I'm rather glad with our yesterday's display. Iran is a really dangerous team, but our boys managed to end it before 5th set. It's also nice that Kurek is playing well again + Mika and Bieniek had another decent performance.
I think Iranian squad was a bit unexperienced, but anyway they were a difficult rivals. We could have a really exciting game tonight 
Was Voronkov fired? Didn't see him in USA-Rus match. I like it tbh. 
Russell got a hard time with Russia. Probably because of those tall blockers. He probably just needs time to adjust.He cant do the same things he did with Iran.
I recommend to watch the 5th set of Netherlands - Belgium.
Abdelaziz was outstanding on serve 
Iran's setter is just too good though.He only needs one or two players for Iran to become as consistent as the other teams. They should serioiusly take a page out of Italy's book and naturalize two or three foreign players. I don't know about Iran's laws but it'll probably take a decade for their natives can have taller players but it would be such a waste if Iran don't peak along with their setter.
I personally thinik that turning national teams into club teams is a disgrace. But I also think that the end does not justify the means and that teams should always play for victory, so that puts me into the outsiders category.
Is Faezi (Iran backup MB) injured? I haven't watched the game yesterday. If he's in today, he should have replaced Gholami long before today.
Is Faezi (Iran backup MB) injured? I haven't watched the game yesterday. If he's in today, he should have replaced Gholami long before today.
He probably is. Yesterday after the match he was lying on the floor and a doctor or a physio was helping him.
Kubiak can't deal with a simple eye? Grow up man
Is Faezi (Iran backup MB) injured? I haven't watched the game yesterday. If he's in today, he should have replaced Gholami long before today.
yep he is and apparently will miss the rest of the WL this year
Kubiak can't deal with a simple eye? Grow up man
Anyway, I don't understand blame only one side for such situation. Watch replay and see who first became rude Mousavi or Kubiak. I don't want to defend him, but it looks like he responded what maybe he shouldn't but it was his choice. As far I know both sides were punished by referee. I don't like when someone starts to provoke and later complain why did you respond me?
Kubiak can't deal with a simple eye? Grow up man
Kubiak is a wind up merchant who does it on purpose, he thrives on that. Worst thing you can do during a match is make Kubiak angry because he will always bite back.
Btw, when I said before the WCH that we absolutely need Kurek in the national team, this is what I meant. He's freaking brilliant and that's just the start.
Kubiak is a wind up merchant who does it on purpose, he thrives on that. Worst thing you can do during a match is make Kubiak angry because he will always bite back.
Btw, when I said before the WCH that we absolutely need Kurek in the national team, this is what I meant. He's freaking brilliant and that's just the start.
Kurek before WCH and now is just another person. Antiga gave him lesson and he is much better Kurek than before.
Kurek before WCH and now is just another person. Antiga gave him lesson and he is much better Kurek than before.
He switched positions. That is all. He was always a matchwinner for us, way more reliable than Wlazły because he doesn't pick and choose his tournaments but is 100% available all season.
There were problems with his attitude but it could've been sorted without throwing him out of the team. Doesn't matter now anyway but it might have.
I personally thinik that turning national teams into club teams is a disgrace. But I also think that the end does not justify the means and that teams should always play for victory, so that puts me into the outsiders category
Allow me to clarify. There are people with exotic names in Italy NT, but they are Italian citizens who were born or raised in Italy. It's not like they were imported from their countries and naturalized for sports purposes (unless you were thinking of footballers Omar Sivori and José Altafini in the 60s). The notable exceptions are the players who decide to change their sport nationality from Cuban, Argentine... to Italian. You can have only one at a time (FIVB Sports Regulations, II-9).
Actually, the "acquisition" of (obviously American) basketball players, one for each National team, has become popular lately.
lol what a terrible Libero Alizadeh is, I wonder what happened to Zarif. didn't notice when he left the match 
the reception was terrible tonight, but at least they could fight to take Poland to 5th set. 
good too see Mousavi in good shape after a while 
btw , Iran could win the 2nd set if it wasn't for Marouf's beard 
that net foul was both funny and stupid.
He switched positions. That is all. He was always a matchwinner for us, way more reliable than Wlazły because he doesn't pick and choose his tournaments but is 100% available all season.
There were problems with his attitude but it could've been sorted without throwing him out of the team.
