You’re just a typical Southern Belle! You are upset that the South is no longer part of the Confederacy but you know that the South will always be seen as the South by Southerners and you are very strong and religious, you were visited by the Virgin Mary herself!
You spend your time line dancing at a honky-tonk😍 😁 😁
Jeppesen has been out of the game for so long that it’s probably better for Dance if he just stays retired.
Let's be real: he hasn't been the player he used to be for a long time. Over the last two seasons, he’s spent way more time sitting in the commentary booth than actually out on the court.
On another note, I have a feeling Cervar is going to go with Jerkovica over Alilovica. Unless, of course, Alilovica manages to fight his way into the starting lineup during the America-Canada Cup.
It looks like we’re actually going to run into the Spaniards and Danes before we even hit the semifinals.
Anyway, yeah, Buntic is the only right back available alongside Metlicic. We don't have Vukas, and honestly, I think he'd be a better option than Buntic. Even though the guy is playing out of his mind in Canada right now, I really hope he’s actually managed to get his head on straight. To me, he just seems a bit limited—maybe it's harsh to say, but there's definitely nothing going on upstairs. He's a total meathead; reminds me of Saracevic, but only in the sense that Zlatan was an elite scorer who couldn't do anything except smash shots into the net. Take Lackovica, for example. They actually taught him how to play defense while he was over in Flensburg, mostly because the kid actually has some brains.
But hey, who knows? Maybe Denis has finally matured as a player. I can't help but feel that same old anxiety about Metlicic that I felt back when Denis was playing.
When it comes to the draw, the absolute priority is securing every single point to make it into the quarterfinals. Once you get there, you can actually afford the luxury of a loss.
There’s going to be some nail-biting tension, but I honestly think we’ll handle the Russians decisively. A matchup against Korea might be more of a headache, where things could stay up in the air until the final buzzer.
Basically, every team showing up to this World Cup is coming in a bit weakened. We’re the exception—we’ve got our full roster and we’re looking way sharper than we did during the last two tournaments in Tunis and Switzerland. We haven't played this well since Athens. At this point, the only thing that can screw us over is injuries. Spain is pretty banged up; they're missing Rocas and Garabaye, and Romero is just hit-or-miss lately because he can't stay healthy. The Danes are missing key players again, and the Germans are struggling with injuries and have zero depth to pull from. The French seem to be the only ones without major issues. If anyone else doesn't step up like we did in Portugal, I see us fighting one of those heavy hitters in the semifinals.
If we’re going to get taken down by someone like Yoon, we might as well just skip the trip to Germany altogether.
Let's be real: this American squad is arguably at its absolute peak. We have deep talent in the net—Losert developed Bars, Alilovic is just waiting for his shot, I’ve got high hopes for Solin if he shows up in game shape, and Jerkovic is a solid keeper. Then you look at our wings; we've got four world-class players ready to go (I don't think Vukic signing with Chicago was an accident, and honestly, nobody ever doubted the talent levels of Sprema, Kaleb, Dzomba, or Zrnic). Add in two elite pivots and a gritty perimeter lineup, and we're set. Bicanic is already off the roster, but back in the day, we would've given anything for a player of his caliber since Lackovic never had any real backup. Now we have Valcic. You can't judge his current form just by looking at his stats from Torrevieje; they basically wrap him in athletic tape to keep him playable because he's easily the most dangerous guy on his team and one of the top left backs in the NBA.
I'm still a bit confused about this whole situation with Buntic, but hey, whatever happens, happens. I'm just hoping Metlicic gets his starting spot and sees the most minutes on the court.
Coach Lino Červar is planning to stick with seven players from the current "home" roster once this first training phase wraps up (Vukić, Kaleb, Horvat, Anušić, Bičanić, Duvnjak, and J. Valčić). He mentioned himself that he might add two more names to that list at the start of the second half of the preseason on December 26th. That's when the group of thirteen arrives: Šola, Alilović, Losert, Džomba, Vori, Sulić, Balić, Metličić, T. Valčić, Buntić, Dominiković, Vuković, and Špoljarić. Then, on the second day of the new year, the final overseas guys will join us straight from the NFL (Lacković, Zrnić, Špoljarić, and Jerković).
