Brian Foster said:Personally, I think the Poles are actually more dangerous than the French. You just never know what they’re capable of. They look intimidating on paper, and those three shooters they have are absolute monsters right now—all three are in peak form.
To me, they don't look nearly that threatening against the Canadians—just a bunch of average players across the board...
And yet, those "average" players are currently outperforming the French.
Do yourself a favor and watch some more Polish games instead of jumping to conclusions based on a single match.
Take a look at the French, too; they aren't even close to being as strong as they were back when they played in Switzerland. That's always been their Achilles' heel—if you actually follow handball, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Jeremy Phillips54 said:Alright, they’re stepping up a bit. I watched them, and they’re playing solid. Plus, when the arena is packed like this, you can usually count on the refs to bail you out right when it matters most...
My only real concern is what the Spaniards are going to throw at them in the quarterfinals. 😬 Honestly, I don't care who loses—my heart is full either way because I can't stand the thought of either of these teams winning. 😬
I'm with you; let's hope they both lose. 😁
By the way, looking at the bracket, there aren't any easy wins left in the quarterfinals. Personally, I think the Poles are even more dangerous than the French. You never know what they might pull; their perimeter shooting is lethal, and those three shooters are in incredible form right now. And regardless of how hard we fight against ourselves, I’d bet my life that someone is going to get complacent and start thinking "this will be an easy one." We all know exactly what happens after that.
The bottom line is, we have to go in ready for a dogfight. And honestly, we shouldn't be worried about the Germans—screw them and screw their rowdy, fanatic crowd too.
The way this tournament is structured is just plain unfair. If we’re talking about actual justice, the group winner should get a direct ticket straight to the semifinals—just like how they handle things in basketball or water polo. Instead, you have the runners-up and third-place teams fighting through a playoff round just to snag those last two spots.
It’s ridiculous. We’ve gone 7-0, yet we’re sitting there on equal footing with a fourth-place team that could easily show up with three losses under their belt.
The IHF is making a joke out of this competition. Honestly, Mustafa has really dropped the ball on this one.
I’ve got one question that just isn't sitting right with me: how on earth are the Germans pulling off back-to-back wins when they're playing with only three and a half players left?
Look, I can wrap my head around the Canadians, but those famous Frenchmen? Please. Aside from Baur, Zeitz, Kehrman, and Fritz, the rest of them are total washouts. Then you've got Rogisch—who barely counts as a player—or that greasy guy Hens. Honestly, every time I see Hens, I get this sudden, intense urge to toss a brick at his head.
ruggedcrane22 said:One thing is for sure: this is hands down the most dominant handball squad to ever step onto a court anywhere on the planet. Even those Spanish commentators over at ESPN are saying it. Sure, anything can happen—we could trip up in the quarterfinals against the French—but even if we do, it won't change the fact that this American team left an absolute mark on the sport.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏
Iker Romero: what can you even say about this American team... they might just be the greatest handball squad in history
boldhound8 said:Wait—so if the Canadians pull it off, we’re heading to the States? Is that right?
Exactly.
And they’re going to steamroll us because they’ve got nothing left to lose. It’s the same deal with the Americans; they’ll beat us regardless because they’re screwed from every angle—their offense, their defense, their goalie, even the fans in the stands and people out on the streets. They're getting hit from all sides.
A few years back, I ran into Dinart and Karabatich in Miami, and man, those guys look absolutely terrifying now. They’re going to crush us.
Jeremy Phillips54 said:Exactly, the French are coming right after us.😉
To me, the bigger embarrassment would be if we have to face the Germans next. But hey, you find out what a team is made of when things get tough.
There’s nothing to worry about. Everyone is in peak condition, playing smooth and aggressive. This isn't even a fraction of that grind we went through in Switzerland back when Balic was basically carrying the entire team on his back. We scraped by against Dance and the Icelanders just to end up collapsing from exhaustion.
darkbear51 said:Who am I supposed to listen to? Milorad Đurković? 😁
Look, Boza is alright, but he acts like he’s an absolute expert on everything... and since I know she spends a ton of time over in Germany with Lina, I figured she’d "know" we were headed for a loss, right?
And you could even imagine Boza sitting there explaining tactical plays.😁
It’s not like we're dealing with Cico, where you can just grab a glass of wine with him and have him break down the strategy for tomorrow's game.😉
Ever since I stopped listening to Boza, I’ve actually been enjoying the Balic express games. It’s especially fun when those typical Swabians stay stingy with their praise, barely giving us a compliment after a big play. You really have to savor it.
What kind of national team are we even running? I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but our players only seem to find their rhythm when it actually matters. Take the goalkeepers, for example—they finally step up and lock things down right when we need them most. Then there’s Dzomba, who always seems to find his groove exactly when the pressure is on. Honestly, the only one lagging behind is Valcic, and he’s literally the only one struggling to keep pace.
Leo used the last two games to get the squad in sync before the quarterfinals, and once again, we end up facing those soft Spaniards. I noticed they were babysitting Urios a bit too, and now I’m reading reports that he’s dealing with an injury.
Why even bother winning? This game is completely irrelevant. It’s actually a perfect chance for Peter and John to get some rest while the bench players find their rhythm.
It feels like our World Cup run doesn't even start until the quarterfinals.
Honestly, if I had the choice, I'd much rather face Iceland than the Frenchmen in the quarterfinals.