Olympic Games - Brazil 2016 (qualification process)

    Quote from ravens#7

    Bulgaria has really ugly jearseys for this tournament.


    I would guess this is their smallest problem atm....


    Seriously, i hope will digest this tourney soon. With all the absences, it was probably a dead race from the beginning.


    2018 and WCH is not far anymore.....

    I started to watch from 4th set POL-GER. Why both team have their bench in the court?!
    :call:

    Quote from arman

    I started to watch from 4th set POL-GER. Why both team have their bench in the court?!
    :call:


    Well, it is either that both teams prefer to play France or... Or that they don't care which team to play in the semis but think that having a fresh squad would be an advantage.

    Quote from powsoff


    Well, it is either that both teams prefer to play France or... Or that they don't care which team to play in the semis but think that having a fresh squad would be an advantage.


    During the World League Finals last year Antiga wanted to win against Serbia and he kept his A squad on the court for 5 set. The next day they were very tired and had to face France. I think he doesn't want to make the same mistake.

    Quote from laikon


    During the World League Finals last year Antiga wanted to win against Serbia and he kept his A squad on the court for 5 set. The next day they were very tired and had to face France. I think he doesn't want to make the same mistake.

    Thanks. So it wasn't the same from the first?

    Thank you elvis.


    Quote from powsoff

    Let us hope the Gods of Volleyball will arrange a re-match between these two excellent teams, under somewhat more motivating circumstances.


    More motivating circumstances will be third place match! because it's a death and life match

    Quote from Kaziyski

    So Poland will fight for 3rd place, really stupid loss. :obey: for Heynen again, briliant coach and tactician :obey:

    Do you think German team is happy to play with Russia ? I don't think so ...and they have to play in last match with Poland or France.

    Quote from mariuszj1939

    Do you think German team is happy to play with Russia ? I don't think so ...and they have to play in last match with Poland or France.


    I think yes, surely better than Franch machine.. forget 2 defeats vs Russia before tournament, Grozer didn't play single point and they lacked selfconfidence. Russia lost Kovalev, OH's arent convincing...

    Quote from mariuszj1939

    Do you think German team is happy to play with Russia ? I don't think so ...and they have to play in last match with Poland or France.


    If the alternative is playing France, then objectively, playing Russia looks like the better option right now. But i said it before, i have no clue about real strength of this russian team. France was too strong and Bulgaria/Finland too weak to get a real impression.


    Somehow i feel, that Antiga today went into Heynens trap. Polish starters looked really ennoyed when Heynen began his substitutions and somehow completely lost focus. Then he subbed as well and somehow these guys did even better (until fifth set)...


    But lets give some praise to german benchers as well. Hirsch really looks like a good promise to the future. The way he played the fifth set was sublime. Strohbach should change club/league after this season if he wants to improve further and reach international level. If he only wants, he can get there.


    Overall, a very enjoyable evening (at least for me), with Heynen winning the jackpot tonight. But nothing has been reached so far.....


    Thanks to polish fans as well for financing the tourney, creating a great athmosphere in Berlin :thumbup:

    Tim u said good thing, Heynen's decision to put subs in 3rd set completely distracted Polish players, even surprised Antiga and his staff. That's why I admire Heynen, he is great coach but also psychologist. It was great to see Hirsch, Strobach, P.Steuerwald outplaying Kubiak, Kurek etc..


    France is strong, don't doubt in that and what's more important momentum is on their side. Russia was the only "big" team they haven't faced last year and they won comfortably. I don't see way how Antiga can surprise Tillie tomorrow, French bench looks more "competitive" than Polish one (IMO ofc) and I see France in finals vs Germany :whistle:

    He gambled, and he was right for tonight. Tomorrow is new game and new luck....
    i fear they have to tie him down somewhere tonight, otherwise his inflated ego will make him fly to the moon.


    Quote from Kaziyski

    Tim u said good thing, Heynen's decision to put subs in 3rd set completely distracted Polish players, even surprised Antiga and his staff. That's why I admire Heynen, he is great coach but also psychologist. It was great to see Hirsch, Strobach, P.Steuerwald outplaying Kubiak, Kurek etc..

    Quote from TimHH


    But lets give some praise to german benchers as well. Hirsch really looks like a good promise to the future. The way he played the fifth set was sublime. Strohbach should change club/league after this season if he wants to improve further and reach international level. If he only wants, he can get there.


    Very impressive indeed. I honestly expected a slaughterhouse in the third set. Of course there was a loss-of-focus effect on their side but the Deutsche bench looked as if they've been practicing together a lot. Even the weirdo Dunnes was (a) serving in and (b) scoring points. With Bastian Schweinsteiger Simon Hirsch on the bench, Grozer must look at/display his very best.


    Quote from TimHH

    Thanks to polish fans as well for financing the tourney, creating a great athmosphere in Berlin :thumbup:


    No problem. I'm sure this ca$h will soon get back into their pockets to further improve the atmosphere in Berlin, which is indeed of paramount importance :)

    Holy crap :what: that was probably the weirdest game we played in past few years! I'm only thankful that Antiga let guys rest and put in some substitutes. Still it feels weird to lost to Germans. I can't really remember when was the lost time we lost to them. Which doesn't mean I underrate Heynen's boys. I was watching this with more and more big eyes when Schwarz was ending another attack out of nowhere and they were saving another ball in defense. I see that from the beginning of this tournament we fight our own demons :S Mika doesn't look good and surely is in pain with this knee. And we need our strong service and well organized block back against French! We're not chanceless! In this whole thing I can distinguish Wojtaszek who is almost unreal with some savings. I'm sure he won't look just like a regular neighbor against Grebennikov today!


    Someone said about bulgarian jerseys? Then can someone enlighten me please what is all about these pistachio german outfit? It's beautiful ok, looks like summer, sunshine and ice-cream... :D but looks more like a training jerseys and is even funnier than these green jerseys for liberos in CL! I wouldn't be surprise if it was another Heynen's idea who secretly at night is sewing outfits for distracting opponent's attention! Oh man, I have never seen Germans playing in such colors. Oh wait, Tille once played in pink jersey, possibly in french league...


    In the end, I feel very sorry for both Bulgarians and Serbs. The victims of government's policy. I would say, go the hell to these morrons. Waiting for the better years for volleyball where Olympic champions, World champions and European champions don't have to play murderous tournament, slaughtering each other, to advance to OG.