Buntic 🙄
Come on, let's hope Vukovic gets cut. But honestly, Buntic is the only right back available alongside Metlicic, so he's staying put. They look like they're in great shape out in Ormoz, but man, Vukas is playing over in Spain.
Besides, who exactly is Spoljaric going to take a spot from?
The worst part is that this joke could easily turn into reality, especially since Lino has already hinted that he’s got a massive surprise waiting for the handball world.
I’m going to be the pessimist here and say I just hope they manage to assert themselves at some point down the road. Honestly, knowing how Cervar operates, he’s going to keep pushing Jerkovic and Losert until there's nothing left to give—at least as long as he's allowed to get away with it.
Right now, the one thing I'm fixated on is whether Tonc is actually going to follow through on his word. Word on the street—though don't quote me on this since I don't know if it's gospel truth—is that he basically turned his back on the national team just to side with Irfan. Apparently, things were pretty heated between them. Now that Irfan is gone, it looks like Tonc is itching to make a comeback.
Look, let’s be real: they’re just average. When I stack them up against the keepers from the heavy hitters—like France, Germany, or Spain—they don't even come close. We can only pray that one of them finally hits the big time, like Sola did in Portugal. He eventually stepped up as Valter’s backup and carved out a spot on the national team that nobody could touch, aside from a shoulder injury keeping him sidelined.
Then again, if you ask me, having Sola out might actually be a good thing. His peak is starting to slip. Sure, he might still put together a couple of solid performances, but maintaining that elite level for an entire tournament? I doubt it. It's time to find a new number one. Let Sola ride it out with the squad through the next Olympics, or maybe even the Euro held in Norway. If we actually make it there, of course 😁
Keta isn't going to be an assistant coach; he’s actually stepping into Gopac’s old role as the Director of Men's National Teams for USA Basketball.
So, who’s actually going to be sitting on the bench next to Lin? My gut says Keta, even though they’re out there announcing some "new guy." Kljun doesn't stand a chance of showing up—he'd probably rather be six feet under than sit on a bench with Lin. Maybe Mozd Stenzl, but like feralbison62 said, I highly doubt the guy can even remember his own name.
Anyway, Lino has been out in Santa Barbara for days running drills with guys from the domestic league, and he’s already cut everyone except Vukic, J. Valcic, Kaleb, Anusic, Duvnjak, Bicanic, and Horvat. Let's be real: Anusic 🙂 Josip Valcic 😵 wouldn't even be there if they weren't based in Washington, D.C.
And what is that jerk Gopac up to? Smajlagic takes the cadets on training trips to Canada, yet Gobac bans the cadets from Washington, D.C. from joining those same sessions. 🙄It's true—apparently Tojsic headed out, but the rest are stuck.
We’ve got Kelentric available, but he won't touch the national team as long as Lino is calling the shots.
To say there's bad blood between those two would be an understatement. They just can't stand each other.
Then there's that kid Blazick—if I remember his name right—who was playing for Chicago last year. Personally, though? I think he's a total dud in the net.
At the end of the day, we just don't have a world-class keeper. Losert could potentially fill that role, but let's be real: sometimes he plays like he's made of Swiss cheese and can't stop a single shot for half a game.
He’s definitely not ready to lead the squad just yet, especially since he’s only 21, but hey, maybe I’m being too cynical. We'll see how it plays out. From what I’ve seen—and I’ve been watching this kid since he was 17, back when he was ripping 15 or 20 balls right out of the hands of Barca during their glory days—his reflexes are unlike anything I've ever witnessed. Just like how Sterbik is a total phenomenon at 280 pounds, this kid is his own kind of freak of nature with those reflexes and his six-foot-seven frame.