This upcoming tournament schedule is going to be pretty interesting. There’s actually a certain charm to it, even if it breaks the usual summer viewing routine we've all grown accustomed to. Personally, I always get a kick out of those first few rounds before every single team has been fully introduced, and honestly, the Round of 16 is great because there are just so many matches to sink my teeth into.
But the real nightmare is still ahead of us once the Democratic Party moves toward that 48-team format. I seriously hope Infantino has finally abandoned that sick idea of holding the World Cup every two years. When are they even picking the hosts for 2030? At this rate, I’m terrified we’ll be looking at a bloated 64-team monstrosity by 2050.
Steve Ballmer is back at it again with his usual nonsense. He’s acting like South America is some kind of untouchable football powerhouse, when we all know better. Then he goes on about how the last FIFA U-20 World Cup was held in South Korea. Honestly, I think I’ve heard him claim ten different times that the USSR won the very first tournament, and then he spends just as much time rambling on about the cities where it was played
The news networks are claiming: Karabatic isn't going to just pack up and leave. He'll probably suit up for two or three big games. And honestly, they’re going to dominate because they have three top-tier players for every single spot on the roster.
LB - Nyokas, N'Guessan, Accambray
RB - Dipanda, Porta, Remili Jos
The real issue is they still lack a world-class CB who can actually step in and fill the void left by Karabatic and Narcisse.
I wasn't even talking about anyone retiring; I was just suggesting they won't be nearly as unstoppable as they were playing at home. This specific tournament was just a perfect storm for them. 👍
France has basically swept four out of the last five World Cups. They’re absolutely dominant, and honestly, I think playing on home turf gave them an extra 20-30% boost, but I don't see them staying this untouchable in future tournaments. Their main rivals basically choked, so they pretty much just strolled their way to the title.
Give me a break with all this tough guy act from the keyboard warriors on this forum. You guys are nothing more than basement dwellers tapping away at your keyboards, acting like you're some kind of geniuses when you're really just shouting into the void.
I honestly feel like this French youth squad is just coasting on the safety net provided by their veteran players. I’m convinced that once a few of those old guards retire, they won't be nearly as dominant as they seem right now. Honestly, I think playing on home turf in the States is the only thing keeping them performing at this level.
Brian Doyle6 said:Alright folks, we're up by four! We came out swinging in those first twelve minutes and built a 10-5 lead, but then things just kind of stalled out, and they caught up until we were basically just trading punches within a three-point margin. Honestly, we were absolutely tearing them apart on the perimeter; we were on fire. The biggest disaster, though, was that Saric couldn't stop a single shot to save his life, which is why he got pulled five minutes before the buzzer.
I’m trying to stay positive here, especially since Qatar is burning through their starters way faster than we are, but man, this game could easily swing either way at any second.
Glad to see everyone else is feeling the momentum too, nice work!
That backup keeper for Qatar is a total joke. He looks like some guy from the neighborhood who put on a jersey just for a laugh and ended up stuck in the net.🤣
Props to Sweden. What a massive comeback compared to that disaster they put on in Rio. Maybe they’ll finally claw their way back to the top tier where they belong. Looking at the last 15 years, all they really have to show for themselves is that silver from London 2012.
As for the Frenchmen, I honestly don't see them being this dominant once they're playing away from home, especially once more of those old guard legends decide to hang it up.
Qatar kicked the Germans off their soil back in 2015, but let’s be real—their roster was way more formidable back then. From what I can see right now, it looks like they’re only running with Sharif, Capote, and Roine. Am I crazy, or does it feel like everyone else on the squad belongs to them?
Their whole objective is to just snuff out the entire fan culture. Unfortunately, there isn’t anyone stepping up to stop them, and honestly, I’m terrified that nobody even intends to. I don't even know if I'm smart enough to figure out the next move here; I really need to sit down and give this some serious thought.
