Kliuka smashing a closed bottle to the ground at the beginning of Russian TO. In the end it's a dirty move, but I don't think he did this on purpose. Afterwards the floor was cleaned for two minutes after Russian TO.
Volvich, Butko and Kliuka on court.
Vlasov has been blocking horribly. Too many chances but no cigar.
Butko is a great server and a great blocker. Kliuka is better blocker and attacker than Berezhko so that makes sense to strengthen your strengths.
So close...anyway, if 4 weeks ago someone had told me Germany would reach the final I would have called a doctor. I'd have bet more on an elimination after preliminaries than on winning a medal.
It was an exciting final. Two matches with tie breakers is amazing.whatever the pundits may think of the whole tournament.
I cant believe how poor Russians r in counterattacks. This is below pathetic, they won ECH with 39% eff.
Tragic ECH
It is not only this game. If you watch carefully the Belgium match, Rus had up to 20 transition balls per set but never more than 7-8 breakpoints from that.
Congrats Russia!! A deserved victory for sure!
But somehow today Germany seems to me like the team that deserve the compliments the most: what a fight they delivered! They were so close!
Has anyone got any link to the awarding ceremony livestream?
If you can watch Raisport, it's online.... (search for 'raisport hd diretta' on Google, for me it's the first link)
Awards?
For me Volokov deserve something for sure, as Grozer (best opp). So may be Mikahilov can have the MVP, Grozer best opp and Volkov best spiker, may be with Kaliberda or Deroo?
Kampa best setter...
Lisiniac from Serbia... with? Finger? A Russia MB?
EDIT: Crick not Finger!!! 
For the libero I don't know.... Zinger? Many split the court...
Volkov and Kaliberda best OH
MB Lisiniac and Bohme
Grankin and Grozer.
I admit I would have preferred a Russian MB and Kampa...
Vlasov has been blocking horribly. Too many chances but no cigar.
Butko is a great server and a great blocker. Kliuka is better blocker and attacker than Berezhko so that makes sense to strengthen your strengths.
On the paper, yes. But in reality Kluka has been off with an injury and was overly out of rhythm. In the game, he struggled a lot finishing the ball from four whereas, on the paper, he's got the highest reach of the two teams, i.e. could have finished it all in the ninth meter/off the block. He did block Grozer in the tie-break, true, - but immediately failed to side-out afterwards and received very questionably. Add to this three or four easy serves that boosted the self-esteem of the Ger block. Yegor was clearly not ready for this level, it was very clear in the Belgium game.
Thanks for the response, KK. My livestream didn't show the awarding ceremony and have to look for a new one.
I'm supposing MVP is Mikhailov like he usually gets and deserves.
Stuer best libero. Honest choice after all.
Stuer best libero. Honest choice after all.
Russian Libero would've gotten it if not for the final. 
But the Belgian libero was amazing during the bronze medal match. So deserved! 
MVP Mikhailov.
Decent award choices overall, imho.
Russian Libero would've gotten it if not for the final.
But the Belgian libero was amazing during the bronze medal match. So deserved!
I've a bit of an hard time to judge the liberos since some of them played only on reception/defense, and for me isn't that right to give a prize to someone that just had to do half of the job... Plus I'm not sure of who did what so it's difficult to said who was better
But I think also Ribbens and Stuer alternate sometime (the italian commentators never notice when a team use two liberos – they're still convinced Russia played always with the same one 
– and in TV is a bit hard to notice if they change always for tactical reason or just sometimes when one is playing bad or even never...)
Ps why this habit (in the WGP too) of giving the Cup to the Captain alone before the awarding ceremony? (and then again to the captain with all the team during the ceremony) 
Sponsor reason may be?
It's truly nice for Russia to have two amazing setters available to them. Grankin was just below his standards today and that could've been a big factor for a possible loss but Butko stepped the f up and despite getting an injury during the last stretch of the match... He still made good choices and had a good serving run at the end of the tiebreak that got them to where they are.
It's truly nice for Russia to have two amazing setters available to them. Grankin was just below his standards today and that could've been a big factor for a possible loss but Butko stepped the f up and despite getting an injury during the last stretch of the match... He still made good choices and had a good serving run at the end of the tiebreak that got them to where they are.
Butko is a strong server and blocker but what is important is that he is Mikhaylov's teammate in Kazan and overall better setter for an opposite. He also spent plenty of time setting to the MBs (Volvich and Kurkaev).
Regarding his injury, there is a peculiar thing. Butko is de facto the only setter for Kazan (the second one being Alekno's son Laurent, 190 cm tall and slightly immature.) If he fails to recover (I bet the league starts in 10 days), a usual setter hunt may start.
Now this was a wonderful and thrilling match. maybe not so much for a fan of the russian team but anyway....
Congrats to the russian team, they just deserved this after they have played such a great tournament. The german guys put everything on the court and it was visible that they just had nothing to lose but everything to win today. Even as a spectator i somehow felt this way. No comparison to the OG qualifier against Poland where there was so much at stake and which took away years of my lifetime.....
Russia playing far below level they have shown in previous matches. Germans without any pressure..
And thats, in short words, the story of the game. Russian guys knew they had to win this match, and especially the most important/experienced players Grankin/Mykhailov had issues to deal wit it, which also affected the other guys. some ball handling issues of some players were really appaling and only explainable with nervosity and pressure.
On the other side of the court, seeing the passion and enjoyment in the faces of Grozer and Kampa was just great. Also the youngest on court, Tobi Krick, really impressed. Never thought, this ECH would end like this and there are a lot of things the guys can be proud on today 
Now this was a wonderful and thrilling match. maybe not so much for a fan of the russian team but anyway...
All is good what ends good. Not only in volleyball.
QuoteAlso the youngest on court, Tobi Krick, really impressed. Never thought, this ECH would end like this and there are a lot of things the guys can be proud on today
Crick was in play when opp Grozer was in three, two or at the service. When he was in three and two, Grozer had two blocks on him by default. From four or from back court, it was different.