When the bronze medalists are more ecstatic than the silver medalists.
CEV Men's European Volleyball Championship 2021 | Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Poland
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Giannelli MVP
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Giannelli MVP
I think it's a very good choice. He was very important for this young team, and even though he himself is still very young, he played like a true leader IMO!
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Setter MVPs in international competitions will always be disappointing no matter how deserving they are.
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I think it's a very good choice. He was very important for this young team, and even though he himself is still very young, he played like a true leader IMO!
Yeah, I'd give personally an award to Michieletto, but even Michieletto admitted that Giannelli is a leader of this team, and on his own Simo played really great tournament not only in setting, but also in serving, defense and blocking. Well-deserved award IMHO, although I guess that with better finals performance MVP would've been given to Michieletto.
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I think it's a very good choice. He was very important for this young team, and even though he himself is still very young, he played like a true leader IMO!
I agree. This is why I am surprised
Setters very seldom get MVP awards. I didnt expect it. But yes, he was the leader of this young team. As well as the most consistent player. Michieletto was amazing too, but today he struggled a bit. Both would have been good choices. -
Wow! Fun match!
So, Stern with 32% exc., Urnaut with 37% and Cebulj with 31%. It would be difficult to win the final with such numbers. Too bad. Maybe they needed someone fresh to come from the bench and help them like Romano did for Italy. By the way, I feel like Giuliani could've done more, specially with the timeouts and the challenge calls in the 4th set. But it just wasn't to be.
Can't help but feel really good about this Italian feat, though... Most enjoyable Italian play that I've seen in a while... Michieletto is a force to be reckoned with... Lavia was superb today... But to me MVP should be awarded to Giannelli. What an intelligent player!
Oops: As I was writing, he was getting the prize!
Good job, CEV! -
Setter MVPs in international competitions will always be disappointing no matter how deserving they are.
To make a football analogy it's like Iniesta or Xavi or any midfield brain winning ballon d'or over Messi or Ronaldo.
It will make football videogame-playing kids and more casual viewers angry
but they are equally important to a winning team. -
To make a football analogy it's like Iniesta or Xavi or any midfield brain winning ballon d'or over Messi or Ronaldo.
It will make football videogame-playing kids and more casual viewers angry
but they are equally important to a winning team.Well atleast it wasn't Takeshita.
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Wow Italy win both the men and women game. Has it been done before where both competition won by the same national team?
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Wow Italy win both the men and women game. Has it been done before where both competition won by the same national team?
2 years ago Serbia also won both lol
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2 years ago Serbia also won both lol
omg i didnt realize coz i wasn’t following that time 😂 serbia women has been consistent dont they
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Wow Italy win both the men and women game. Has it been done before where both competition won by the same national team?
Russia in 2013.
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Also Serbia in 2011, and in the past Soviet Union many times, in general it wasn't/isn't a rare case.
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Okay, I guess it's time for some summary.
Overall, it wasn't too good tournament level-wise, with many teams inconsistent and struggling in getting to their regular shape, I don't think we've seen too many really good 4/5-set games on really good level.
Biggest team suprises:
1. Italy - obviously, many things have been already written, I'll add that the least talked and perhaps the most important part of Italian success was their block-defense organization, not only they won significantly blocking statistics in this competition, they also defended like crazy due to personel that they have, and it's really rare to have this type of a team (really tall, with Pinali at 198 cm being the shortest starter excluding libero, but at the same time really great defensively). Michieletto was fantastic, Lavia was great, Balaso and Galassi were very good until a final, Anzani was killing it at the net, Romano gave crucial subs in both games against Slovenia and Pinali isn't on this level and probably won't be, but he's still quite versatile and useful player, probably an ideal sub for a future with his serve-defense-block combination
2. Czech Republic - many thins have been already written in this case as well, they exploited occasion of playing at home and playing against post-Tokyo France, and show some serious promise (Vasina, Polak) for a future, but like I said some time ago, their future is dependent on whether Dzavoronok will take his origins seriously and play for NT again.