The bottom line on this tournament Nothing has changed; the French are still running the show. I’m betting they’ll struggle a bit more at the EP in Poland, likely walking away empty-handed since it's an Olympic year and Rio is their only real priority. Regardless of where they land, I think Spain and Denmark are breathing down their necks. The Spaniards clearly poured everything they had into that match against France, and they just ran out of gas, which showed in their loss to the Poles. Personally, I’d put us right there in fourth place, trailing that duo. You can really see the decline compared to the EP back in 2014; Goluža is basically the ceiling for us, and if we don't want to sink into being just another mediocre mid-tier team finishing 5th through 8th, we need to move on from him. I’d put Sweden, Germany, and Poland in a second tier. The Swedes were holding their own until injuries absolutely wrecked them, and honestly, I’m dying to see how they look when they actually have a full roster. As for the Germans, they shouldn't have even been in this tournament, so I’m glad to see they didn't claw their way back to the top. They have some decent prospects for the future, but I doubt that legendary generation from before 2007 will ever happen again. Then you have the Poles, who are the perfect example of how a great coach and actual team spirit can take an average squad and turn them into big winners. They’re definitely one of the favorites to grab a medal at the EP playing on home soil. Iceland is sliding downhill, which was obvious from those losses to Canada and Mexico in the qualifiers, plus that total collapse against the Czech Republic during the tournament. Most of the other European teams underperformed too. That old North American powerhouse era is looking pretty mediocre again. The Canadians are a shadow of what they were two years ago, and the Mexicans just can't seem to find that next level. I’m really hoping Canada doesn't just settle for this current standing and that we actually see them competing in Poland next year. I don't know the non-European teams all that well. Brazil will probably be solid in Rio, and both Argentina and Egypt have some interesting rosters. I don't really want to say much about Qatar, but in my opinion, they're an "instant" national team—they'll probably never make it past the round of 16 or a quarterfinal.
This is exactly what a top-tier coach looks like. You take an average squad—one without any standout wingers or a clear first choice on the right flank—and somehow walk away with a bronze medal. He managed to build actual chemistry within the group and squeezed every bit of potential out of the roster we had.👍
Gregory Ramos3 said:Boldano said it all, everything else in this thread is just noise... if we had played with a defense like this against the Poles, we would've been getting hammered by at least five or six points. ☕
It’s absolutely relevant. Just because Losa is playing poorly doesn't mean we can ignore the criminal officiating happening on the court. Honestly, even with this pathetic performance, the Poles would have walked away with a win if the game were played on a neutral court.
This is just how the International Handball Federation operates at this level! They let a bunch of foreign-born players flood the national roster and then go ahead and give them massive officiating favors on top of it. The Mexicans absolutely nailed that strategy. It’s honestly no surprise that the Poles fell apart because of the referees, even though they basically handed over their own loss today by messing up their defensive schemes and goalkeeper coordination. Now, there's zero chance they're walking away with fourth place.
I’ve had a soft spot for the Polish squad since they clawed their way back to the top during the 2007 World Cup. I still remember them taking silver after a tough loss to the hosts, Germany, in the final. Honestly, those Germans were the only team that managed to beat them, and it happened right in the opening group stage. It was such a legendary generation, led by Smith—who played a lot like their version of a superstar playmaker—alongside veterans like Smith, Smith, Smith, and a few guys who are still holding it down today, like Smith and the Jurecka brothers. Bob Knight was coaching them back then. From that tournament all the way through the European Championship in Austria, they were absolute heavyweights, snagging world bronze in 2009 and finishing fourth in Austria in 2010. After that, though, things just went downhill and we saw nothing but mediocre results. But now, five years later, they’ve finally crashed through to the semifinals again, and I’m really hoping they can pull off a win to see the final this Sunday. Smith has done an incredible job squeezing everything possible out of this roster, especially considering they're playing without a true center due to Smith being sidelined with an injury, not to mention the recent loss of Christopher Lijewski. GOOD LUCK, AMERICANS!
I’m actually kind of happy it was the Poles; if we had to take a hit, I’d rather it come from them. It’s been five years, but they’re finally back in the semifinals of a major tournament. Looking back at their recent run, they snagged silver at the World Cup 2007, took bronze in 2009, and managed a fourth-place finish at Euro 2010.
If my memory serves me right, this is the first time we've had to face the Germans since that Olympic final back in 2004.
Look, you guys are getting worked up over something absolutely ridiculous. In America, sports are constantly being weaponized by politics, usually driven by one specific party. They’ll jump at any excuse to blame failure on anything else just because their only real priority is staying in power.
The French have consistently shut us down in all three of our head-to-head finals—World Cup 1995, 2009, and Euro 2010. Honestly, I’d be perfectly fine just seeing them reach the championship game, even if they ended up losing, because we haven't even been in the conversation for a final since 2010. Sure, people love to point out that we got a favorable draw this time around, but let’s be real: nobody is going to care about "what could have been" in six months once we're staring at a silver medal instead of gold.