God ITA's entry of Antropova and just a change of attitude in Orro's distribution and Egonu's spike is so amazing. That coach really is good.
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It’s a shame Lazovic hasn’t been playing at all, I didn’t like the OHs from Serbia today
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Serbia were way too predictable for Italy, I'm not sure if there was a lot gio could do.
Not sub out your best scorer? Just an idea
Game was lost after that first set, I won’t bother to comment other 2, it was just mess.
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Congrats Italy! They finally did it, they are finally in the QF! And who would have said that the least talented team would do it, when other historic and iconic Italian team failed to. What a redemption after the Tokyo 2020 debacle. As I said it, Olympics gives these chances to the athletes.
To be honest, it is so hilarious that the day Orro plays her best match after the last VNL preliminary match, the duo Bosetti-Sylla played their worst match
To be honest, Italy would come back with empty hands if that duo show the same performance, cuz they wont concede so many errors as Serbia did today. Hats off for the substitutes, all of them did their job: Giovannini serves helped to level the 1st wet, when they were 5 or 6 downs, Cambi changed the pace of the game and Antropova was a monster every time she came into (some mistakes, sure, but the balance was positive). Egonu gave another masterclass, as Moki.For Serbia...it is a pity that a living legend as Maja had to say goodbye in such a way. But I think SRB fans know very well that everything started bad from the selection of players. Im still surprised how on Earth Giovanni left Jedgic at home, she could be a huge asset even as OH 4, much more when u have Milenkovic as 5one. For me, they had the weapon to counter attack, but the enemy came from the bench. I dont understand at all why to take off the confidence of your 19 years old player when she was delivering...calling Milenkovic, Lozo staying longer time...damn...
The 1st set would have changed the outcome of the match, cuz it was high level. But the trio Velasco-Barbolini-Bernardi were clutch during the TT. They gave only a lesson of how to coach.
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Okay this was really painful, end of golden generation without Olympic gold unfortunately. There is no much to say. Congrats to Italy.
Even before this tournament my plan was to take a break from following volleyball and obviously part of that is to leave this place, this performance just enforce that.
It used to be funny, best regards to all members.
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I feel like I've gone eight rounds with Mike Tyson, confused to the point I don't even know what to say. We survived a terrible first set and if it's true that fortune favours the bold, Giovannini is the perfect example of that saying. A player no one believed in but delivered in one of the most delicate moment of the entire tournament. I don't know what will happen next, but overcoming our ghosts from the past is already a huge success.
Really sad ending for Serbia, I've been there and I know how bad it feels. That doesn't take away all the great things they did in these past years and I'm sure they will be back as the usual fierce opponent in the next future.
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Similar rosters in comparison to Tokyo - the same stage of the tournament - and reversed result: amazing what coaching can do in volleyball in 3 years, lol.
Velasco is this guy - and Guidetti is washed, unfortunately for Serbia. I only see Brazil as capable to stop Italy, their defense-block-Egonu combination is on optimal level all summer, and IMHO (only) Brazil has enough depth on the wings/defense/block to beat them.
True. Orro back then was like a rollercoaster, too many ups and downs, but as she did today, she can be calm and do her work in order.
Talent is important but having a good coach means a lot, let alone choosing a reasonable roster.
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I feel like I've gone eight rounds with Mike Tyson, confused to the point I don't even know what to say. We survived a terrible first set and if it's true that fortune favours the bold, Giovannini is the perfect example of that saying. A player no one believed in but delivered in one of the most delicate moment of the entire tournament. I don't know what will happen next, but overcoming our ghosts from the past is already a huge success.
Really sad ending for Serbia, I've been there and I know how bad it feels. That doesn't take away all the great things they did in these past years and I'm sure they will be back as the usual fierce opponent in the next future.
This post is so poetic, love it! haha
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She started the next match and then was subbed
Pretty much sure she got subbed after one set against China and didn't start at least against Serbia. Hodge also struggled spiking all those OOS sets. Larson came back strong in QFs and SFs (while Tom was struggling) and playing an awful final, where Logan was the best player for the team.
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Similar rosters in comparison to Tokyo - the same stage of the tournament - and reversed result: amazing what coaching can do in volleyball in 3 years, lol.
More precisely just less than a year lol
Italy was still a big mess before Velasco rescued them. OTOH Guidetti ruined everything in both club & NT this year. Both Vakifbank & Serbia are unrecognizable.
Coaching really plays an even more important role than we might think to teams’ success. A group of good or even elite player don’t necessarily turns to good result, it shows many times in the OG this year. -
Italy just did what they did before against Turkey. They are the best team IMO. Lets see.
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Stop blamming Guidetti. The team did not had rhythm. Simple. They did not wanted to play VNL and they pay the price. It is not possible for Boskovic to score 40 points per match to save their ass. They needed time together. They made bad choices and this the results.
