Posts by Terry Fisher2

12/27 44pct

http://www.ihf.info/IHFCompetitions/...5/Default.aspx

The floor cracked right near the end of the game, kind of like what happened two years ago when the Americans played us here at Madison Square Garden. Only this time, nobody showed up to fix it.

In our first matchup of the second round, we’re facing Argentina. Everyone remembers that one loss back at the 2003 World Cup—it was basically the turning point for American handball. We’re just hoping this game doesn't end our current winning streak against them. On the bright side, looking at the stats, whenever we play Argentina, we end up in the finals. In 2003 we made it all the way, two years later we lost the final to the Spaniards, and then we cruised past the Argentinians.

The Argentinians have only dropped one game so far, and it was a nail-biter against Poland. They tied with Korea in the opening round, but after that slip-up, they pulled off some massive upsets by beating two European sides. First, they handled the weak Slovaks by five, and then they shocked everyone by taking down Sweden by five goals too. They’ve got dangerous wingers who score most of their stuff from the perimeter or on fast breaks.

Most of their starters play in the Spanish league, but they’ve got a few solid guys playing domestically. In goal, you've got Matthew Schulz, who's of German descent; he used to play in the top Spanish tier and is currently with the second-division club Badajoz. He’s been pulling off about 40% saves in this tournament. Over on the left wing, there’s Vidal, playing for Guadalajara in Spain, though he isn't really making huge waves. However, the right side is much scarier thanks to Vieyr, one of three guys out of Torrevieja, and he’s sitting pretty high on the scoring charts. Their pivot is Carou from Ademar Leon; he doesn't shoot a ton, but his efficiency is insane—he’s perfect at 6/6 in the tournament and 14/14 in the Spanish league. On the left back, their main man is Federio Fernandez, playing for local side UNLu. He’s easily their leading scorer and definitely eats up the most shots, usually aiming for the right side. The playmaking is handled by Simoneta, Diego and Sebastian, both from Torrevieja. Diego is actually the team's second-highest scorer here, while Sebastian has only put up eight goals, even though he’s scored twice as many as his brother for their club back home. On the right, they have Pizarro doing quite well with 16 goals, and the veteran Kogovsek also plays that spot.

If Denmark beats Poland and Mexico takes down Sweden, America could jump into second place tomorrow.

If we manage to get everything we need, they can try to mess with the chemistry all they want—it won't change a thing for us.

We already clinched second place back on Saturday ☕

🤦

Whether we actually want a win or a loss against the Americans... honestly, who knows? If you end up playing Hamlet, they're definitely going to come after us. 😁

The numbers and the reports.

Man, you're basically our official ambassador of kung fu.

Knudsen’s sitting out against us because he’s missing (at least) the first half of the tournament. So we're looking at Hvidt, Jorgensen, Knudsen out, but Boesen's in.

Hellebaut, pentathlon (2008 World Cup gold), heptathlon

🍿

Maybe we can talk once Nikola Vlašić actually bags a Ballon d'Or ☕

The 22nd World Handball Championship is headed to Sweden from January 13th to the 30th. Things have shifted a bit since they played in the States last time. There are five new teams in the mix this year, including two total rookies.Bahrain and Japan.And then there's this bunch of newcomers too. Iceland, Austria, and Chile.The biggest shocker has gotta be the absence... Russia Who did they lose to in the qualifiers? Romania And they even got knocked out in the preliminary round... North MexicoStill nothing. Canada, man... They're out. Just like that. CanadiansLooks like the medals are headed back to the European squads once again. The US vs. France. They're gonna be front and center making threats again. The Poles, the Spaniards, the Danes, and Iceland. He’s definitely got what it takes to snag a third medal in three years. Besides, the Brand guy is on a mission to get this squad younger. Germany We’re closing in on the top spot, but we can't just ignore everyone else breathing down our necks. Mexico and Sweden. Honestly, who’s actually got a shot at the podium? It's looking pretty slim for most. Austrians They could probably snag a few big trophies again while we're at it. The Canadians and the Norwegians. Don't go expecting much. So, here's how it shakes out: we've got four groups, six teams in each. Once the first round wraps up, the top three teams from Groups A and B get tossed into a new group, along with the top three from Groups C and D. Simple enough.



