Mauro Berruto has chosen Italy's line-up for the World Cup 2011.
Here is the list of the 14 Italian players:
Setters: Travica and Boninfante
Receivers: Parodi, Savani, Zaytsev and Rosso
Middle-Blockers: Buti, Mastrangelo, Birarelli
Opposites: Sabbi, Lasko and Fei
Liberos: Bari and Giovi
My personal opinion: I'm sorely disappointed Berruto hasn't called Rocco Barone :-(((
Here is the list of the 14 Italian players:
Setters: Travica and Boninfante
Receivers: Parodi, Savani, Zaytsev and Rosso
Middle-Blockers: Buti, Mastrangelo, Birarelli
Opposites: Sabbi, Lasko and Fei
Liberos: Bari and Giovi
My personal opinion: I'm sorely disappointed Berruto hasn't called Rocco Barone :-(((
But I trust in Berruto about that, it was a hard decision to make, I imagine, so I guess it was really well considerarted
I've just read that during a training session Bari had a problem with his shoulder (injury?) caused by an accidental clash with Parodi; Maruotti has been called to join the team in case Baretto's injury is serious.
And, last but not least ?, Azzurre got the pass to London!!! They won 3-2 over Germany this morning ? E VAIIIIIIIIIII ?
Btw Maybe it is science fiction, but Im gonna miss no match if we'll play with 3-spiker lineup Savani-Parodi-Zaytsev!! Amazing!
Go Italy! Take us to London!
Btw, the girls repeated themselves today as well: another 3-0 over Serbia (current women European Champion)!! Now the Azzurre are leading WC table!! We need only 3 more points to get the pass to the Olympic Games ? Not an impossible thing to do, since we still have to play vs Kenya ? My only regret is that the girls weren't able to perform as they're doing now during the ECH: if they only had played ECH the way they're currently playing...maybe (and I underline the word "maybe") they could have won their third ECH title in a row ? Well, it doesn't matter!! What counts now is getting the ticket to London as soon as possible ? I hope our guys wil be able to do that also!!
Honestly I found it good motivations for your points in the matter.
I think were not totally disagreeing with each other.
It is just always a thin line when to start playing with younger players and when to hold on to the "old" guys.
So it will always be up for debate.
Personally I think Fei is a great addition for the NT.
At least he isn't the arrogant player that will start to wine when he is sitting on the bench.
1) Well, I wasn't thinking that there will be a WL before the Olympics (right?), and it would be the better moment I guess, but I think that in the WC there are matches that he can be able to afford.
The more you'll play, the more experience you'll do, the more you'll learn. Since the Olympics will start in less than an year, we can't wait ?
(ofc it's possible that Sabbi won't be at the Olympics, but since our team is built in prospective, I think Sabbi should be there if he'll deserve it)
2) I don't know how can I explain that, I can see what you mean, e.g. Mastro and Milijkovic came back for the ECh and did an excellent job in general and for the team, so I don't care how old are they, they can help!
But there are cases and cases: for example I think Nikolov is one of the best opposite in the world, but now I would prefer to see Sokolov playing more in Bulgarian NT, if not even starting as titoular with Nikolov as experienced sub ready to fix a bad-started match. I think this point is up to personal taste... Another (extreme) example: Cisolla replaced Maruotti as titoular in Roma last matches: would you call Cisolla back in the NT? I would never do that.
3) You didn't get what I meant. I didn't say that with Grbic they wouldn't had won the ECh, I saw the problem in the opposite prospective: I was highlithing the fact that Serbia didn't need Grbic to win the ECh!!! Even if it's quite clear that Grbic is better than Petkovic.
That is to proove that we can trust in the fact that a team can win even without his beloved champion.
4) About that, I'm not so agree... IMO the NT should also aim to train new national players, not only to win this single tournament, and this other single torunament etc. A NT should think that when XXX will stop playing, or won't be such good as he was before, they'll have to have ready YYY to replace him.
About the first part, you say that a NT should have on his list all the best players that this nation has in that moment. That is teorically right, but... think how much Vermiglio+Fei+Mastro (they can be considered out best setter, opposite, MB) won in the last 5 years they played togheter in the NT....
And remember that a team of champions won't necessary be a great team, and viceversa! The spirit of the team is such important in volleyball ?
Look at Argentina, they have only 2 outclass players, De Cecco and Facu (may be it will be 3 with Sole in the future), and look at the spirit they have!! And with very very young players...
