|
|
Post by hwy101 on Aug 24, 2004 17:20:34 GMT -5
So far in volleyball at the Olympics, US versus Brazil: Walsh/May beat Brazil's Behar/Bede ;D US Men's indoor team beats Brazil ;D US Women's indoor team loses to Brazil  |
|
|
|
Post by sonofbarcelonabob on Aug 24, 2004 17:23:57 GMT -5
On the flip side, this match was closer than I thought it would be. USA hasn't proven it can beat Brazil when the chips are down. On the men's side, Brazil is fixing to administer an ass-waxing to Team Former All-Americans Now International Whipping Boys. Oops. I'm getting ahead of myself. Team Former All-Americans International Wussies has to get past the home team Greece tomorrow. With a arena full of rabid Greek fans cheering on the home team, look for Ball's balls (pun intended) to crawl back inside his abdomen and not come back out until Team USA is on the plane heading home. LOL. |
|
|
|
Post by sonofbarcelonabob on Aug 24, 2004 17:24:31 GMT -5
So far in volleyball at the Olympics, US versus Brazil: Walsh/May beat Brazil's Behar/Bede ;D US Men's indoor team beats Brazil ;D US Women's indoor team loses to Brazil Can't count the men's pool-play win. Brazil tanked that match to setup Russia/Serbia and Montanegro in the crossover. |
|
|
|
Post by hwy101 on Aug 24, 2004 17:26:45 GMT -5
One thing both the USA Women and USA Men can take from this Olympic tournament is that you need to take care of business right away - and every match starting with the first day of pool-play is important. It's easier to deal with a high-stress tournament like the Olympics when you've controlled your own destiny, and not dropped some early and then had to stress-out waiting for the results of other pool matches that you have no control over. . So very true! The loss to China was not that unexpected. Their win against Germany showed their vulnerability and it showed when the Dominican Republic beat them. The turning point was the game against Russia. They were starting to hit their stride and against Cuba showed what they were capable of. |
|
|
|
Post by PukaPants on Aug 24, 2004 17:33:07 GMT -5
In the spirit of good will and love, I invite Keba Phipps and Tara Cross Battle to please stand over there at the shuttle stop for the Retirement Castle.
Danielle Scott, does she still have any more gas?
Logan Tom and Robyn Ah Mow, the beach beckons you to come, earn big bucks, dethrone Misty May/Kerri Walsh and get that elusive gold, the limo will be picking you up.
Ogonna Nnamani, the future is bright, so here's a pair of Gucci shades.
Heather Bown....still has plenty gas for 2008.
Tayibba, back to the OTC.
Nancy Metcalf? Would she be willing to hang around for another 4 years of sitting on the bench? Hopefully she will, we've barely seen her potential.
Kim Willoughby, book her a damn ticket to the OTC. 2008 could be the right time for her.
Toshi? Who knows....
AS for the rest of the Olympics, I'm putting my bank account on China....they've ran the tightest offense I've ever laid my eyes on.
|
|
|
|
Post by USAFAN on Aug 24, 2004 17:44:27 GMT -5
Hopefully Tayyiba Haneef can make major improvements and use this first Olympics as a learning experience. While I am dissapointed that the USA didn't get a medal and I excited to see the new faces that will be with the squad in the coming years.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gorf on Aug 24, 2004 17:51:48 GMT -5
Without having actually seen the match on the telly, but looking at the stats, it looks like the US serve receive is something that hurt them (yet again) in this match against Brazil.
US tota: 47 of 102 at 46.07
Keba: 17 of 44 at 38%
Stacy: 14 of 27 at 51%
Logan: 10 of 22 at 45%
Tara: 5 of 8 at 62%
Brazil total: 56 of 93 at 60.21
Erika Coimbra: 15 of 25 at 65%
Vima Dias: 19 of 34 at 55%
Arlene Xavier: 19 of 27 at 67%
For 2008 they need some OH's (and others) that can receive serve and play defense much better and more consistantly than the players on the 2004 team.
|
|
|
|
Post by VolleyTX on Aug 24, 2004 17:58:20 GMT -5
I haven't seen the match yet, but what I think the US is missing is individual self-confidence. (God willing, NBC will air the whole thing tonight) In tight situations, they play tentative..... like many teams do. Russia is the same. They internalize their mistakes... instead of venting.
The one team that exemplifies a confident attitude is Cuba. They don't get down on themselves when playing badly. They stoke each other up. They hit the ball just as hard whether they are up or in a hole.
A perfect example of this is Costa in the 2000 final against Russia. Cuba was down two sets. Costa made several mistakes in a row. She would hit a shot out. Instead of pouting.... she got mad. She hanked on the net. Her couch started yelling at her from the sidelines. She gave him a dirty look ... put her hand up in his face.... and silenced him.
|
|
|
|
Post by cougarize on Aug 24, 2004 18:05:24 GMT -5
I've decided to jump on the Team Canada wagon and hopefully the canucks make Beijing in '08. Maybe Logan will become Canadian. Or maybe I'm going CRAZY!
|
|
|
|
Post by roy on Aug 24, 2004 18:11:09 GMT -5
From what I have seen and read, the US sounds like they just peaked too early. They were really strong right after Sydney, and the core group hung around. The team meshed well and was able to compete with the rest the world. But all that confidence coming off the 2000 games didn't carry over. They just slowed down at the wrong time.