3. Turkey - I know that some Turkish fans were really disappointed by not getting 100% from a draw they got, and I know that for more familiar people with Turkish local league and their upcoming talents, their overall level wasn't too suprising, but overall many people were positively suprised by their victory over Russia and close game against Serbia, and it's quite obvious that this team is on a right track to get to at least good level in a near future. I'd expect them to peak in post-Paris period, and next few years being a great material of getting necessary experience (especially next year's WCH), but at the same time they should improve constantly from season to season, especially if both Efes get better in reception.
4. Portugal - they were able to advance from a group in which they were expected to finish 5th by beating Belgium 3-2, and then they were close to the QF in a game against Netherlands. Obviously, Alex Ferreira and Miguel Tavares are two best players of this team, but I'm especially impressed by 39yo Hugo Gaspar, who's been playing in NT for 21 years now: he's never been anything more than reliability, but he's still enjoyable player to watch and his durability is bloody impressive.
5. Latvia - I have no idea how a team that was relegated from European League to the 2nd division was able to advance to top16 of ECH with a single victory, but they've done it, and no matter how lucky they were that Estonia (listed below) choked at home in this tournament, it's still really impressive to get that good result;
6. Slovenia - last but not least, I know that it's not a big suprise considering their history of games against Poland and earlier accolades, but yet their victory was an upset, so they're worth of being mentioned here. They can be disappointed by a loss in the final, but with Urnaut being older and older, Cebulj and Stern both being good, but not great, limited impact from a setter and lack of depth - that's still great to kick asses of Kubiak & Co. again, and again. I guess they'll find a 2nd breath in a moment Rok Mozic peaks, and it can be sooner than later, like Michieletto's example has already taught.
Biggest disappointments:
1. Poland - yeah, they're that high not only because I'm a die hard Polish fan disappointed in not getting a gold. We played at home, after awful OG and our goal was to make the same what female Italian team did at respective event: win a gold in comfortable manner to get into the better mood and win what can be won at this point in nonetheless lost season. Yet, Heynen being too stubborn to admit that Kubiak cannot be played on this level anymore, at least with a shape like that, and we not being in a shape good enough in general -- was on its own enough to disappoint once again and get solid-but-not-great result with a bronze, what was a case of past two years of Heynen's tenure as HC;
2. Bulgaria - I honestly have no idea what's wrong with them, but something is definitely wrong when a team that was able two years ago to almost defeat Brazil and win OQT, and then played really well in continental qualification, this time struggled even against juniors from Belarus and barely made it to the top16. Maybe Prandi is too old for this s..t, like Roger Murtaugh would've said, maybe something doesn't click inside a team, they're 21st in FIVB ranking now, what the hell.
3. Serbia - they finished 4th, but let's be honest: 1) they got a lucky draw with Turkey and Netherlands in 1/8 and QF; 2) they were clearly out of shape in their most important tournament this year, with all starters playing more or less below their optimal level; 3) their performance in bronze medal game and general approach was awful; 4) their roster is getting older and their results in youth competitions are AWFUL - basically, it's probable that 4-5 years from now they won't be contending for medals even at ECH-level, because they lack any serious talents in younger generation, so not to win a medal this year considering circumstances (best Euro teams were after Tokyo) was perhaps a waste of last chance to get a gold medal ;
4. France - no matter how big of an understanding I have for them: they won OG, they treated preparations for ECH lightly, some players got a break time from Rezende - that doesn't change a fact that Olympic gold medalist shouldn't have lost in a way they lost to team like Czech Republic. It was a falstart of Rezende and quite interesting that in a first event with French NT he achieved the worst result in his whole career at the major event, basically from what I know about his career, only losing to Venezuela at Panamerican Games (?) in 2003 was similar to that.
5. Russia - the same, but in smaller proportions: they won a silver in Tokyo, they played with experimental squad with plenty of new faces and without their best player, yet they shouldn't have lost to average Poland in a way they did. Obviously, due to their earlier Tokyo results and health issues in a team, I do believe that their fail wasn't nearly as big as in Poland's case;
6. Belgium - geez, once I thought in 2017 that they can be good in next years due to Deroo and a group of solid players, but they were horrendous from what I've seen and weren't able to advance from a group stage over Portugal. It's really weird, because D'Hulst, Rousseaux, Tuerlinckx or Van de Dries is still a good group of players for ECH-level;
7. Estonia - geez, once I thought that they can be a solid team in years to come with some solid players playing in good leagues like Taht, Venno etc, but past two editions they didn't even advance from a group stage, and I felt sorry for their fans in Tallinn that supported them strongly to watch this s...y volleyball, quite frankly.
