“Hope that Japan lefty goes to Cal as was mentioned as a possibility, bet Kirk will let him play creatively”
On the 2025 commits thread says he going to SC.
But I agree with you. I know change is hard, but the imperious way these new rules and parameters have been introduced makes it harder to accept. For me anyway.
I sort of liked the more hockey style we saw with subs on the fly in the bigger pool. While Japan found a way to counter today, it was against a somewhat disjointed US team.
I hope I’m wrong and we’ll get used to it, but like other field sports, when you shorten the field it takes (at least some) athleticism out of the game. And part of the ethos of water polo is how HARD it is to play - at any level!
3v3 Basketball is perhaps entertaining (I don’t particularly care for it as a viewer) but just look at the drama of the Men’s Basketball finals in the Olympics. You don’t get that spectacle with a smaller scale court.
Today’s game sort of felt like watching Handball actually. Again, while entertaining, handball games with a combined 60 goals is a very different experience.
Papanikolaou not playing for Greece. Greece-Monegro was within a couple of goals at the end of the 3rd, but Greece ran away with it in the 4th 18-10. Great game by the Greek keeper, as least from what I saw in the 4th.
I’m actually looking at the FINA rules trying to sort out how that should have been called. It’s clearly not a brutality. I think under NCAA rules I’d have called an exclusion–maybe a penalty. Not clear to me whether the ball was close enough for a “probable goal” without the foul. I can’t find a misconduct rule in the FINA rule book–but the version of the rules I can access is not searchable, and includes all rules for all FINA sports, so it’s not very user friendly. (USAWP has an old set of rules on its website.)
So for that to be a misconduct (as opposed to a brutality or normal exclusion/penalty) the officials determined that his actions were violent, persistent foul play, or he disrespected the officials.
I don’t see any of that in that play, but that’s just me.
Unless there is an understanding that 2 handed sinks should be considered violent or persistently foul. Not in my book. And is the standard for brutality still “obvious intent to injure”? I sure don’t see that.
This is the problem I routinely have with VAR: slowed down and zoomed in players are getting punished for actions that literally happen on every possession. If a two handed sink is a misconduct then call it every time.
Likewise, there was just a VAR review of a backhand pass because the players elbow was near another players face when he made the pass. That’s an insane reason to stop the game and review. Even if he elbowed him, it’s incidental contact much like the controversy with the Italians at the Olympics.
That being said, playing Romania in Romania with WA you have to know things are going to be stupid.
Maybe the referees need to be charged a time out if they initiate VAR and it’s not confirmed.
I’ve been told that the FINA technical committee at major tournaments sometimes gives “point of emphasis” instructions about how they want certain calls to be made–especially in areas where otherwise the referees have wide discretion–like what is “violent” or “foul”. Don’t know if that’s true.
So how do you distinguish between striking (an exclusion) and brutality. Many years ago I took a FINA rules course where the distinction between the two was EMPHATICALLY that a brutality required intent to injure, not just a strike, sink, or kick, and not an injury caused by incidental contact.
I’m glad the US squad did what it needed to do to win the group. What a contrast between the two games they’ve played though; the total goals combined for both teams in the Romania game just matches the total scored by the losing team against Japan.
It’s hard to say the US has looked good, but the younger players have certainly looked game for the challenge of international play. Irving has been our best player (not surprisingly) and Weinberg has anchored the defense and covered for a lot of the mistakes.
I’ve watched all the games so far and I really can’t say the rule changes are positive at all. Someone mentioned that the game felt like handball and I agree with that. The game is “faster” but the play is more static and players have fewer opportunities to do anything other than shoot around a zone.
Also, having 4+ VAR stoppages on a game is just awful from a viewing perspective. I’m all for getting the calls right but it grinds the game to a halt and really impacts (my personal) watching enjoyment. Credit where it’s due (i guess), at least the stream is showing the same camera angle during the VAR that the officials are using.
Lastly, I’m curious if others are having issues with the stream? I’m experiencing lag, sound issues and random jumps. I’m forgiving of streaming issues when it’s free, but WA made me pay some service money for this stream and I expect better.
Yes to stream issues. Mostly jumpy video, especially on shots on goal. (Maybe from a camera switch?)
I’m still thinking about the rule changes. When we see teams with better vertical shooting skills, I think the new rules may give them a big advantage.
I’m not sure the problem is the VAR rule, but referee discretion to use it. I like it to clear up what happens when a fight breaks out, or a referee sees something that might have been violent and wants a second look. I think the officials in this game used it in situations that didn’t make sense.
US needs a stronger center. They are adapting well to not having one, but the set offense is not running well. Weinberg and Irving are rock stars. (Though until late in the game I was wondering if Irving left it all in the pool yesterday.)
Pretty impressed with Ohl. Anybody seeing any other bright spots among the new comers?
