2020 Olympics - Tokyo, Japan
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Congrats Argentina
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he shouldn’t have decided to skip club season just before the Olympics then.
It wasn't his fault. CVL wasn't communicating well if they'll start Chinese Volleyball Season or not.
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So is this USA's punishment for leaving Ben Patch at home?
Joking aside, I'm sorry for the players. They could (and should...) have achieved a much better result...
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Let's be honest, Holt, Sander, Anderson and Christenson had average to bad to non-existent club seasons, after all it is not that big of a suprise that ageing team like their disappointed, considering there's no quality alternative on a bench to any of them.
What was suprising is that Conte played his best game since 2019 in NT to make it through really convicingly.
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Micah crying at the end
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So is this USA's punishment for leaving Ben Patch at home?
Joking aside, I'm sorry for the players. They could (and should...) have achieved a much better result...
Do you think Patch would have made a difference?
Has Ensing played at least once? 😂
I think the absence of Russell really hurt the team a lot. -
USA's volleyball season was dead on arrival the moment the news broke about Russell's season-ending injury.
They protected Sander even during the last season thinking they would get him back in time for olympics but ended up with Russell as the player not making the olympics.
Anderson was a factor too... His serve is nowhere to be found.
And the other one is Jendryk. His float serve could've helped USA flatten the service error rate.
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Kudos to coach Mendez though!
2 double sub at the end of 2nd/3rd set and both did the contribution.
Ramos made the block in 2nd and Sanchez made the dig in 3rd.
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Do you think Patch would have made a difference?
Has Ensing played at least once? 😂
I think the absence of Russell really hurt the team a lot.Patch can't serve. lol
He won't help.
It's the service errors that killed USA.
This is why I'm still shocked with Jendryk not making the olympics. Everyone in the team is a jump spin server.
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Patch got a chance to play at the start of VNL and was average as he's always been in NT after his promising debut, he didn't make it because he wasn't able to outplay Ensing in the VNL, he wouldn't be any factor for NT here.
To be honest the biggest disappointment today was Sander, but he wasn't his 100% self in Skra as well, so probably it is a lot to expect from 29yo experienced OH after a year of break due to serious shoulder injury to still be in his peak shape.
In general - yeah, Russell had the best club season among all American wingers, but he got injured at the late part of a season, ironically.
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USA is gonna have to work on their bench like... soon. Different from the female squad, this team has no depth whatsoever. The 4 teams who advanced in Group B all have a much better quality sitting on the bench.
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Crazy day. If you've told me earlier that Japan will get in but not USA, I would've not believed you. Japan and Iran is too close and emotional as expected given that they have always been Asian rivals and the match can go either way. I'm glad Japan got it though. Argentina played really well and with a sense of urgency compared to USA.
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Why they dont give Jaeschke chance at all? Is he THAT bad?
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Argentina played really well and with a sense of urgency compared to USA.
Somehow I feel this too. Like Argentina want it more.
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Italy x Argentina
Poland x France
Brazil x Japan
Russia x Canada
Quaterfinals are set
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USA is gonna have to work on their bench like... soon. Different from the female squad, this team has no depth whatsoever. The 4 teams who advanced in Group B all have a much better quality sitting on the bench.
That's always a case for team USA though, there's no comparison of male and female volleyball in terms of number of players/universities on decent level etc., even when they won a gold in 2008, they were back to mediocrity after Ball retirement because they lacked a depth badly. They had great upswing in number of decent players due to Christenson, Sander, Russell, Jaeschke (he was a big talent after all), but I don't think they have any successors to Anderson or Holt, the best college players past year were foreigners (Parapunov, Gabi), and I don't think there is any talent of Christenson-Sander upside right now from US in college. There is a very tall opposite Jack Hanes who was labeled to be a really big talent, but he didn't play at all in France, and he'll play in 2nd Polish league next year, so...
The only players that have perspectives to become good are DeFalco, Tuaniga and Worsley, but that won't give them a depth on OPP or MB positions. And from broader perspective, since Kiraly-Timmons generation retired, they've won two Olympic medals and one WCH medal, so it's not like they're a real volleyball powerhouse in terms of number of good players they're able to produce.
Okay:
Poland-France
Italy-Argentina
Brazil-Japan
Canada-Russia
Poland-France/Italy-Argentina
Brazil-Japan/Canada-Russia
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Display MoreItaly x Argentina
Poland x France
Brazil x Japan
Russia x Canada
Quaterfinals are set
Gonna be really tough games from the ones on the right side
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Brazil VS Russia on the semi? 😱
