I believe there is also World Championships as well this year if I’m not mistaken. Still, I have a pretty good feeling that this is the exact team that will be represented at World Champs this year. I’ve listened to all of the interviews… and would not be surprised if all of Hallock, Woodhead, and Cupido didn’t come back for LA.
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Whatever happened to centers like George Avakian etc?
I have followed the Italian (mostly Recco and Brescia) and some of the other leagues in Europe for a long while. Avakian played for an Italian team last year. He is not rostered this year. I heard injured. McFarland is playing for an Italian team and has scored multiple goals / drawn 5’s against the top teams over there. Langawiz (sp?) was in the US system for a long while. He is a solid set, but has left to play for Canada. Max Miller (Cutino candidate) I think is playing for NYAC? Going back even further, Farmer had some overseas run, and more recently looked sharp in National league play.
There has been a lot of US set talent, though currently the only one still playing is McFarland.
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Maybe they all decided it is time to get on with life after water polo.
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I agree (regarding Hallock, etc.), but if we convert our man advantages, we’re in these games. The centers are doing their job (drawing exclusions). Our man-up execution, or lack thereof, has been a killer.
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I agree with JFran. The USA is as successful as any top team in drawing exclusions, but they are unable to convert them. Centers are rarely able to score because defenders foul the moment the ball is passed inside. It is simply a matter of statistics. The modern game, whether one likes it or not, is decided by power-play offense and defense. With an average of 18 exclusions drawn per game, an elite team converting at 50% will score 9 points on power plays. Out of a 13-point game average, that means roughly 70% of the outcome is determined by the power play.
Greece played the Netherlands today and won 14–11. They converted 10 out of 18 opportunities, a 56% success rate. That is the level of production required to win at the elite level.
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My high school, club and college coach would disagree with you. A centers job is so much more than drawing exclusions. These new rules make drawing exclusions commonplace-it’s the least they can do and every other team is scoring just as many. And even if we convert on more of them, we still aren’t in the game. The shooters have no clear lanes because they are being pressed-the centers are drawing zero attention and instead look like they are drowning.
It may be a ‘chicken or the egg’ problem: teams are aware of the USA’s inability to score on power plays, so they play a heavy press and foul the Center the second they receive the ball.
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I have watched some of the D2 games with @waterpolowednesdays very own Wes announcing and his play by play is heads and tails above the D1 announcer. Time for a promotion 
to D1.
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Does anyone have a cheat sheet for the stats on the website? I understand a lot of it, but some I can not figure out such as 18C, 18F, 4EX, PSO, etc.
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How many natural goals from center was the US scoring in Hallock’s last few tournaments? He’s certainly the best we’ve had in many years, and among the best in the world when at his best, and I believe the stats will show that his primary contributions to US offense were drawing exclusions and penalty shots.
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This is the old one.
I think those are 18 second exclusions at Center and Field. 4EX i think is a Misconduct. PSO is penalty shootout
Some thoughts about the team overall after these first 3 games– US only won one quarter out of 12. This is shocking, because even in blow out games (which all 3 were) the losing team often wins the 3rd or 4th quarter when the game is out of reach and the winning team relaxes a bit.
It is not a good look to not score more total goals than your goal differential -23
A lot of shifting goal posts on this thread… There is not a person (coach, admin, or player) on the the US side who went to Greece thinking that it would be a successful trip if they manage to keep one game close–against the Dutch. You’ve got to be kidding.
I know a couple of the vets on the team. No way that they arent pissed off and yes, embarrassed.
One of the themes of this thread Is that it is at least a good experience for the younger players. How? The average age of the team that US sent over is 22. Average age of most of the other teass is 25-27. Do we really think that being schooled repeateleddy by players 4-5 years older is really that great of a learning experience?
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I agree that maybe they should leave prepping the younger ones to training here at home a bit longer. It feels like Dejan is grasping at straws hoping for another Ryder. Also, perhaps, far be it from me to say, and what do I know, but could the coaching have anything to do with this??
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Canada beat France today in Division 2 play, huge result for them! I am not sure if this USA team would be able to beat France right now.
USA is now playing Serbia tomorrow, Croatia on Friday, and Netherlands on Saturday. I predict they finish the tournament 0-6.
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I’ll give you two: good grief.
It’s like Lucy pulling the football.
Respectfully, the US centers are not doing their job. This is not a surprise. These are college players going up against world class guards. Buric, Guerrata, Cassia, etc. These guys had the situation totally in hand.
Drawing exclusions is only a small part of the job. (And today even that did not happen all that much. I was of the opinion that today was reffed much more like I have seen at the intentional level. A lot less “gimmes”.)
At the International level, it is far more than drawing sickouts.
Can the set command a heavy early drop, or even a double team?
Can the set clear shooting lanes, like a pulling tackle in football? It was no accident that our sets were almost always working from the middle of the cage. This is because the guards were keeping them there.
Can the set turn the guard and draw the penalty? I guarantee that the guards I mentioned above were in no danger of that happening to them over the last days against the US.
Can the set create his own shot– layout, back hand, sweep, lob etc. If he cannot, then the drop isn’t going to be as severe. The Layout is esp. important. Not a lot of sets are flexible enough to do it.
This one is crucial: Can the set not only hold a side, but can he seal off the guard so that the entry pass can come from the deep 5 or the 1. This results in a 5 meter every time. Or the set simply scores. I do not recall many if any passes coming into our sets from the deep wing. This too is no accident. The opposition guards kept our sets mid cage, with back to the cage.
To do most or even all of what is being asked above takes a LOT of strength, not to mention savvy. Set is a tough position to play, and probably the toughest for a younger player who doesnt have their man strength yet.
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Like it or not, if US wants to seriously compete regularly on the international stage, you need to have younger players in Europe rather than NCAA. Get them into the ecosystem early and you might see the deep list of B or C guys that can hang in these kinds of game.
If NCAA is gold standard for everyone, that is perfectly ok, just temper your expectations internationally.
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Unfortunately, this US team needs to be in division 2 there’s no way for us to hang with the big boys on division one!!!
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