Biggest suprises individually:
1. Lukas Vasina - I think we've discussed this already: I don't know if this is his true level, considering that he was okay-ish in Czech league last season, but he was still a standout in his team, so he deserves a praise;
2. Alessandro Michieletto - I don't think it was a big suprise that he's already a great player, but I think it was suprising that he had MVP-worthy tournament while being that young in a team that wasn't any favorite;
3. Daniele Lavia - he had really weird season in Modena, when he mixed really good and really bad performances from match to match, but everyone was aware that if he finds some consistency (and gets healthy, because he had some knee issues last year) with his size and technique, he can become Urnaut-type of a player. I don't know whether overall he's there (we'll find out next season in Trentino), but I think he'll be there at one point, and he definitely was at this level during this tournament. I thought that he gets a bit unnoticed due to how spectacular Michieletto is, but in a final he was a better and more consistent player, and his stats from the whole event (2nd-highest scorer of Italian team, 39% of spike efficiency) were amazing, considering his at least solid impact in every other element;
4. Efe Mandiraci - I don't think that after all he had a great tournament, and I don't think he's an OH in a 1st place considering he plays successfully as OPP in Turkey (I think it suits him better), but it was a first time he promoted himself on a broader scale to international audience with this game against Russia, where he was spectacular, and suddenly rumors about him moving to Italy started to circulate online, so I guess he was a suprise for some people;
5. Filip Cveticanin - I was suprised that he was one of the best MBs in this competition, definitely worthy of getting a chance to play in much better league than Portuguese, especially considering his age (1996). Maybe it was one-tournament fluke, I've no idea, but he was really great, especially in blocking, especially in this game against Netherlands;
6. Yuri Romano - it's quite funny, because I knew that he had the best season of his career on A2 level in Siena, with his stats improving rapidly last year, but no one could've expected anything like being an x-factor in gold medal game at ECH level few months later. Quite sad that he'll be probably only a backup of Jean Patry in Milano, because he seems to have a bigger potential than Pinali, not only based on his final's performance;
My dream-team
Giannelli-Nimir
Pajenk-Kochanowski
Leon-Michieletto
Kovacic
MVP: Michieletto
Best game: Italy-Slovenia, Slovenia-Poland
Worst game: Bulgaria-Germany -
I still can't believe it. These young players showed good game and good chemistry, suffering a lot against a great Slovenian team.. But in the end they made it.
Congrats guys. Giannelli is a giant, much deserved MVP
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Maybe it was mentioned here but I might have missed it. It looks like after the match vs Russia, Heynen said he doesn’t know who their opponents are, they can beat anyone if they played like they did against Russia, in fact he doesn’t even know which teams are playing in quarterfinals. What a DICK!
Cebulj, upon being asked about Heynen’s statement, said “Karma” after the match against Poland. -
Maybe it was mentioned here but I might have missed it. It looks like after the match vs Russia, Heynen said he doesn’t know who their opponents are, they can beat anyone if they played like they did against Russia, in fact he doesn’t even know which teams are playing in quarterfinals. What a DICK!
Cebulj, upon being asked about Heynen’s statement, said “Karma” after the match against Poland.Biggest villain in world volleyball for sure.
We need him coaching another top NT soon to have someone to cheer against
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ECH Dream Team:
Ropret-NimirPodrascanin-Nowakowski
Michieletto-Lavia
Balaso
https://eurovolley.cev.eu/en/a…volley-men-all-star-team/
Regardless of whether these choices are correct or not, it's still curious to see Nowakowski, Podrascanin (1987) and Michieletto (2001) with Lavia (1999) at the same level.
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What a pity Pajenk didnt receive an award. He was just outstanding during the whole ECH. As well as Kozamernik (Jan was even more impressive for me).