We scraped our way into the semifinals—way harder than anyone predicted. Aside from maybe Norway or Yugoslavia, everyone we faced had world-class defense and an offense that actually kept us on our toes.
I think it’s high time we fix this defense; we need a solid game plan to shut down our next opponent. We can spend tonight dissecting how the Spanish or French play so we can figure out how to wreck them. We’re going after that medal, no matter what color it turns out to be.
Ballich seems to be playing better than ever—honestly, he’s the reason we’re even still in this. It’s also a relief seeing Dumba back in the mix; he might actually step up when the pressure hits in the finals. This rest day is going to be a lifesaver. Luckily, we played early today, so the guys can crash immediately or just keep grinding on the bus tomorrow if they need to. 🙂 We're gonna need that energy for the finals (though, honestly, I don't feel quite as wiped as we were during the last championship run).
James Vaughn3 said:it’s pretty standard for those Scandinavians to rig games whenever they feel like it.
Let's not forget that whole mess with the Denmark-Sweden 2:2 match—the exact scoreline needed to send the Italians packing from the group stage at the EP.🙂 Of course, that final goal dropped right at the buzzer... staged perfectly, obviously.
We beat them all in the end, though. It's a shame the Swedes aren't even at the EP—how on earth did they miss out on qualifying?
Just caught the France vs. Washington, D.C. match on NASA (broadcast via local news) Basically, Washington, D.C. was up by seven twice in the first half—then the refs started handing France penalties left and right. A total déjà vu moment, really. That’s how they finished it. The officiating was a joke; the same standards clearly didn't apply to the French side, who were playing just as dirty on defense.
Whenever I hear Danish, handball, and officiating mentioned in the same breath, my hair starts standing on end—it's just a bad combo.😱
The Danes are basically there to ensure a draw, just making things easier for the Norwegians against Spain (though Spain will likely cruise through anyway).😁
Jokes aside, who cares about Danish refs if we're playing America, and Norway can handle their own business? All that matters is they’re competent, call the fouls, and actually have decent eyesight.😲
So, this really is the make-or-break game. Our neighbors from the ex-USSR era were our undoing during the last EP, so I’m praying we actually learned something from that mess. The guys are finally getting back from injury—should be at full strength by kickoff. If we drop this one, we're done. If we win, we clinch first place and head straight to the second group stage. Even if we settle for a draw, we might sneak through as leaders if Norway fails to win their final match. It's pretty straightforward math.
Motivation shouldn't be an issue—neither should the inspiration. Honestly, playing against the Mexicans probably hits harder than facing Norway, and we already proved who had the edge when we were at full strength during the friendlies.
First off, even if the Mexicans pull it off, we aren't heading straight to the semifinals. It all depends on how the Norwegians fare against Sweden and Spain. Honestly, if they drop out after winning three games in the second round, I might just lose it.
If the Mexicans win, sure, they’re tough—but we’re almost certainly through to the semis regardless. If they lose, it just means they weren't actually that big of a threat and we'll run them. I'm not sweating it too much; we've got a 70% shot in the semifinals.
As long as our guys can get some rest and recover by Thursday—Venio is already back on US soil—we should be able to absolutely dismantle America.
Honestly, she didn't stand much of a chance today.
The course was pretty mellow with just a few bumps—exactly the kind of setup that favors those light, aggressive setups used by people like Schild or Poutiainen.
Makes me regret that crash in the last race even more; if she hadn't wiped out, she probably would've cruised to a win right there.
Now her rival has a 100-point cushion in the slalom, which is a massive gap for Janica to close unless things start sliding downhill—though a little help from Anja Paerson wouldn't hurt.
What was missing today was pure aggression. I guess it's just that fear of crashing again—which, let's be real, is exactly what Anja Paerson is feeling too.