this match showed that things were not that easy as we thought..so semifinals are open to any results...even the Dutch team (relatively weaker btw the four teams) can make it to the final!
2018 FIVB World Championship - Japan
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Egonu scored 36 points with over 58% in attack. Amazing numbers !
Japan showed everyone that they deserve to be in Final6 !
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I hate to see Japan win with all serveral host advantages. But I have to admit that they played a beautiful game today and deserve a place in the third round.
Congrats to both teams. Can’t wait to see ITA vs SRB.
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i think japanese team could have been world's best team if they could solve block disadv. problem ( at least at home)
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It's weird to me that the next couple games may not be about who can beat who but more about who will deploy some strategy for some other outcome. I guess it's the way these things go but I find it disappointing.
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Japanese girls put down a good fight against strong team. They deserve a big thumbs up!
Egonu
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i think japanese team could have been world's best team if they could solve block disadv. problem ( at least at home)
Physically they’re not that tall compare to European teams, USA, Brazil or China. I’m hopeful they will find taller Players. Since they’re not that tall, they have to make up by being precise and acurate, improving their skills more, and their impecable floor defence.
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Congrats, Italy!
Quite off topic here,
but I'm surprised Malinov's mother still playing volleyball on Serie C though she is 50
Italian Kirillova
(Japanese commentator said so.)
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It's weird that Italian team's serves were targeting japanese libero. is that special plan or strategy? it didn't work, though.
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Respect for Japan, they fought so hard today and they put Italy in great trouble. Egonu is fantastic, but I would like to see our game back. De Gennaro and Bosetti struggled a lot in reception and that affected the attack. Japanese fast game was hard to read for our blockers and defence couldn't be well organised. Anyway, the important thing was winning.. head to the next!
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Wow, guys... That was a thrilling match for sure, my heart is still beating hard and I literally cried at the end of the match, it was so emotional... I'm very, very proud of the girl
Even if today we didn't show our best volleyball, partially because of us, partially (mostly, probably) because of the amazing performance Japan gave us. I expected them to dig a lot, but imho they killed us with their serves, their parallel attacks, and with the ability to scardinate our block-defense system, which struggled how never before.I was really scared we were going to lose it, and very aware that this could have been the last chance to qualify, especially if we don't step up our game again.
But I'm using to many words when I could just summarize the match, with a 'saint Egonu'!!
Chrichella has been very explosive in this game, why are you guys complaining?
She was terrible for more than half of the game, especially in attack (not very helped by Malinov, though). And did several serve error too.
I actually wondered why Mazzanti did't try Lubian.
Then Cristina woke up
Danesi is making so many mistakes and She is slow in blocks.
I agree on the second, but I think most of her attack mistakes were to split with Malinov.
But she also served a lot of ball on the net, true.
I cant imagine how are the italian and japanese fans now
I think I lost 10 years of life during the tie break, I was almost in a praying position with hand interconnected, and screaming for every point!
Malinov so low set for Sylla, girl who can jump so high against small Japan girls. Why ?
I agree, and a lot were very far from the net. I really didn't understand why Mazzanti hasn't tried Cambi today in the two set we lost, but I guess eventually he was right
[Well, in general I wondered why Mazzanti hasn't made many changes except the serve-sub Malinov-Cambi and Pietrini in a bit at the end of the 4th]
BRAVAAA EGONU, YOU ARE AMAZING !!!!!
100% in attack in 5th set, MY GOD WOOOWAmazing, impressive, outstanding. I was pretty sure she had 100%, but I wanna know how many points she did: before Danesi block, I think ALL of our points were scored by Egonu. I wouldn't be surprised if we're around 10 points in the tie break.
I think she really wanted a 'revenge' after the 2 errors in a row that virtually gave the 4th set to Japan.
I hope this was our worst match in the tournament
I thought exactly the same! I mean, you're almost meant to have at least 1 bad day in a tournament, and I really hope it was today...
Japan can leave with head up high, they did not stop fighting for one second even in that match, truly was a joy to watch them!
Even as an Italian fans, I was able to appreciate their great efforts! The parallel attack were impressive, so precise.
They really found the way to break italian reception and make Italy looks a one single player again (something that had changed in the last matches, even though Egonu was always the top scorer).
True
Semifinals is already an overachievement for this young italian team (in the previa). But they havent got anything yet. A medal, no matter the colour, will be more than deserved for this team.
I agree. With both Turkey and China in the pool and USA and Russia awaiting in the second phase, even getting to the F6 was in doubt, before the WCh started...
