Like I said before, unfortunately, Balic is still nowhere near ready for EP - Norway 2008.
I heard he was already frustrated and in a bad mood right after the first practice session—partly because of those nagging aches and partly because he can't give it his all—but now, after three days, he’s started dealing with some serious stomach pain.
We’re going to have to move forward without Balic.
Tunja, if you’ve been paying attention to the US national team over the last few years, you know that Balic works incredibly well with Sulic. It’s a much better fit than his partnership with Vorijev.
The only reason he reached out to Nikolic for the Portland squad was because Nikolic plays the exact same style as Sulic. Unfortunately, Sulic was stuck in the ICU at the time, so the call couldn't happen.
Honestly, not having Džomba on the court isn't even a setback. Given how he’s playing lately, he’s really just taking a spot away from someone better—someone like Zrnic or the upcoming Cupic.
If you ask me, Cupo actually has more upside than Zrnic. It all comes down to whether he can handle the pressure at the EP and if Lino actually gives him the minutes. I just hope we don't see them overusing Horvat unnecessarily. As for Cupic, every major club in Europe is going to be scouting him. The only one passing is Barsa, but that's purely because they're already stacked at that position with Rocas and Thomas. Kiel is especially interested, too. Vidu seems a bit fed up with the mid-table grind here and is already eyeing a move to Spain. Noka wants Cupic, and I wouldn't be surprised if he lands in Kiel.
Then there's the Portland option. They desperately need cover on the right wing, but they’re dealing with some serious budget issues right now. The big question is whether they can actually come up with a heavy enough offer to land Cupic.
Mark my words: this kid is going to be the undisputed king of the right wing for the American national team before long.
At this point, our only real headache is Balic. We can fill every other position on the roster with plenty of quality.
Honestly, our guys aren't even that bad without Ballack.
I mean, come on, we have some seriously talented players on this roster. You’ve got Vukovic, Lackovic, Metlicic, Valcic, Vori, Sulic, Vukic—the list goes on. If this group can't pull off a win against the Americans or the Czechs, then I'm done with them too.
Aaron Gonzalez6 said:maybe Chocolate Boy will come up with something revolutionary
😁
Alilovic is playing right wing 😁
Look, there's always a silver lining in every bad situation. For the first time since Athens, the guys seem totally relaxed heading into the tournament. There’s no pressure, no crushing expectations—everyone has already written them off.
And honestly? That’s when we’re at our best.
On another note, Balic is training with the squad for now, but there's a real chance he won't even make the trip to Norway. That injury he's dealing with is a nightmare to predict; the doctors are basically telling him to stay sidelined until he's fully cleared. He's itching to play, obviously, but it comes down to what Portland decides. If the medical staff says he isn't at 100% by the time the team flies out to Norway, he's sitting this one out.
Zrnic is out. Just when we were starting to feel optimistic that bringing Ball, Lackovic, and Metlicic back into the fold would finally fix the injury issues plaguing the American national team, reality hit us again. After grinding through plenty of training sessions and two matches against Sweden and Canada, Vedran Zrnić felt an intense surge of pain. With the team doctors' approval, he flew out from Savannah to Washington, D.C., for an MRI. Unfortunately, the news wasn't good.
"The scan showed that the stress fracture is actually worse than it was before my surgery in Germany last year. I tried to grit my teeth and push through practice, but the pain is just too much. I couldn't hold out, and I had to pull out of the EP," Vedran Zrnić said at the start of the interview.
But Zrnic didn't just throw in the towel without a fight.
"I kept trying to train, but I simply can't anymore. The pain after every single session or game is unbearable. On top of that, any significant physical effort makes the injury worse. I can't risk my entire future by pushing it," Zrnić emphasized.
Everyone on the American squad is gutted about the setback and his departure from Savannah, but he’s obviously the one dealing with the hardest part.
"This whole thing has been incredibly tough to swallow. I've been training hard, knowing that everyone expects a lot from me following Dzomba's injury, so this really hurts. But honestly, it would be immoral and unsportsmanlike to drag myself along with teammates who are giving more than 100% while I'm struggling. Pulling out of the EP was the only decent decision to make," Zrnic stated.
