2021 FIVB U21 World Championship | Italy & Bulgaria

    Quote from inc0gnito

    I see Nikolaev is still the HC explains why the squad is mostly made up Fakel players

    Indeed, Nikolaev, as a Fakel HC, made the club sign some of these players (Dineykin, Morozov, and Kurbanov) for this season. Fakel's original players are just Vyshnikov and Yutsevich. BTW, I don't like the first one. He isn't good (just tall). Kostadinov from Loko should've been instead of him. I don't know about the second one... I wanted to see Antonov (who's also a Fakel player), but it seems he's not physically ready yet.


    If everything goes normal, Russia and Italy will make the final. Brazil, Poland, and Iran are question marks for me. Maybe Realista could help us :sos:

    Quote from Husky123

    Indeed, Nikolaev, as a Fakel HC, made the club sign some of these players (Dineykin, Morozov, and Kurbanov) for this season. Fakel's original players are just Vyshnikov and Yutsevich. BTW, I don't like the first one. He isn't good (just tall). Kostadinov from Loko should've been instead of him. I don't know about the second one... I wanted to see Antonov (who's also a Fakel player), but it seems he's not physically ready yet.


    If everything goes normal, Russia and Italy will make the final. Brazil, Poland, and Iran are question marks for me. Maybe Realista could help us :sos:

    Do you know if Murashko has signed with a Superleague club this season? Or is he still stuck with Loko's youth team? I think Murashko, Fedorov and Braziniuk are the most promising from this generation and has very good portability to senior NT.

    Quote from inc0gnito

    Do you know if Murashko has signed with a Superleague club this season? Or is he still stuck with Loko's youth team? I think Murashko, Fedorov and Braziniuk are the most promising from this generation and has very good portability to senior NT.

    Lokomotiv loaned some players (Murashko, Kazachenkov, Kostadinov) to Dinamo Chelyabinsk that'll play the Liga A (second division). Agree, Brazhniuk is too talented. He'll play for Yenisey this season.

    Quote from Husky123

    If everything goes normal, Russia and Italy will make the final. Brazil, Poland, and Iran are question marks for me. Maybe Realista could help us :sos:

    Brazil looks really decent on paper, they can realistically compete for a final: even if Superliga fell of a cliff past few years, Darlan (OPP) was still the best scorer of regular season of Superliga last season, Leo (MB) was very impressive when he played (he had some injury issues AFAIR tho) and Adriano (OH) was chosen as a revelation of last season, because he was playing really well in Itapetininga, which sensationaly eliminated Sada Cruzeiro in QFs of the playoffs, and he already played in senior NT at continental championship. They weren't good at U19 level, but maybe their problem was that their best players were from 2002, not 2001 (all Darlan, Adriano and Leo), so they were a year behind most of players, and with 17-18yo kids it makes a big difference. I don't like their main setter to be honest from what I've seen him, and I don't know about 2nd OH-libero combination, so I don't know how they will function within the same group of players, but these mentioned boys individually are really impressive, all have definitely senior NT potential.


    Iran in a wide squad submitted for a tournament had Bartia Saadat listed, and he can be a real killer on this level with his size and strength. Iran plays at least on solid level in most of these tournaments past few years, so I guess it will be a case as well here if Saadat plays there, although I know that he had some disciplinary issues after he signed a contract in Korea, and honestly I didn't check out any updates of their friendly games and preparations.


    About Poland, I think I've already said that: we have more talented group (like, individually) than results we've achieved in this age category (6th place at ECH U20), especially Michał Gierżot (OH) is a big talent even for standards of Polish volleyball. That being said, we have s...y preparations that started really lately in comparison to other countries (it's like no one believes we can achieve anything), and results in friendlies against league level from a 1st league division (so the 2nd league after Plusliga) were quite concerning. In comparison, Michieletto-less Italy was winning in a comfortable way these type of matches.


    For me it's something like:


    Italy with Michieletto


    (gap)


    Russia, Brazil


    (gap)


    Bulgaria


    (gap)


    Poland, Iran, Argentina, Czech Republic, Belgium, Cuba


    ... although Argentina won a medal at WCH U19, and maybe that's just my lack of knowledge because continental championship in this age category in South America wasn't palyed, and in fact they're better than I think. But we'll see, it's a junior competition, many suprises are possible, Italy lost a final at ECH U20 to Russia after not losing a single set prior to this game, it's just my feeling based on best players of these teams that I'm familiar with.


    Btw. Marlon Yant is listed in wide Cuban roster for a competition, that's interesting, earlier he said in an interview that he's gonna play this event. I have no idea about other Cuban players tho if they're good enough to create a decent team.

    Italian roster:


    Setters: Paolo Porro (Power Volley Milano); Leonardo Ferrato (Volley Motta di Livenza);

    Opposites: Tommaso Stefani (Prisma Taranto); Andrea Schiro (Kioene Padova);

    Outside Hitters: Tommaso Rinaldi (Top Volley Cisterna Latina), Giulio Magalini (Volley Verona), Alessandro Michieletto (Trentino Volley);

    Middle Blockers: Federico Crosato (Kioene Padova), Nicola Cianciotta (Volley Mondovì), Francesco Comparoni (Vero Volley Monza);

    Libero: Damiano Catania (Blu Energy Piacenza), Mattia Gottardo* (Kioene Padova);

    *can play as OH


    Michieletto-less Italy easily defeated twice Argentina in friendlies before a tournament. I guess AM will play during a 1st phase only against Czech Republic if there are some issues for Italy to win this game.