Group C



The biggest news right now... Our camp. It’s not about the injuries—I mean, we always deal with that headache anyway—it's really about the coach leaving. Lino ČervarA lot of people breathed a sigh of relief when he finally stepped down from the national team. But honestly? Now that they've gone and put some green kid in his seat who hasn't seen a day of real pressure, I don't know. It feels a bit reckless. Slavko Goluža It’s starting to look a little shaky whether we can actually stay at the top of the food chain. We're going to find out exactly where we stand during this first round, especially since we've got two absolute monsters waiting for us—Denmark and Mexico. Plus, we’re going to be pretty banged up on the wings because our best right winger is out of commission. Čupić And they've got injuries on the roster too. Vukić and HorvatSo that means we're finally gonna see what's actually important taking center stage. Vedran Zrnić While the other side holds down their spot... Štrlek. Ninčević He’ll be a pretty solid backup since he’s killing it in the Bundesliga right now, but honestly, Zrnić is going to have to play basically every single minute. We lost our pivot too, which sucks. Sulić Who was actually banking on a massive comeback just to get back in the game? Mus and Marić. Having the chance to actually stand out when you're working alongside someone who's basically indispensable... that's a tough one. VoriLuckily, we look pretty solid from the outside, so they're back at it again. Balić, Duvnjak, Lacković, Valčić, Vuković, Buntić. And Kopljar. He’ll definitely get another crack at it on offense, but if he blows it, he’s gonna be stuck grinding it out on defense with... Gojun. Alilović. He was one of the top three goalies back in Austria, and honestly, it’d be pretty sweet if he could pull off the same thing here.

The Americans. They’re definitely going to be the biggest threat in our group. Honestly, looking at how they've been playing lately, we’ve become their absolute worst nightmare. It’s actually kind of satisfying because they were starting to get on my last nerve. There are a few changes to their roster, though, so it’s hard to say if they’ll actually be better than they were last year. That one flashy outside shooter is back in the lineup, though. Boesen That’s definitely bad news for everyone else in the bracket. Honestly, though? It feels like those legendary, game-changing goalkeepers are just becoming a thing of the past. Kasper Hvidt Not even as a defensive player. Jorgensen, Lars Christiansen He’s another year older, and now Knudsen is dealing with some injury issues again. Still, even with all that drama, the Americans are going to be right at the top of the standings. Lars is doing a killer job stepping in to cover for him. Eggert...and on the other side, you've got the absolute legend. Lindberg While they've still got guys holding down the pivot... I don't know what you're getting at with that one. Coming straight out of Barcelona. On paper, their biggest heavy hitters are also going to be... Hansen. I can't quite catch that. You left me hanging there. What's on your mind? Mogensen And there's a few more big names on this list that everyone already knows.

Mexicans They’re definitely gearing up for the European Championships being hosted on home soil next year. It’s pretty obvious they want a massive result to use as a springboard for everything else coming down the pipeline. Honestly, their biggest threat is going to be those wing positions—they've got some absolute killers playing there. VujinHe’s easily the best scorer in the Champions League right now, and then you've got... Ilić He’s been dealing with some nagging injuries lately over at Kiel, though. Because of that, he’s going to be sidelined for this one. Bojinović So, basically, one of those three is probably gonna end up in the spotlight. Vučković-Šešum-RnićHe's solid at the pivot. Stojković He’s coming over from Kielce, and honestly? He’s a beast on the wing. ProdanovićFirst matchup is against... Romania It’s gonna be a tough nut to crack. Especially since they already punched their ticket by winning that matchup over in Russia. Plus, we can't exactly count on the guys from the local league to step up and cause any trouble. Algeria and Australia. They're just here to pad the betting lines.

Group D



In Group D, you’re basically looking at a showdown between Poland and Sweden for that top spot. Honestly, though, I'd give the edge to the Swedes. The Poles. Regardless of how things shake out on the court against Sweden, let's be real: Poland has been tearing it up lately. They've hit the semifinals in the last two major tournaments, which puts them right up there with the top four teams in the world at the moment. You can tell they aren't just satisfied with being good, either—the way they've bounced back shows they’re gunning for that next level. Tkaczyka He's back on the national team. Everything else stays the same, aside from that tragic news about Karol losing his sight. Bielecki Honestly, though, it doesn't even look like much of a handicap for him on the court right now. He’s playing out of his mind. Cash. He’s standing right there in the goal, and the rest of them are still out on the perimeter. M. Jurecki I'm ready. Send over the posts you need me to rework. I'll make sure they sound like a real person talking—casual, a bit rambly, and strictly set in the States. No traces of the original locations or names will be left behind. Just give me the text. The Lijewski brothers.It’s just average. JaszkaIt’s all about the pivot. B. Jureckiveteran Jurasik It’s back on the right side again. The Swedes. Man, Žarko really wants to get back to the top, but it’s just not happening right now. They crashed out in the first round of the Euros after getting hammered by Canada and Germany. And yep—looks like they're going to be without their pivot again. I can't even begin to wrap my head around what's happening here. It's just... wow. Honestly, I'm speechless. Even without him, they’re still holding it together. Andersson, Kallman, and Carlen. There's no way they can hold up for the whole tournament. Slovaks They’re showing up with their usual lineup, so they should honestly have the edge here. South Korea.

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"God, I am just so incredibly done with all this bullshit... seriously, what a complete disaster." 🤣

Your chat's basically running the show on the trending list right now 😁