First of all, I wanna make clear that I'm not saying Fei won't be usefull. I'm not questioning how good he is, but I'm traing to understand what is changed from july-agoust to november to make Berruto change is mind about calling him back. Expecially considering that we won the silver medal.
Why we didn't need him in Austria, and why we need him in Japan? All the reasons you can add to say "he will be usefull for the team in Japan" wouldn't have been true also for the ECh?
The difference imo is the expectation that this team rised on itself: they won a medal in the ECh (we declared at the beginning that our aim was to reach the podium, but probably it woudln't be considered a failure not reaching it), and now... can they afford to let federation/fans down? What are going to be for Italy the conseguences of not being on WC podium? It will be considered a failure not taking the Olympics pass, or a 4th-5th-6th position will be an acceptable result?
I think that now there are expectations, and of course you can feel to be safer giving trust in Fei than in Sabbi.
So, I would like more opportunities for Sabbi. And I think that a player shouldn't stay in the NT forever... (e.g.: Petkovic isn't good as Grbic, but look at who is the ECh champion... Travica isn't good as Vermiglio - at least in setting - and look at who is the ECh vice-champion)
So I kind of see where you are coming from, but it also seems so vague. My respons to your answer won't be a disagreement nor will it be an argument against it. I just don't fully understand what you are saying, nor do I got the answer, so I will break it down and see what I think about it.
-First this is what you said: "So, I would like more opportunities for Sabbi."
Agreed, but is the WC the moment?
-Second thing you said: "And I think that a player shouldn't stay in the NT forever..."
Now here a disagreements begin to appear, cause I think someone should stay in the NT as long as he makes the team better, if that is till he is a 100 years old I couldn't care less. I kinda see what you mean, you need to refresh your squad, get new blood to stay at the same level and be as motivated as young new players are, but if a person of a 100 years old can bring something refreshing or is simply better then the rest I coulnd't care less.
-Third: "(e.g.: Petkovic isn't good as Grbic, but look at who is the ECh champion... Travica isn't good as Vermiglio - at least in setting - and look at who is the ECh vice-champion)"
Here you lost me. You say Grbic is better but still Petkovic is better? You lost me here. Please colaborate. What makes Petkovic the better player for Serbia and who says Grbic wouldnt have won the Ech. Your argument seems false, nor do I have any clue what you are trying to say with it.
-Last but not least: "should always train a new generation that have to be ready to help the old one..."
Again, Im gonna use something I said earlier. The best players of your country need to play in the NT.
In my opinion the NT shouldnt be an institution to make younger players better, since it's the epitome of being the best team of your country.
You can't think about training younger players in the NT team, it is simply the best team.
And again, maybe I see what you are trying to say here: don't forget the young players so you have something to build on, but is that what the National team is for?
Oke maybe when you know with the current generation we are not gonna win the WC, so we will start building on the next generation. But I think Fei and Mastro, will give you a good chance to win the WC, plus it will help traing the younger players. As soon as those players aren't capable of winning the WC anymore (although the better players) you can start to switch.
Hm.. my story begins to lose some cohesion, ill let you respond to what I said now, since it seems an interesting subject!
@Akolita: if that is true, then Fox has changed his mind 'cause he had told he didn't want to play MB anymore (consider he hasn't played in that role for...how long? Ten years?? Or maybe more... I don't remember exactly).
But it's not the first time I read and heard that Fei'll may play as MB, so who knows...
@Kjeldhor: I can see what you mean, but it's also true that it was the same one year and half ago when Anastasi chosed the less experienced Zaytsev instad of Maruotti... (actually, Zaytsev hadn't played EVER in A1 as OH when he was chosed for the WCh!). I'm not judging the player, I'm just saying that it isn't the first time and it won't be the last that a not so much experienced player is chosen for the NT.
ps: I've the impression that Martino wouldn't be so apreciated by the others...
But it's not the first time I read and heard that Fei'll may play as MB, so who knows...
@Kjeldhor: I can see what you mean, but it's also true that it was the same one year and half ago when Anastasi chosed the less experienced Zaytsev instad of Maruotti... (actually, Zaytsev hadn't played EVER in A1 as OH when he was chosed for the WCh!). I'm not judging the player, I'm just saying that it isn't the first time and it won't be the last that a not so much experienced player is chosen for the NT.
ps: I've the impression that Martino wouldn't be so apreciated by the others...
