|
Post by c4ndlelight on Jun 15, 2019 21:14:18 GMT -5
Seeding matters very little at the Olympics. Completely disagree. It meant the world to Italy. You think Italy wouldn’t have been in the Quarterfinals in the other pool? No way. Nobody in that pool made the Semifinals. Sure, Italy might not have won their QF match even if they made it, but they played USA and Serbia tight in the pool play matches. The way the Olympics have worked, you either get a tough pool or a tough crossover. The winners of the easy pool have gone out in the QF the last two times.
|
|
|
Post by n00b on Jun 15, 2019 22:14:04 GMT -5
Seeding matters very little at the Olympics. Completely disagree. It meant the world to Italy. You think Italy wouldn’t have been in the Quarterfinals in the other pool? No way. Nobody in that pool made the Semifinals. Sure, Italy might not have won their QF match even if they made it, but they played USA and Serbia tight in the pool play matches. How the pools come out DOES matter. However, I'm not sure that the USA moving up from 3 to 2 puts them in a better place. Italy's pool of death happened because Netherlands was seeded below Argentina. And the two worst teams in the tournament ended up in the same pool (Pool A). So if USA had been #3 in Rio, they would've had an easier pool than they did as the #1 seed. It's mostly random luck of the draw. I DO agree with the previous poster that FIVB ranking does make a huge impact in qualifying tournaments like the Intercontinental Olympic Qualifiers later this year. Italy/Netherlands being all the way down at 6/7 put them in the same pool.
|
|
|
Post by volleyguy on Jun 15, 2019 22:18:36 GMT -5
Completely disagree. It meant the world to Italy. You think Italy wouldn’t have been in the Quarterfinals in the other pool? No way. Nobody in that pool made the Semifinals. Sure, Italy might not have won their QF match even if they made it, but they played USA and Serbia tight in the pool play matches. How the pools come out DOES matter. However, I'm not sure that the USA moving up from 3 to 2 puts them in a better place. Italy's pool of death happened because Netherlands was seeded below Argentina. And the two worst teams in the tournament ended up in the same pool (Pool A). So if USA had been #3 in Rio, they would've had an easier pool than they did as the #1 seed. It's mostly random luck of the draw. I DO agree with the previous poster that FIVB ranking does make a huge impact in qualifying tournaments like the Intercontinental Olympic Qualifiers later this year. Italy/Netherlands being all the way down at 6/7 put them in the same pool. The pool composition is not determined by "random luck of the draw". It's determined by world ranking, host rule, and serpentine seeding.
|
|
|
Post by ToddyJ on Jun 16, 2019 1:18:03 GMT -5
Still it definitely sucks to be a European team with this system. The continental quota is garbage. Let everyone participate and see who gets to go. I still think the World Championships is a much tougher tournament because CEV has something around 8+ teams participating. In 2022 with Netherlands and Poland as cohosts their should be 10 CEV teams there.
It just sucks that the OG isn’t always the most competitive tournament. Yes teams participating are playing with all of their best players but when you get all these weaker AVC/CSV/CAVB/NORCECA teams qualifying it really can make certain pools lopsided.
I’m really pulling for Turkey to qualify.
|
|
|
Post by Reach on Jun 16, 2019 13:50:40 GMT -5
Who goes?
Larson, Hill, MHB, Robo Lowe, Drews Foluke, Ogbogu, Washington Carlini, Hancock
Lib, no idea.
|
|
|
Post by hammer on Jun 16, 2019 14:25:34 GMT -5
Who goes? Larson, Hill, MHB, Robo Lowe, Drews Foluke, Ogbogu, Washington Carlini, Hancock Lib, no idea. This team's chance of winning gold is somewhere between slim and none.
|
|
|
Post by n00b on Jun 16, 2019 14:29:52 GMT -5
Who goes? Larson, Hill, MHB, Robo Lowe, Drews Foluke, Ogbogu, Washington Carlini, Hancock Lib, no idea. This team's chance of winning gold is somewhere between slim and none. Really? The team that just swept China?
|
|
|
Post by WahineFan44 on Jun 16, 2019 15:14:39 GMT -5
Question is does larson start?
You do not keep MBH on the bench. Do we move her to Opp if larson starts.
|
|
|
Post by Pipe Attack on Jun 16, 2019 15:47:38 GMT -5
Question is does larson start? You do not keep MBH on the bench. Do we move her to Opp if larson starts. Is the Olympic roster only 12? Remember, the Olympics is also a long 2 week tournament, so coaches have to be strategic with how they use their players. With Larson, from the Turkey match, you can’t start her and Robinson (unless one becomes a libero). MBH and Hill are potent, but also think it may be one or the other. I don’t think anyone left side hitters become opposites. Opposites combination don’t seem like the most potent we can get. It would be nice if maybe Thompson was there instead of Lowe - but we haven’t really been able to evaluate her play much. Cuttino didn’t look as I would have hoped from exhibition matches, but could have been the setter. Libero is very important position so we’ll see who gets designated — whether it be a converted outside (Robinson (doubtful), Courtney) or a libero in training - Lake, Curry, JWO or even last year’s one. Middles - that may be the best combo. Setters - so much talent .. we’ll see who makes it out.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2019 16:15:41 GMT -5
This team's chance of winning gold is somewhere between slim and none. Really? The team that just swept China? I still contend that very few people understand Lang Ping’s gamesmanship.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2019 16:16:23 GMT -5
Who goes? Larson, Hill, MHB, Robo Lowe, Drews Foluke, Ogbogu, Washington Carlini, Hancock Lib, no idea. Lowe? For what
|
|
|
Post by Reach on Jun 16, 2019 16:33:42 GMT -5
Who goes? Larson, Hill, MHB, Robo Lowe, Drews Foluke, Ogbogu, Washington Carlini, Hancock Lib, no idea. Lowe? For what Lowe hasn't play well in the one match she played. She was good at Imoco. You know he will still take her.
|
|
|
Post by n00b on Jun 16, 2019 16:40:05 GMT -5
Really? The team that just swept China? I still contend that very few people understand Lang Ping’s gamesmanship. Agreed. And I probably wouldn't say that we're the team to beat. But 'slim to none'? Oddsmakers will likely make us one of the favorites.
|
|
|
Post by Pipe Attack on Jun 16, 2019 16:50:28 GMT -5
Really? The team that just swept China? I still contend that very few people understand Lang Ping’s gamesmanship. Right? She's such a fascinating person! Like what is her thought process for volleyball? It's true though, Lang Ping has a way of tinkering and toying around with stuff, then taking (calculated) risks with usually good payout. I still refer to her piece of work with our national team. That team was a team she was building until the end. If you look at that team, the eventual starting line up and maybe even some strategies changed from the start of the Olympics. Then, that team overachieved with a silver medal. That definitely brought the US hopes up in women's volleyball. I still can imagine the ecstatic looks of some of the veterans (e.g. Tom) when they finally medaled! (think the last medal women's vb Olympic medal was in '84 --(drought) ---> 2008 Olympics. After that monkey was off our back, we were then favored for gold at the next Olympics (but got silver), then a bronze.
|
|
|
Post by alohavball on Jun 16, 2019 17:01:27 GMT -5
Lang Ping sees volleyball as a game of chess, her players are her pieces, Zhu is her queen. From her pespective the match against USA was just a warm up.
|
|