2013 FIVB World Grand Prix

Really

Have you checked the new rules for points deductions on the ranking?

There will be no points taking from the Olympics, and with regards to Continental Championships, in the case of DR that is not going to change, because they will take at least second place again, if not first. (Cuba and Puerto Rico will not be competition for the Dominican team).

Quote from Raven

Can you actually explain why she´s better?

hejjdeu: Good thing you already know, that there will be bad results in ECH

I really thought that dürr must be the main libero but she has much troubles with reception and defense.First of all sometimes she is so slow for digging,for this thomsen is so much better like even asian players and thats so important for german teamAnd in the past thomsen seemed weak when she subs with brinker for reception but now she has a really good reception when dürr has troubles eventhough she doesnt make reception errors.So i think thomsen should be the main libero

Quote from StarNight

We can exchange Guidetti with Barbolini Not only his club players also his wife will be here now come Gui

I think turkey also made a really strange desicion with barbolini.Especially after him italy seems much better and have a good spirit eventhough i dont think they are good enough for ECH.

Quote from hejjdeu

Qualifying olympic games is already an enough success more they played a really good ECH in the past.Its not a real conpare with this current team and the past.I just try to tell that with guidetti its not something like germany has become a great team and cause of this germans cant try another coach.Per contra there have been no big success with guidetti for years and after this ECH its time a new coach

Cmon germans play in germany and u say playing semifinal would be a success Golden medal is the real success or at least playing final with turkey or serbia

Qualifying for OG was so much easier in 2000 and 2004 when there was no Serbia and Turkey yet in European volleyball and Poland had just turned up.

About the results our team got with Guidetti as coach:
WCH 2006: 11th, 2010: 7th
ECH 2007: 6th, 2009: 4th, 2011: 2nd and first time qualified for World Cup

As you can see, the tendency goes upwards, and considering the increasing number and level of opponents in international volleyball I can't believe that you so stubbornly want to get rid of Guidetti and say that he's not successful Just look how many other members would love to have him for their NTs

And about ECH: sure, playing in Germany, everybody wants Gold or even expects it, but this is bad. Don't put too much pressure on the team, rather set realistic goals and see what they can add. For me, semifinal is a realistic goal, and since I expect only good teams to be in Top 4, everybody can probably beat each other there...

Quote from Bartek

I see You don't understand Me Sweety.

Of course rules say as You wrote but Everyone knows that FIVB Ranking is bullshit. Second place from Norceca should get half or less points than in CEV ECH if 3rd will be Cuba- with 2 sets from GP. In that case You also got walkover to Olympics.

You need to address your concern regarding distribution of points to the FIVB. I do not have a say on that.

I only follow their rules

The ranking is not always as it should be and we all know that.

But just by looking at how teams finished at this Grand Prix, you can say that from 1 to 10, it was pretty much as the ranking says, with few exceptions.

Playing with italy in semifinal and losing 3-1 and then losing against poland 3-0 and being 4th in the europe is not a 'real' success for me.More there were not much competitive teams in europe and germany probably would finish 4th also without guidetti. The only big success was ECH 2011 and i already said that this was the best german team but thanks to grün not guidetti.Cause we see now what is german level without her when the other players even improved.

I dont say guidetti is a bad coach or something like that but for me guidetti is done for german NT thats all.Hope everything would be good as u expect

With the exception of Bulgaria, the 10 teams on the top 10 of the ranking finished among the first 10 positions at the Grand Prix.

Coincidence?

Maybe

Quote from hejjdeu

Playing with italy in semifinal and losing 3-1 and then losing against poland 3-0 and being 4th in the europe is not a 'real' success for me.More there were not much competitive teams in europe and germany probably would finish 4th also without guidetti. The only big success was ECH 2011 and i already said that this was the best german team but thanks to grün not guidetti.Cause we see now what is german level without her when the other players even improved.

I dont say guidetti is a bad coach or something like that but for me guidetti is done for german NT thats all.Hope everything would be good as u expect

Italy team in 2009 had Lo Bianco - Aguero, Del Core - Piccinini, Gioli - Barazza, Cardullo, and ALL of them were in their best shape. Poland was playing in front of their home crowd and in Bronze match that made a difference. Maybe you should support another team if you can't stand Germany losing such two matches By the way Germany beat both Turkey and Serbia in that tournament, and this year you'd consider it a success playing against them in final?