Another idea might be that the other countries might have gotten familiar with the US style, since there there hasn't been much of a change in the past 4 years. I am sure that they have been well scouted by the other top teams.
|
|
|
|
Post by vbfan on Aug 24, 2004 18:27:10 GMT -5
"Without having actually seen the match on the telly, but looking at the stats, it looks like the US serve receive is something that hurt them (yet again) in this match against Brazil."
I've seen the way Toshi teaches passing and it is not surprising they had so many problems. We aren't the Japanese so don't train our players that way.
|
|
|
|
Post by PukaPants on Aug 24, 2004 18:32:28 GMT -5
The one team that exemplifies a confident attitude is Cuba. They don't get down on themselves when playing badly. They stoke each other up. They hit the ball just as hard whether they are up or in a hole. A perfect example of this is Costa in the 2000 final against Russia. Cuba was down two sets. Costa made several mistakes in a row. She would hit a shot out. Instead of pouting.... she got mad. She hanked on the net. Her couch started yelling at her from the sidelines. She gave him a dirty look ... put her hand up in his face.... and silenced him. I LOVE the bitchiness of Cuba....the way they yell at each other, how vocal they are on the floor, when they yell "PASSE! PASSE!" and who could forget the Cuban player that chocked that Brazilian player back in those Olympics? (sheesh, i think i was in 6th grade at the time) And I agree with Roy...USA needs to adjust their game. They've been playing this style for 4 years now. Look at China.....I was impressed with the way they dismantled the USA with that lighting quick offense. At first, I thought they were passing poorly....but apparently, they were intentionally getting the passes so quick to the setter like missles, no lollipops whatsoever, and the Chinese hitter already smacked the quick and USA was still standing there trying to read the setter...... Obviously China made adjustments to beat the USA wall after they lost in 3 to the USA at the Grand Prix. Looking forward to a Brazil/China finals. |
|
|
|
Post by rightsider on Aug 24, 2004 19:28:02 GMT -5
What's with the continual "playing favorites" on the RS? In Sydney, it was Kerri Walsh, The Annointed One. I thought then that it was Mick's doing, but this year Toshi stays with Haneef while Metcalf sits there with the gun loaded but no opportunity to shoot.
Back to Sydney -- USA started out not loosing to China, like this time, but upsetting them, using an intimidating block, which later took out Barbara Jelic of Croatia. Okay, maybe the Chinese were quicker this time. Anyway, Mick (or Toshi?) puts Walsh back in the starting line-up, which fine, maybe you have to do since she was given the job, I mean, worked for it. So, she back in...because? She had more heat. NO, unless you believe in everything Sunderland says. She was a better blocker. NO. Well, she had those totally amazing digs against Korea. Oh yeah, gotta give her props, no one except maybe Stacy could do that. But, the next summer they whooped everybody else's ass without Kerri on their way to a gold medal at season's end against the Chinese again on their home turf (Hong Kong, that is). The only gold medal those women will wear.
This time around, well, we've watched for ourselves (what little NBC would bother showing us) that just because you're 6'7" and proclaimed the "future of USA volleyball" it stills comes down to making the plays. Haneef was there...because? She had more heat? Wonder what Sunderland would have said? She's a great blocker? You know, those long arms waving around up in the air don't exactly do much. And why can't a 6'7" girl not block? I don't know the answer to any of this. Maybe I'm just a poor sport 'cause two PLAYERS from the midwest had to sit and watch, one in 2000 and now in 2004.
One more thing. That thing called "TEAM" is built not on cheering each other and pats on the butt. It's from something much more fundamental and principled than that. TEAM is built on TRUST. You BELIEVE...in each other. Maybe trust is a little bit harder to come by when one of the teammates happens to there simply as the chosen one.
|
|
|
|
Post by USAFAN on Aug 24, 2004 19:48:47 GMT -5
This post-Olympic period will be an interesting one. I think we all know that its a given that Cross Battle and Phipps will be retiring from the team. But I am wondering if Scott, Bown, Sykora, Ah Mow, and possibly even Tom will continue with the program. Ah Mow is looking like she may retire because she has a young child. Scott has been to three Olympics and came away with nothing, and is getting older. And Bown and Tom are still young, but could two Olympics with nothing lead them into different directions. It was a little unfortunate that we'll never really know how the USA could've done with Metcalf in the lineup, but you have to give some credit to Haneef. Developing new outside hitters will be key, and the never ending search for a setter to replace Ah Mow should be interesting. Here we go with another 4 years  |
|
|
|
Post by sonofbarcelonabob on Aug 24, 2004 20:23:53 GMT -5
Logan Tom and Robyn Ah Mow, the beach beckons you to come, earn big bucks, dethrone Misty May/Kerri Walsh and get that elusive gold, the limo will be picking you up. Tom has never expressed any interest in playing beach. Ah Mow is probably off to devote more time to motherhood and getting on with her life. I don't see Willoughby being able to bring anything different than the many cookie-cutter OH's who will eventually make 1st team All-American within the next 3-4 years. People were saying the exact same thing about another UH phenom, Teee Williams, back in '89 after she finished up her college career. Unfortunately, Americans always base the performances of their national teams (not just volleyball) on Olympic performances, which ignores all of the other great things the USA Women have done in this quadrennial. They have continually acquitted themselves well in the other major FIVB tournaments, which in my opinion, are much more gruelling and difficult tests. Agree. I think it will be between China and Brazil. Maybe Cuba. |
|