Now about Italy. They play a solid but at the same time soft match. Really I want someone to explain me ( I really want it!!!) something. Do you think that the Italian block and defense are so stronge in a way to slow down all the teams which they face or they are just lucky and all play bad against them?
I rally think that If they had to face Brazil today they would have a bad defeat.
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Cofi lost the post for a quote but fyi if you change your handle you have to keep it for a year. ask fire_cai_bin
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Stop blamming Guidetti. The team did not had rhythm. Simple. They did not wanted to play VNL and they pay the price. It is not possible for Boskovic to score 40 points per match to save their ass. They needed time together. They made bad choices and this the results.
Now about Italy. They play a solid but at the same time soft match. Really I want someone to explain me ( I really want it!!!) something. Do you think that the Italian block and defense are so stronge in a way to slow down all the teams which they face or they are just lucky and all play bad against them?
I rally think that If they had to face Brazil today they would have a bad defeat.
I think the blame came from having Milenkovic consistently for such crucial moments, even tho we all know that she couldn’t deliver anything but errors. A good coach learns fast and reacts fast. If not, it’s called ‘stubbornness’.
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I feel like I've gone eight rounds with Mike Tyson, confused to the point I don't even know what to say. We survived a terrible first set and if it's true that fortune favours the bold, Giovannini is the perfect example of that saying. A player no one believed in but delivered in one of the most delicate moment of the entire tournament. I don't know what will happen next, but overcoming our ghosts from the past is already a huge success.
Really sad ending for Serbia, I've been there and I know how bad it feels. That doesn't take away all the great things they did in these past years and I'm sure they will be back as the usual fierce opponent in the next future.
Agree about Giovannini example. Of course nobody expects she will be a scoring machine, her late call to the NT after Pietrini and Degradi absence was heavily criticised, I read almost everywhere in Italian social networks that she didnt have the quality to be in Paris (and to be honest, with Elena or Alice there, Giovannini would be enjoying her summer), etc, etc. But to be honest, she has been one of the most solid Italian players. She has done her job 10/10 every time she came into. Against DOM she helped to stabilize the reception and subbed well Caterina. Against NED, she was almost a second libero and had so many digs, as well as when she had to be in front row, she recycled many balls and wasnt stuffed blocked one single time. Same story against TUR. Today she was clutch with her serves and supported Moki in reception. More than this, it cant be asked from her, with the few international experience she has.
And here it is when we can see the coaches hands.
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Stop blamming Guidetti. The team did not had rhythm. Simple. They did not wanted to play VNL and they pay the price. It is not possible for Boskovic to score 40 points per match to save their ass. They needed time together. They made bad choices and this the results.
Now about Italy. They play a solid but at the same time soft match. Really I want someone to explain me ( I really want it!!!) something. Do you think that the Italian block and defense are so stronge in a way to slow down all the teams which they face or they are just lucky and all play bad against them?
I rally think that If they had to face Brazil today they would have a bad defeat.
Why not? They won WCh with almost the same roster and with a libero worse than Popovic and OHs tandem. It’s all because of the bad coach.
They could have won the match vs USA if he did not subout Boskovic in 5th set. Gio also ruined their momentum by subbing out Uzelac and ruining her confidence when in fact she’s doing great at the back. -
When Serbia was targeting gold medal, they just won against France.
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Now about Italy. They play a solid but at the same time soft match. Really I want someone to explain me ( I really want it!!!) something. Do you think that the Italian block and defense are so stronge in a way to slow down all the teams which they face or they are just lucky and all play bad against them?
Attack efficiency by Italy's opponents in the VNL playoffs and OG:
USA: 40/20% attack efficiency
POL: 30/4%
JPN: 29/17%
DOM: 34/14%
NED: 34/22%
TUR: 36/16%
SRB: 40/23%
Yeah, Italy's size, block and back row defense is just objectively insane.
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tijana just said that match ended after first set
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Stop blamming Guidetti. The team did not had rhythm. Simple. They did not wanted to play VNL and they pay the price. It is not possible for Boskovic to score 40 points per match to save their ass. They needed time together. They made bad choices and this the results.
Now about Italy. They play a solid but at the same time soft match. Really I want someone to explain me ( I really want it!!!) something. Do you think that the Italian block and defense are so stronge in a way to slow down all the teams which they face or they are just lucky and all play bad against them?
I rally think that If they had to face Brazil today they would have a bad defeat.
I won’t stop blaming Guidetti. He’s not the only reason for the defeat of course. Not playing the VNL could be a factor. Italy just having better players is also a factor. But Serbia was winning and playing well in set 1 when he a) interrupted a point to challenge for a floor touch when there was none and b) inexcusably repeated his earlier mistake by bringing in Milenkovic for Uzelac. The first is an understandable but unfortunate error, the second comes from his own inflated ego IMO. From the end of set 1, the team was never the same, which the players also deserve some blame for obviously.