Antiga is really calm person and became coach of world champion team so his decision was right and we shouldn't connect it with nowdays performances of Kurek. He behaved not good against Antiga and at this time it was idea for Kurek as attacker but he refused and didn't want to try. We should deal with that he needed time to think about all things and start to listen to Antiga, understood that he wants all the best for him...
Iran lost again, but the match was much closer than what's shown last week vs USA. Without the need to face threatening jump serving bombers in all the six rotations, Iranian receivers at least have a chance to gasp. Unfortunately, their chance to win was exterminated by jump serves again in Bieniek's rotation.
Ebadipour delivers a games that's probably his best ever performance since his debut at NT. He has been solid in offense the whole match overall. He has a characteristic rhythm in his approach to spike by staying long in the air. This reminds me of Abramov. Ebadipour at least has shown he has potential today. Most of the time on court in other matches, he seems to be not concentrated or confident enough, leading to poor performance. Hopefully, he could mature sooner.
Kovac made the correct decision today by keeping Mirzajanpour away from the court. However, some of his substitutions are quite questionable. He should have used Senobar to replace Gholami earlier. In the latter part of the game, Mamoudi essentially couldn't score, but he didn't try Ghafour. Madhavi's setting is forever unpredictable in terms of precision 
Perhaps Kovac hasn't placed victory as the top priority for the game today.
Antiga is really calm person and became coach of world champion team so his decision was right and we shouldn't connect it with nowdays performances of Kurek. He behaved not good against Antiga and at this time it was idea for Kurek as attacker but he refused and didn't want to try. We should deal with that he needed time to think about all things and listen to Antiga, understood that he wants all the best for him...
Disagree, I think that's weakening your team unnecessarily because you're not strong enough to deal with the problem. World Championships in your home country should be a good enough incentive for anyone, even Kurek. I get that he was Anastasi's pet, it changed under Antiga and maybe he couldn't handle it but these things happen. Again, it didn't matter in the end, we were incredibly lucky, but one injury to Wlazły and it could have mattered.
I'm taking more about general priciple here than about Kurek in particular. Still, I think he lost a whole season of experience we could now very much use since Wlazły obviously decided to bail after he collected his medal.
Don't get too exctited Andrea that Iran had more difficulties against USA than Poland, first or second match of every tournament is under typical level of every national team and Poland crushed Russia so easy as well as USA crushed Iran. We will see how Russia will play against USA tonight but they didn't take even coach and some players who played with Poland so it seems for now they want to ignore World League this year. Every match is another, new adventure, new disposition of day, it's so strange such expert like you don't know about it. I see using argument with height disappeared for you when I gave height of each player of Russia, Poland and USA that is the same. Now you using only argument with dangerous jumping serves that Poland according to you haven't. I think you should watch uncomfortable floats of Mika, especially his float can make a bigger devastation than jumping serves.
Antiga has nothing to do with Kurek shape, he has always been great, and to be honest i still prefer him in OH, cause he is not that bad in reception like some say, he is just not good, but most of teams today have one OH who doesn't receive well. It is all about team's need i think.
Iran starting to play better, but they are totally different in front of their crew, it seems they need it to fire up. I also totally agree about Ebadiopur, i've always questioned why he entered to sub Mirzajanpour so many times and did nothing, but today he showed he can do it, it is all about gaining confidence and experience.
Antiga has nothing to do with Kurek shape, he has always been great, and to be honest i still prefer him in OH, cause he is not that bad in reception like some say, he is just not good, but most of teams today have one OH who doesn't receive well. It is all about team's need i think.
Iran starting to play better, but they are totally different in front of their crew, it seems they need it to fire up. I also totally agree about Ebadiopur, i've always questioned why he entered to sub Mirzajanpour so many times and did nothing, but today he showed he can do it, it is all about gaining confidence and experience.
Your advice is really bad, but it's normal, sometimes for foreigners everything look another than in reality what is happening in other national team, players. You should check stats of Kurek before WCH from previous tournaments. Volleyball nowdays is so fast and need combinations from a setter and you need better reception than ever and universal receivers are more needed whose reception is not about 30% per match, but higher. Kurek even as attacker has now per every match more than 60% in attack so I don't see any reason to complain. Also I don't think so Antiga made him attacker because it's his phantasy, he has chance to check Kurek personally unlike to Internet users...