I attended the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul over 20 years ago. The USA men went on to win the gold, while the USA women needed to win in three and not let Peru get 33 points (or about that) in the Peru hopeful loss. Peru got about 11 in the first game loss, and about the same in the next loss, so when Peru got to their 33rd point, and mathematically eliminated the USA team from advancing….they celebrated. The USA just needed about 5 more points than Peru to advance, points scored over the whole period of pool play, but fell short. Peru went on to the Silver medal, and the USA women took 7th as I recall.
So a couple of days later, I went to watch the semifinals for the women. The top four in the world now at that point, and one match in particular really impacted me. Russia was to play China in this first Olympic semifinal. Now, China had been the #1 team in the world for almost the entire decade, winning the gold in the major FIVB event of the year in 1981, 82, 83….Olympic Gold in 1984 over our USA women and led by Lang Ping who 25 years later would be coaching that USA team in China of all places, and beyond. They had dominated Russia, and most other nations over those years. The event was played in the evening, televised live to both nations who were on the same basic time zone, so billions watched. What was the score of this match in a rivalry that really goes back thousands of years, predating even the Great Wall? Did it go 3, 4, 5? Most coaches guess it went five, with China winning 15-10 in the 5th.
Randomness in sport is the why we play the game.
On any given Sunday, they say an NFL team can beat another.
USA wins over Russia in ice hockey in the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
Canada defeats the USA in ice hockey, both men and women, in their own Miracle on Ice in 2010.
In volleyball, this same randomness of sport hits home as Russia defeated China in 3, 15-0, 15-9, 15-2 in pre-rally scoring. That is ZERO and TWO in an OLYMPIC semifinal, coaches. Ca-ca occurs.
All too often I hear from coaches the following “explanations” for their own volleyball team’s play:
1. “We just did not practice hard enough…”
– Well the Chinese may practice more than anyone in the world….
2. “We just did not care enough…”
– This was being televised to a billion people live, as they played to defend their gold medal.
3. “We just were not ready for this level”
– They had over half a returning Olympic Gold medalists squad.
4. “We s@#k…”
– Yeah…
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