China NT 2021

  • I'll be shocked if China doesn't win Gold at Tokyo.They have everything in their power to make some Brazil 2008 vibes and run over everyone until the final.

  • Unless Mihajlovic, Milena and Busa all play below par, Russia can't. Especially not without Parubets and if Goncharova continues to play as below par as lately. Turkey just might.


    But this is getting off-topic.

  • Thanks, hopefully we will get to see the results. I am less sure than you are :P

    I think many of us are in the same boat: for one reason or another, we might not want to openly admit it, but I'm fairly certain most of the members here think China will win gold, and would pick them for a win if they had to bet their life on it.:(:P

  • The only team that can really challenge China atm is Italy and maybe USA. With Serbias current roster: Malesivic retiring, Veljovic being pregnant, Rasic being a shadow of herself, Mihajlovic underperforming, their team is considerably weaker. Although I wouldnt count them out totally. USA otoh is very vague. They dont have their starting 6 yet, with veterans trying to go back and newbies fighting for their chance. Their lineup is clusterf*ck atm.

  • I think we all saw the best of Serbia and Italy at WCH. I don't think that they can upgrade their game more than that. Especially after Ognjenovic, Bosetti, De Gennaro retire curious about them. Maybe not in Tokyo, Russia will be raise from their ashes in Paris.

  • I think many of us are in the same boat: for one reason or another, we might not want to openly admit it, but I'm fairly certain most of the members here think China will win gold, and would pick them for a win if they had to bet their life on it.:(:P

    I would pick them too but IMO matches with Serbia and Italy can go either way.

  • I also think CHN is the heavy favourite of OG. They won the gold with such a young squad and now with almost all the starting players still playing, there is no reason for them not to repeat the same success. I am sure every player are highly motivated to give their best as a fairwell to Lang Ping


    Final will be either Serbia or Italy. Both have very special Opposites complemented with top players in almost every position. Depending on which one of boskoviç and Egonu will go beast mode, the finalist will be determined.


    4th finalist will be the one which will be 3rd of pool B, so either USA or TUR.

  • I'll be shocked if China doesn't win Gold at Tokyo.They have everything in their power to make some Brazil 2008 vibes and run over everyone until the final.

    I think that Egonu and Boskovic can wil gold either.

  • I bet that Brazil will surprise all peopple in this Olympic if everyone is healthy.


    Without been favourite i think that they can play way better.

  • If im not mistake Tandara, Gabi and Natália didnt play together and Thaisa is coming back to a good shape.

  • I also think CHN is the heavy favourite of OG. They won the gold with such a young squad and now with almost all the starting players still playing, there is no reason for them not to repeat the same success. I am sure every player are highly motivated to give their best as a fairwell to Lang Ping


    Final will be either Serbia or Italy. Both have very special Opposites complemented with top players in almost every position. Depending on which one of boskoviç and Egonu will go beast mode, the finalist will be determined.


    4th finalist will be the one which will be 3rd of pool B, so either USA or TUR.

    You mean semi-finalist; there can't be 4 finalists.:P


    And your post seems to presuppose that China will avoid both Serbia and Italy in the semis. I honestly don't know how doable that is...I tried to gather how the seeded will meet in quarters, but I couldn't found exactly how they would be paired beyond that 1st will play against 4th and 2nd against either the 2nd or 3rd depending on the dice. But who will the winner of A1-B4 and A4-B1 matches go against in the semis?

  • The only team that can really challenge China atm is Italy and maybe USA. With Serbias current roster: Malesivic retiring, Veljovic being pregnant, Rasic being a shadow of herself, Mihajlovic underperforming, their team is considerably weaker. Although I wouldnt count them out totally. USA otoh is very vague. They dont have their starting 6 yet, with veterans trying to go back and newbies fighting for their chance. Their lineup is clusterf*ck atm.

    Serbia is definitely the biggest challenger to China. They have a Boskovic. (three teams have generational players right now. Im not betting against any of them)


    Im not sure I'd put the USA there yet. They're a mess :lol: USA fast is something that can disrupt all of the "Big Three" but they'd have to be absolutely perfect to come out on top.

  • You mean semi-finalist; there can't be 4 finalists.:P


    And your post seems to presuppose that China will avoid both Serbia and Italy in the semis. I honestly don't know how doable that is...I tried to gather how the seeded will meet in quarters, but I couldn't found exactly how they would be paired beyond that 1st will play against 4th and 2nd against either the 2nd or 3rd depending on the dice. But who will the winner of A1-B4 and A4-B1 matches go against in the semis?

    In 2016 I remember China (4th) played Netherlands (2nd) and USA (1st) played Serbia (3rd) in the semis after eliminating pool A...

    so A1-B4 winner plays A3-B2 winner (but 2nd and 3rd are determined by a random draw so we don't know for sure; we could have A3-B3 and A2-B2 matches and IDK what happens then)

    If this is true then Serbia is expected to top Pool A plays 2nd in Pool B after quarters.


    Of course any one of those three teams would like the other two to meet in the semis :)

  • Serbia is definitely the biggest challenger to China. They have a Boskovic. (three teams have generational players right now. Im not betting against any of them)


    Im not sure I'd put the USA there yet. They're a mess :lol: USA fast is something that can disrupt all of the "Big Three" but they'd have to be absolutely perfect to come out on top.

    On top of that Serbia and China's A teams haven't faced each other for a long time now. I checked and it seems like it was the Rio Gold medal match that was the last serious match between the two, everything else up until now has been one sided.


    2019 World Cup/VNL - Serbia B Team

    2018 WCH - Didn't meet each other, 2018 VNL - China B Team

    2017 WGP - China without Lang Ping/Zhang Changning/Yan Ni and Serbia without Ognjenovic/S. Popovic (Blagojevic was libero and they had Stevanovic, Antonijevic, Malesevic starting)

  • On top of that Serbia and China's A teams haven't faced each other for a long time now. I checked and it seems like it was the Rio Gold medal match that was the last serious match between the two, everything else up until now has been one sided.


    2019 World Cup/VNL - Serbia B Team

    2018 WCH - Didn't meet each other, 2018 VNL - China B Team

    2017 WGP - China without Zhang Changning/Yan Ni and Serbia without Ognjenovic/ S. Popovic (Blagojevic was libero and they had Stevanovic, Antonijevic, Malesevic starting)

    how crazy would it be for them to not have serious matches for 5 years except the two olympics finals :o

  • Im not counting out Serbia yet. They still have Boskovic. They are still contenders. But one of Serbia’s greatest strengths leading to the Rio olympics and after is their MBs. I think Veljkovic announced that she will miss Tokyo. While Stevanovic is on the ropes with the national team.

  • I think Veljkovic announced that she will miss Tokyo.

    No, she didn't. She said she isn't giving up on Tokyo, and would like to play. She'll have some 4-5 months to recover after giving birth.

  • No, she didn't. She said she isn't giving up on Tokyo, and would like to play. She'll have some 4-5 months to recover after giving birth.

    Really difficult for a MB. Fabiola come back but not in good shape for Rio...