Well, everybody is entitled to have his own wrong opinion

Quote from Matthias

Italy team in 2009 had Lo Bianco - Aguero, Del Core - Piccinini, Gioli - Barazza, Cardullo, and ALL of them were in their best shape. Poland was playing in front of their home crowd and in Bronze match that made a difference. Maybe you should support another team if you can't stand Germany losing such two matches By the way Germany beat both Turkey and Serbia in that tournament, and this year you'd consider it a success playing against them in final?

Well, everybody is entitled to have his own wrong opinion

Supporting a team doesnt mean that they should always win but i think i have the right saying wrong things for me about the team

And i sincerely prefer not saying 'wrong' about someone's opinion just because one thinks in another way

And please dont make such things,u also really well know that in that tournament turkey and serbia were not even close their current form,if germany or guidetti is really succesful as much u say lets beat turkey and serbia this year in germany

Nobody pick opponents.

You play whatever team are assigned to play you.

Bulgaria played Puerto Rico which is a low level team according to some. They also played Dominican Republic, another low level team according to some. Then they played Netherlands, another low level team. Then they played Cuba, the worst team besides Argelia. Then they played the Czech Republic, another inferior team.....so, if we think about it, Bulgaria had it good at this Grand Prix.

They can't complain about the schedule.....

Cuba
Puerto Rico
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
Netherlands

They were given 5 victories before the tournament started.

Kwiek may be fired I'm surprised, but if they find a new coach who can give better results it can give only profts finally line-up can be stabilised, we have too many rotations here only Castillo, De La Cruz and Rivera are always in match line-up. Even Vargas is sometimes on bench, no mentioning about setter, opposite or middles
Oh, even Rivera wasn't today starer...

Quote from hejjdeu

I really thought that dürr must be the main libero but she has much troubles with reception and defense.First of all sometimes she is so slow for digging,for this thomsen is so much better like even asian players and thats so important for german teamAnd in the past thomsen seemed weak when she subs with brinker for reception but now she has a really good reception when dürr has troubles eventhough she doesnt make reception errors.So i think thomsen should be the main libero

But do you actually see why it seems Dürr is slower in defense? Take Brinker for example. In defense formation she is always out of position. That way, she can´t dig properly or even don´t takes balls that are actually hers. So Lenka has to go for these balls. That´s why it looks she is slower in defense, when in fact she isn´t. It should be clear that it takes her more time to react, when the other players don´t do anything or are out of position. But does that really make her slow? I don´t think so. To dive for balls and take responsibility for other players (Brinker, (also Matthes back then)) and still trying to keep the ball in play is what Lenka makes no.1 in NT.

This is something Lisa doesn´t do. Don´t get me wrong, Lisa is a good libero. At what she does. But if Lisa was to take the responsibility on the field for other players, or cover the same area than Lenka, Lisa wouldn´t probably stand a chance.
Also, Lisa never had to take responsibility for new players like Poll, Geerties, Izquierdo, Engelhardt in reception and defense. Because she didn´t really have to play with them. Also, it is not expected from Lisa to take this responsibility.

It should also be clear, that by taking balls that were actually those of others and be out of position herself, Lenka´s reception might look shaky. But she could easily say, hey that´s not my ball so i don´t care or i don´t try because it could result in an error. But she doesn´t. She rather tries to play every ball, even though it could result in an error. This is also the kind of responsibility she takes on the field!

She really fights (but in another way than Lisa), has to take responsibilty on the field for other players and still manages to be a top player in the tournaments she played as no.1 so far. If Brinker and also Matthes back then, who fortunately is out of NT, would have stayed in position and play balls they are expected to play, and don´t have Lenka to actually cover the field for them too, Lenka wouldn´t look as bad.

But like i said, it is this responsibility, that Lenka takes on the field which makes her no. 1

I think Durr used to be best german libero until 2 years ago. She was better than Tzscherlich, who's to be one of the weakest main libero among all NTs. But when Bujs came to Schwerin she improved so damnly! I remember her match against Villa Cortese, she was a dig machine! She is even so stable receiver. Durr is not that young right now (she's 23), when you can find 18 years players on international level, so she was impressive until some years ago, but now Thomsen is far away better. No doubt. It looks like Durr's level is alway the same, while Thomsen's one is rising up so quickly.

DR really needs to have a more stable starting six.

The have to decide stable position, because OHs once are on position 4 and then on position 2. MBs once on position 3 and then are on position 2 or 4.

They should start building a team around their phenomenal players (Castillo and de la Cruz) their best setter (Marte) and their rasing star (Arias).

A pure opposite is really needed. Nunez or Mambru. One between them.