    Polish roster:


    Setters: Dawid Pawlun, Igor Gniecki

    Opposites: Dawid Dulski, Bartosz Gomułka

    Outside Hitters: Michał Gierżot, Jakub Czerwiński, Jakub Kraut, Antoni Kwasigroch

    Middle Blockers: Adrian Markiewicz, Jakub Strulak, Karol Urbanowicz

    Libero: Maciej Nowosiak


    From this team Urbanowicz and Gierżot have already played on Plusliga level (Urbanowicz regularly in Gdańsk), Czerwiński played a single set in Olsztyn.

    Quote from Realista

    Iran in a wide squad submitted for a tournament had Bartia Saadat listed, and he can be a real killer on this level with his size and strength. Iran plays at least on solid level in most of these tournaments past few years, so I guess it will be a case as well here if Saadat plays there, although I know that he had some disciplinary issues after he signed a contract in Korea, and honestly I didn't check out any updates of their friendly games and preparations.


    the Iranian team arrived in Italy with 13 players, they left one spot open for Saadat but as of now it's not clear if he goes to Italy or not. he was supposed to come to Japan and train with the senior team during the Asian Championships but he didn't. based on the official statement even if he shows up it's still up to the coach to let him join the team or not. but I guess that's just an statement to show they are tough guys :lol: he will play if he comes.


    the biggest problem for Iran is that they never trained together, even their coach was in Japan coaching the senior team!! (kind of stupid to have one coach for two teams :aww:) he brought two players from the senior team too, two MBs, Toukhteh and Jelveh.


    it will be a very hard first round for this team with Belgium and Argentina in the same group

    Quote from mosi

    the Iranian team arrived in Italy with 13 players, they left one spot open for Saadat but as of now it's not clear if he goes to Italy or not.

    I see him in 12-man roster, so I guess he'll play.


    https://en.volleyballworld.com…-2021/teams/4944/players/


    It is confirmed that Yant will play for Cuba.


    Armoa (Argentina), Reggers (Belgium), D'Heer (Belgium; new Trentino MB), Darlan (Brazil), Adriano (Brazil), Leo (Brazil), Karyagin (Bulgaria), Nikolov (Bulgaria), Rinaldi (Italy), Michieletto (lol), Stefani (Italy), Porro (Italy), Saadat (Iran), Toukteh (Iran), Elhossiny (Egypt), Mikulenka (Czech), Yant (Cuba), Gierżot (Poland), Urbanowicz (Poland), Kurbanov (Russia), Murashko (Russia), Fedorov (Russia) -- these guys that I am familiar with prior to the event have looked as the most promising from this age group, we will see who's gonna be a revelation of this specific event.


    Tomorrow we'll get Cuba-Poland and Brazil-Russia for a beginning, good for us.

    Russia and Brazil playing tie break now.


    Brazil has good pins and libero. The MB Leonardo has been playing bad.


    I didnt see anything too special on Russia side. A good and balanced team IMO.

    Brazil has really weak MB. They suck in every aspect of the game. Attack, Block, service.

    The setter isn't good either (although he seems to think that is the best player of this world). The Block defence sistem is garbage. Russia team is a better team overall and seems more prepared.


    The Opp from Rússia reminds me of Mariusz W from Poland.

    Tbh, I didn't enjoy Russia's performance. I know they can do better (like the European final against Italy). The defense was non-existent in some sets (today wasn't Fedorov's day), and their OHs and Opp struggled a lot in attack. Let's see if it was just the debut or they gonna play the whole championship like that. BTW, I wanna see Kurbanov in the next matches:read:

    Quote from Gomes

    The Opp from Rússia reminds me of Mariusz W from Poland.

    I knew Murashko reminded me of some player in his approach in attacking the ball.. and you found it for me I definitely see the similarities :win:

    I guess the days when Brazil played pleasant aesthetically and great technically volleyball are over: another team, again reminding more of Bulgaria than what we've been use to see from Brazil throughout the years. It's not even a shot against these boys, no matter of an outcome I do believe all three Darlan, Paulo and Adriano have a big potential (wasn't Paulo an OPP sub of Yadrian in a league tho?), it's still possible that they'll succeed here, but it was painful to watch regardless of a choke in a 4th set: bad reception, reaally average setting, one-dimensional wing spikers, no exploitation of middles. And it can work on senior level, like for example Serbian team has worked throughout the years, it's just ... different.


    I don't know why Russia played without Kurbanov, but without him in a good shape for whatever reason they're very ... unspectacular.


    I like Poland (although they were in troubles in those moments when Yant reminded himself that he's a baller), obviously Italy played without Michieletto against pretty bad opponent, but their game was very enjoyable. Iran like mosi said is playing with 11 players without Saadat as for now.

    not sure if people noticed but the Iranian coach did an Alekno :lol: yesterday, after 2 sets when his team was completely helpless he moved the MB Toukhteh to the opposite position (nobody knew he can play as OP) and almost had a comeback but I guess Belgian defenders read our very predictable setter easily in the 5th set and blocked Toukhteh so many times to win the match

    actually Belgium deserved a 3-0 win, they had something like 7 pts lead in the 3rd set but somehow lost it.


    Saadat joined the team last night and I guess he will play today. (which is do or die game for Iran) not sure how useful he will be, arriving very late and without training with these setters.