Posts by raylight

    Looks like a tactical loss for Brazil imo. They get to train their bench and at the same time helping a weak team go to the final round. Not bad.


    Murilo should've played better. He was probably nervous starting ahead of Bruno.

    I have two questions for you.


    1. How exactly does it look like tactical loss? What are the common patterns when Brazil plays to lose? Specific models of serving, block-defense or other behavior that you could distinguish as uncommon after careful statistical analysis?
    2. How do you define "weak" for teams? Bulgaria has been consistently among top 8 in almost every competition since 1950-s, since 2006 in top 6 in every competition with 2014 WCH and 2016 olympic games as exception and with three bronze medals and several 4th places. Currently the team won against Russia, the World and the Olympic champion.

    No one is obliged to like our team. Even my wife said they play boring game this championship. Of course with full team and possibly Stoychev as coach /over the dead body of Lazarov - one more plus/ the team will be really attractive for the fans of power volleyball, but in this set of players the best part is the blocking /so the fans of blocking should like us/ France play much more attractive volleyball in the last years, it is normally to bе liked more from purely volleyball aspect. I just hope there aren't many people that don't like the team because it is Bulgaria, not because it doesn't play like Brazillians played football in the 60s.

    A lot of surprises today, of course not Russia losing, they didn't have good year. Slovenia always had potential to cause upset, but didn't succeeded until today (Children of Glenn Hoag) . Poland was exhausted mentally from World Cup, as I wrote before - if you don't take a place, you should worry in the ECH, unfortunately. Germany was a surprise, I didn't expected Todorov/Aleksiev combo to break Grozer in two matches in a row /Aleksiev did incredible single block vs Grozer to get him out of the court/ and Germany to make so many mistakes. We didn't play well - the difference is mostly unforced errors. Our setting after bad reception is the worst of all teams I've watched /something with wich Zhekov could have helped/. Thank God for the middles to solve our spiking and blocking problems /Vlado did what he could with that setting/ France is a beast, and we are missing key players and key preparations that didn't happened, but we have our public :)


    P.S. I am sorry for Penchev's stepfather.

    I'm really sorry for yesterday's result, I fear France and I consider it one of the best teams nowadays for their style of play. Anyway in the first two sets Italy managed to stop them, especially in the second one where Ngapeth went a bit in confusion... then I don't what it really happened, but now our road is harder! I believe this guys can beat Finland but especially Russia but we'll need a perfect performance! I see a good physical condition, I hope that after yesterday's lost they are even more angry!

    Although I didn't expected France to beat Italy from 0:2 to 3:2, I have to admit they have been participating in such games from both sides of the coin from 2006. If there is a team who can radically change after two sets of the same kind, it must be them.

    Bulgaria hasn't lost on purpose in volleyball yet. It's the one positive thing in the last medalles years. About Germany, I don't hate the team, but I would punch the coach in the face If I have an opportunity in Sofia. One would be enough.


    I don't know what Plamen did to the players, but with so many injuries it is clear he doesn't know how to prepare them both physically and technically, which is surprising, having seen him in Turkey in Russia as good coach. Belmeken, belmeken, the graveyard of hopes.


    About Poland being the best team in Europe, I think that France, Italy and Russia do not agree.

    Whatever comes next, i don't think that i will ever be able to forget them this crap......

    Germany is the second northern country that loses on purpose after Poland vs Slovakia iN ECH 2011. I ddin't expected that from them. This is normally something for southern countries as mentality. I hope Bulgaria doesn't do the same at certain point :whistle:


    P.S. It is normal to prefer Bulgaria, after so many missing players, Sokolov, Skrimov, Valentin Bratoev ./who was deciding in Baku/ and with that lack of preparation. Plamen Konstantinov doesn't believe in practicing with the ball, their serving haven't moved from World League. Penchev is one of the top jump servers and now he sends float, that is enough as info to judge. We saw that reception is not iron, either, vs Czech republic> When Grozer serves 133km/h there will be trouble. But still, Germany will have problems because of the home advantage if we face them. There is no guarantee that the second match will be the total opposite from them, not in Sofia.

    Someone wrote here that no one expected Italy to get something here after the problems at the WL. I expected it and wrote it two weeks ago - Zaytsev and Juantorena /their infair advantage/ are making them favorite.


    Btw, FIVB officials wouldn't pass elementary logic test with me as a teacher. 3 medals and 2 quotes for the OG = WTF