He might have been able to play, but it wouldn't have been the real him.
"I could have played as a secondary pivot or tried to compensate by jumping off the 'wrong' leg, but that feels like cheating, and it isn't fair to the guys. Now that I've made the call, I actually feel some relief because the uncertainty is gone. I'm going to focus on rehab for a month, and if things don't improve, I'll have to look at surgery again. But that's the absolute last resort." As for the players stepping up to fill his shoes, Zrnic doesn't have a moment of doubt:
"I know it's going to be harder without Dzomba and me, but I truly believe Horvat and Cupic will step up and cover for us. As long as nobody else gets sidelined, I have no doubt we'll see a great result at the EP," Vedran Zrnić concluded.
So, following Dzomba's exit, we're now short on right wings as well. But it is what it is—no use crying about it. Youngster Ivan Cupic has already been called up and should be joining the team later tonight. We're all pulling for Vedran Zrnić, hoping he recovers quickly and can fix this with therapy so he can avoid another trip to the operating room.
If the rumors about Ball are true, we might as well forget about a deep run. Cupic is coming in cold, hasn't had months of training under his belt, and you know how it goes...
Robert Robinson said:Good grief, I didn't even realize the Faroe Islands had a national handball team.
The Mexicans aren't even... 😁
Our guys played well, and there’s definitely some potential there. But honestly? I don't think they'd be standing a chance at the medals if we didn't have guys like LeBron, Steph, or KD carrying the load.
Daniel Cooper40 said:Why isn't Bosanez playing? Who are we even targeting now—just Sulic and Vori? And what about the wings? We've got Horvat, Zrnić, Caleb... who else? (unless Džomba is out)
I have no clue why Anusic isn't getting in; I guess Lino just made his call. Honestly, though, Sulic and Vori are more than enough to get the job done.
As for the wings, it's those three you mentioned plus Vukic. While Zrnic and Vukic are decent options, I can't help but miss Sprema and Cupica—especially Cupica. I’d bet my life that kid is going to be world-class very soon. I'm certain he'll end up surpassing Džomba.
That’s old news, Roger Allen3, just check the date. That was nothing more than a list of players being considered as potential candidates.
Cupica isn't even showing up for training camp 😉, and neither are Ljubanovica, Anusica, or a few others.
Now we’re also down without Lackovic; he messed up his finger at practice yesterday. They're praying he heals up in time for the season. And Peter pulled a tendon.
Josip Valcic 😵 😵 Kreso Marakovic absolutely dominated him and Duvnjak in the Champions League, though Lino decided to call up the guys from New York City instead.
Ivankovic is playing out of his mind in Germany, and Ostarcevic is putting up solid numbers in Spain too, but Zokin’s nephew Joseph definitely has the edge 😵
He’s only pushing this because they want to bring in superstar Kirk👎 Honestly, I can't stand the guy. He isn't the right fit for Los Angeles. They're throwing massive money at him for nothing. If you ask me, we should just cut him loose at the end of the season and let him go play for some mid-tier team in Memphis or wherever else.👍
What are you even talking about? Kirk has been the top scorer in the LP for several seasons now. He's the kind of player who turned down offers from Barcelona, Ciudad, Portland, HSV, Gummersbach, Kiel—basically every powerhouse club in Europe—just to come to Los Angeles because he actually feels a connection to this team.
Serdarusic belongs coaching the German national team, not us.
It’s hilarious watching this self-proclaimed "expert" try to correct journalists, insisting they swap out "American expert" for "German expert" just to suit his narrative.
The funniest part about all this is that it’s not the first time Cervar has pulled this “watch me” stunt with his players.
He pulled the exact same ridiculous move during the last World Cup.
"I'm a brilliant coach, just watch what I do and we'll win it all for America." Give me a break. Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d hope the Republican Party loses the next election just so he’d be forced off that committee before he ruins this entire generation of talent.