So for tomorrow, we will have 2 friendly matches.
I hope Italy will play with his first squad: we need to 'chill out' after this thrilling match and to test ourselves vs the amazing Serbia.
But I would totally understand if we'll rest few players (5 set today and less than 24 hour rest!), especially if Serbia will as well (which I think they'll do, especially because China and Ned are playing after so there's not such a pressure to be first of the pool).
Probably China will play with the titular too, as they did in the second phase. The fact we have 2 days before the semi'll help.
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Egonu scored 9 points in 5set, with 100% eff.
I think tomorrow it will much "easier" for Italian block-defence. Sebia plays slow and high diffrents is power that Serbia has !
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I forgot to say: despite our statement that we knew we needed to be patient against Japan, and ready to try 10 times to put the ball down in the same action, imho we failed a bit in that (Sylla especially).
More than once I had the impression we were nervous, even 'angry' somehow, and I got that impression both from the way we played, and from the way we reacted: I could read our lips more than once, and we often sweared when we 'finally' got a point (or a block) [and not just after a mistake, for example).
Ps Egonu 'killed' another player today
But again I'm afraid she didn't apologize, or at least it wasn't showed... Paoletta please take care of that
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Display MoreI forgot to say: despite our statement that we knew we needed to be patient against Japan, and ready to try 10 times to put the ball down in the same action, imho we failed a bit in that (Sylla especially).
More than once I had the impression we were nervous, even 'angry' somehow, and I got that impression both from the way we played, and from the way we reacted: I could read our lips more than once, and we often sweared when we 'finally' got a point (or a block) [and not just after a mistake, for example).
Ps Egonu 'killed' another player today
But again I'm afraid she didn't apologize, or at least it wasn't showed... Paoletta please take care of that
Nervous + angry = frustrated.
You are 100% right. Sylla seemed the most frustrated one. She spiked in so many different tempos (diagonal, parallel, lobs-way too many- and so on), however she was well digged by japanese defense. After scoring, Sylla kept seeming quite frustrated. I guess I also read some parolacce
. I clearly understood a "fa***lo valla a prendere" a couple of times. Egonu seemed the same in the fourth set. But then she totally destroyed in the 5th.
It is understandable. Almost every single player has suffered that against japanese defense.
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Nervous + angry = frustrated.
You are 100% right. Sylla seemed the most frustrated one. She spiked in so many different tempos (diagonal, parallel, lobs-way too many- and so on), however she was well digged by japanese defense. After scoring, Sylla kept seeming quite frustrated. I guess I also read some parolacce
. I clearly understood a "fa***lo valla a prendere" a couple of times. Egonu seemed the same in the fourth set. But then she totally destroyed in the 5th.
It is understandable. Almost every single player has suffered that against japanese defense.
They were easily got frustrated because they thought this should a easy game for them. One of my favorite coaches told us "I liked you guys a lot better when everybody told you that you were terrible. Everybody told you that you didn’t have a chance to win the game". I think this Italy team probably took this win for granted and did not have a good preparation for the game.
Kudos to team Japan for the fight!
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I told you so........
Rule no.1 in women's volleyball: it ain't over till the fat lady sings
So I`m sorry Mathias for calling you out....( but I bet u did not see this one coming as well
).I've been watching women's volleyball to see anything coming. That's why I said that in F6 almost all results are possible for me. I never said NED is going to beat USA for sure, but I always considered it a realistic option.
(...)Kiraly keeps wasting players and tournaments. He can't pick the best players. He can't read the match. He has no idea of what a coach has to do. He just talks about breathing and craps like that. Once more he proved me right. SHAME.
Here's your next favourite song:
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To me Italy didn't underestimate Japan, not at all.. it would have been a childish error. The girls knew they had a great occasion and were a lot frustrated because they weren't exploiting it 100%. Also Mazzanti said that in a post match interview.. he also said he is going to consider the physical condition of the girls for tomorrow, because it was a tough match!
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I think this Italy team probably took this win for granted and did not have a good preparation for the game.
I don't agree, especially in the second part.
I think we were confident we could win this (but same works for all the matches so far, the girls have always said that) and got frustrated to realize we were struggling to play our game (of course also thanks to Japan!)
EDIT: I found out it was Mazzanti birthday today!
What a way to celebrate! May be the girls wanted to give him a 'surprise' party 
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Lonneke Slöetjes played the game of her life...Respect!
I feel sorry for the JPN team.....
and now is the time for the "Sleeping Dragon" to wake up...
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lets see which team/teams will take tomorrow's matches seriously..lol