2018 Volleyball Nations League (VNL)

Jiang Chuan hit the same angle with very tiny variation yet France couldnt stop him. European clubs should sign him. France are errore-prone. I hope they can step up their game for next matches to come especially the veterans.

The ref from the Brazil- USA game is famous for screwing up. They don't like him in Mexico, and he is Mexican! I watched him screw up a women's match so badly last year..

But the Brazil-USA turned out to be a great game anyway! It's nice when both teams start playing well at the same time. USA v Brazil always guarantee good matches - Felt bad for USA because they started well - perhaps got a little cocky. I'm very interested in the Poland V Italy, and Brazil v Russia match ups next round. I expect Russia to have their big guns at home.

what's up with the AUS boys and man-buns? is that en vogue in australia these days???? they look... uh... peculiar.

Amazing scenes in San Juan. Argentina played with such heart! Italy hasnt had a good round...such a difference from last week.... This is the most animated I have seen Velasco

Confetti was a nice touch lol. It's like the won the final!

I wasn't expecting this at all. Really great match from Tomy Lopez and Zanotti. Loser is shaping up great too, despite his not-great height for a MB he blocks a lot and his serve provides much more than Crer's.

I get the feeling that Italy is the team that depends THE MOST on it's serve. In the days it's not working they can lose to many teams that are, in theory, weaker.

The Liga Argentina de Voleibol is one of the rising championship. The level is improving season by season. I really like it.

I didn't watch the match and I don't care a bit about Italy, but it seems the guys had a very long and exhausting travel to Argentina. It's just my opinion based on their Instagram posts and stories...

Quote from saishuu

That's perfectly undestandable, but still not an excuse given how everyone's been traveling a lot too. Brazil came from Serbia to home ground and still played what was imo the best game of the league so far against USA. I think Argentina simply outplayed them.

I know and I agree. As I told you, I didn't watch the game. I follow their Instagram accounts and they looked very tired about the travel. I'm even happy for Argentina. I really like this team. They will be even better in the years to come, having such a strong youth and junior NT.

Poland looks really disjointed right now. German is cruising pass them in front of the home crowd.

Italy probably won't qualify to Final Round. There was a good atmosphere in Italian team in the first round . Zaytsev was humble, Juantorena was even a bit too much supportive, Giannelli was excited to find someone who can score , everybody was sharing photos...
Then Italian media did the same mistake again, trying to show the team is only about Zaytsev. It affected Giannelli,who tried to avoid Zaytsev in the fisrt Canada match. It affected Zaytsev, who turned into his diva attitute and started the play 'blame game ' with his mimics and reactions. I think this is where he lost Juantorena this week, there was a disagreement between them in Canada match , if you pay attention you can see they are avoiding each other in celebrations in contrast to first week .
Adding to Blengini's absolutely stupid preparation plan to already fragile atmosphere, the future of Italy at least in this VNL doesn't look good. Blengini is trying to kill already dead tired guys ,without giving them necessary rest time. They are very lucky no one got injured
It is inevitable atmosphere will worsen in Modena round, where media will play their role to maximum and trying to show us volleyball is a sport that can be played only by Zaytsev ,others are only there to witness and be blamed if something goes wrong.
Now there will be also Lanza's comeback which will further complicate the atmosphere.