Fei as a MB?! o.O
i saw him 2 or 3 times, he's like Savani 4-5 years ago, great power but fewer mind, when he got some difficults to reception or he find a strong block he forgot how to play well. No doubt he can be an important player for Italy but not this year (expecially when we have martino, della lunga, kovar..... maruotti?)
BTW, "we could use Zaytsev as a false/fake opposite with Sava and Parodi as receivers. And that would be a pretty interesting solution!"
I don't agree, I think the most natural solution is Sava as opposite and Zaytsev as OH, because he receives way better than Sava, imo.
@Harleym, you're right, Mastro was my personal ECh MVP with Sava in our team, and I hope Fei'll do the same for us in the WC.
I wasn't questioning his abilities, but I think that a NT - for a Club is different because they can hire who they want - should always train a new generation that have to be ready to help the old one... So, I would like more opportunities for Sabbi. And I think that a player shouldn't stay in the NT forever... (e.g.: Petkovic isn't good as Grbic, but look at who is the ECh champion... Travica isn't good as Vermiglio - at least in setting - and look at who is the ECh vice-champion)
I would like to be clearer about my previous comments: I'm not criticizing Berruto; I'm just saying that I'm surprised (and a bit disappointed...okay I admit it ? ) by some choices he made. It's just my opionion. I still think that there's no need for us to have 3 opposites whereas an additional MB would have been more useful: Lasko is fine and young Sabbi has impressed me a lot so far; and even in case they both wouldn't play well, we could use Zaytsev as a false/fake opposite with Sava and Parodi as receivers. And that would be a pretty interesting solution!
Last thing: oioi said that WC is not the right place for experiments. I totally agree! That's the reason why Berruto should have taken the same group he had in Ech (except for Maruotti for the reasons i've already explained here and elsewhere). Now let's wait and see what will happen!
If you ask me, by getting Mastro in, he proofed that the dynamic of the team just changes slightly, just to get that extra bit you need to perform at the highest level.
For me, Mastro was the difference.
Why would he not call in an extra experienced guy like Fei.
And to be honest, he can't be ignored, he still is one of the best.
Plus he seems like a very humble, trustworthy guy, that would like to help other players.
This last statements is just by the looks of it, i am not sure.
Zaytsev = Itaian Kaziyski
This is just to say, I almost never watched Rossi playing so I don't actually know his skills.
Paparoni is great, I agree. And considering that Bari (and also Giovi) aren't so young, also Paparoni could have been a good choice imo. I mean, if it can't be a young libero (I think we have several young liberos that can/should be trained for the NT!), then he has to be the best one we have.
Why can't call Paparoni instead bari or Giovi? he can play as well as a libero as a wing-spiker
oh Kk15, just one more thing about the setters: are you sure Mauro could call Falasca to play for Italy?? Or maybe you meant Marco FALASCHI??? ;-D
I think Berruto wants a second experienced player to be ready to replace Lasko if Michal will need it, but I really really hope that Mauro will let Sabbi play (even titoular if the situation will be suitable!) in the "easiest" matches, because he needs to do experience with the NT. And I think he deserves it.
It is like the chose to have Boninfante instead of Baranowicz (or Falasca)... But I would have preferred Baranowicz for the WC, Boninfante lately isn't so good honestly (while Baranowicz is doing well in Cuneo, it seems...)
But I have to say that when Berruto chosed to change the NT, I was really enthusiast for his courage. I didn't know how the team would have been until they played in the WL, and they did more than I expected before the beginning of this tournament (but less than I expected before the final8 after the great intercontniental round, tough xD).
So I'm a bit disappointed, because he prooved he was right to trust in these guys, because they(+himself) brought the NT back to the podium after 6 years... And now he decides that he can't trust in them enough, that he need to call back Fei!!! O.o
It's like "now that there are expectations, I'm afraid to fail, so I want someone experienced". I don't like that so much...
But beside that, I really like Berruto, exept when he got mad.
There will definitely be a link for a live stream on the day of the game on sportlemon.tv :)
After some days from Berruto's call he learned from the internet by himself he wasn't in the squad. Neither a notice by phone call nor text message was made to inform him.
So I think he won't be back to nt in short times after this misunderstanding.
Rossi was a big surprise to me, I expected I would have chosen one between Kovar and Maruotti, but I'm not a great fan of Kovar and didn't did anything special until yesterday, so I think it could be a good idea. We will see if it'll be good or not ?
Can't wait for the All star game of Friday!!!