play tomorrow 8o

    Quote from ravens#7

    Please, even defence doesn't work anymore since he moved libero from pos. 5 to pos. 6. No one covers behind the block and Banwarth can't save any block-out because she isn't tall enuogh to reach the ball before it falls. And calling once again Davis was a huge mistake, 'cause when Banwarth plays bad no one can take her place (Hagglund, where are you?). And as I said before the team looks worse and worse. I can't see any improvement...

    If height really matters as you say for Banwarth, why Castillo or Cardullo reach the blocks out ?

    Quote from scarpetta

    Lo Bianco's block is non-existing. It is a huge disadvantage for Italy and it was suprising to see USA couldn't use it.
    I can't imagine Kosheleva/Gamova against Lo Bianco's block. :white:

    Italy knows about this disadvantage and has ways to make up for it. When they have enough time, the other two net players will do the blocking alone and Leo will move away from the net. In other cases defense is positioned where the ball will go when attackers hit over her. Japan had their opponents hit over Takeshita for a decade and most of the time found ways to make up for it, and Italy became World champion and twice European champion with Leo's (lack of) block.

    doesn't USA team have psychologists? the problem with USA is not technical or even skills. they definitely have skills, they have a good system (though not many are fan of it), they have some very talented players with mixture of experienced and fresh players, etc etc. But the problem is mental. They can start really good in a match and/or tournament, but the moment they get rattled or the game drags on or when they're pressured, they just collapse mightily. :wacko:

    Quote from Matthias

    Italy knows about this disadvantage and has ways to make up for it. When they have enough time, the other two net players will do the blocking alone and Leo will move away from the net. In other cases defense is positioned where the ball will go when attackers hit over her. Japan had their opponents hit over Takeshita for a decade and most of the time found ways to make up for it, and Italy became World champion and twice European champion with Leo's (lack of) block.


    Yes I know Italian success story but they can't compensate it against tall OHs anymore. In the past Lo Bianco was minimizing her blocking disadvantage with good positioning but this year it is truely non-existing.She can't jump enough to take good position .

    Anyways the US had a great first 2 rounds, then they should have probably given a little more importance to the match against Brazil. However, I would not give any definite judgement based on the last match only. Let's see how they perform tonight first and they we can keep talking

    Who said Rivera is useless? Please.. :down:

    China are so slow in defence its unreal at this level..Its like they are playing in slow motion in the back court!! Hui Roqui is playing so bad these days..

    DOM up 2-0 even without many middle attacks… i don't think fersola got more than 2 sets, valdez 4. but castillo…. wow. those back bump sets so perfectly delivered to de la cruz. and bethania, prisilla and gina just killing it. marte also doing a good job. DOM really has matured this tournament and deserve to be in final 4.