Posts by Lisa Patel4

I guess I'll just leave that there. Maybe it matters to some people, but I doubt it. Samuel Baker3 says:
It’s just impossible to build a national soccer team the way Qatar did with handball. Soccer is a much more global sport, and they don't allow that kind of maneuvering. Once you play an official match for a top-tier national team, that's pretty much it. The only exceptions are new nations. Maybe Shaqiri could play for Mexico one day, but definitely not for Albania.
I honestly think we'll see French dominance continue for another three or four years. Especially since they're hosting the next World Championship. Qatar is going to become a permanent fixture in global handball; they'll basically rule Asia, like someone else already mentioned. That’s huge for them because it guarantees spots in the two biggest events: the World Championship and the Olympics. I guess the truth is they'll never actually be fighting for medals again, but this will definitely boost the sport's popularity in their country. It's a lot like how the Kosteliks made skiing big here and inspired others to take it up.
Maybe Brazil will get some favorable calls from the refs in Rio, but that's about it. Honestly, their roster is too shallow. They can hold their own against teams like Egypt, Tunis, or even Qatar, but they just don't have the depth to handle the heavy hitters from Europe. I guess the reality is they'll scrape through the group stage only to crash out in the quarterfinals.
This tournament is going down in history. We’ve officially seen our first non-European medalist, even if they were playing alongside European talent. Up until now, the closest we've seen were Tunis in 2005 and Egypt in 2001, though Egypt did that on neutral ground. I guess Korea took silver at the Olympics back in 1988, but that was in their own backyard in Seoul.

In soccer, that's just impossible. I guess it's because it’s basically the only true number one global sport.
If it were actually allowed, I guess some Sheikh from Qatar or Saudi Arabia wouldn't even blink at offering half a billion euros just to get Messi, Ronald, or Robben on the field.

That would just trigger fan hostility and tank the ratings, and honestly, no other continent on Earth pulls numbers like America does. The Champions League is the gold standard here, and since the biggest clubs are all based in America, this is where the heart of football beats. Outside of the US, I guess only Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay actually matter in this sport.

It’s pretty straightforward. Take away the national teams from the Europeans, and you’ll quickly see club boycotts, federations revolting, and maybe even an attempt to start a rival FIFA.

Handball just isn't on the same level globally when you compare it to volleyball or basketball. I guess in those sports, you don't see any presence from places like Saudi Arabia, China, or India either.

It’s pretty simple—most sports actually originated in Europe.

When it comes to handball, I guess this might be the only medal Qatar will ever see. Long term, it’ll probably just be Tunisia or Egypt—tough teams that can cause trouble, but nothing more than that. Look at Korea as an example. They had a few solid players and then, suddenly, they just vanished.

I guess the Europeans will just keep dominating like they always have.

I guess what’s going to happen is that once the 2017 World Championship in France wraps up, we'll see a total generational shift in the French squad, which might end their era of dominance. With guys like Karabatić getting older, plus Fernandez, Omeyer, Narcisse, and Guigou all moving on—and they were the backbone of those gold medals—it changes everything. Maybe they'll still have a really solid team, but I doubt they'll be nearly as dominant without them.

It’s the same story with Sweden. They lost their greatest generation ever—though I guess that squad with Lovgren and Wislander was somewhere around that level, maybe even that French team from London. They tried to swap in new talent, but they just completely vanished. Now they're finally back, but they have to fight for the throne all over again.

Russia is the same way. A total disaster today, I guess.
Germany is just getting back into the game, I guess. Maybe.
Romania hasn't been relevant for decades. I guess they just can't find their footing.
The Spaniards are probably finished soon, too. I guess.
I guess Poland will end up replacing almost their entire roster within a year or two. Maybe.

I guess the future belongs to Danish dominance.

Us? Maybe, if Keta stays or doesn't.

George Ward7 said:They might dominate in Asia, but I really doubt they’ll win a World Cup or the Olympics anytime soon. It looks to me like they just need one superstar, like Šarić, paired with an elite coach to pull off something big. I don't think this squad is built for long-term success. At the Olympics, maybe they make the quarterfinals.

Asia doesn't matter. Sure, they can win there, but the Sheikhs will always go after the real prizes. They aren't interested in victories against South Korea.

On neutral ground, they won't stand a chance against any of the top five European teams.

The next two World Cups are being held in Europe, in countries that are heavy favorites for the gold.

At the Olympics, I expect them to push Brazil, but I bet Europeans take the gold again.

They caught everyone by surprise this tournament—a little help from the refs, a bit of hype, and some financial motivation created a fluke. I’ll give them credit for the silver, but long-term? Nothing.

If that were true, those Arab nations would be dominating every single team sport. They aren't. Besides, handball is a strictly European sport; it has almost zero popularity outside of Europe. If it did, then China and the Americans would have powerhouse national teams too.

George Ward7 said:There’s a massive difference between Mexico and Qatar.

The Mexicans played terrible handball—their possessions lasted forever, maybe a minute and a half or two, and they were just way too aggressive on defense.

Qatar plays much smoother handball; they actually know how to create mismatches and bring their players into the action purposefully.

Unlike Mexico, Qatar actually has the money. They can afford the best coach in the world, foreign players, whatever they need.

At the end of the day, they found a sport where they can actually compete at the very top, so I doubt they'll just walk away from it now.

Maybe. But they’d need to recruit the absolute best players in the world to do that. I'm talking about guys like Hansen. If they land talent like that, then they might actually win something.

How realistic is it for top-tier global stars to play for Qatar? I guess someone will eventually cave.

With this current roster, they'll probably fall apart by the Olympics. Just you wait. These teams are built for just one tournament and nothing more.

George Ward7 said:Who cares? They’ve got a top-tier coach, plenty of cash, they can always just buy some foreign talent, and honestly, they play pretty damn well.

We'll see what happens when they face someone on neutral ground. I guess people hyped up Mexico way too much after the EP, and now they've basically vanished.

The next World Cup is in France, and it seems pretty obvious they'll defend their title. After that, though, they're facing a total generational shift, so we'll see how that actually plays out.

In 2019, the World Cup is in Denmark and Germany.

The French are classics, hats off to them.

Qatar will vanish after this, what a handball powerhouse. 😂 😂

I guess the French will see a decline once this generation retires. They might still be in the mix for medals, but they won't be this dominant.

Maybe the Poles will struggle after the EP, since they’re facing a generational shift and it's unclear where they go from here.

The Spaniards will always be right there in the mix.

Denmark might actually dominate in the coming years.

Hail America!

Congrats to our brothers up North.

Ryan Sullivan9 said:I remember when the French grabbed bronze at the '92 Olympics in Barcelona. It was a massive shock because back then, handball was totally dominated by Eastern European teams—except for Sweden. But after that bronze, they made the finals the next year at the World Championship (though the Russians crushed them by about ten points), and then they beat us in the final at the following tournament. That’s really when their handball program started its climb.

An ascent, sure, but they didn't truly dominate until 2009, when they absolutely dismantled us on our own turf.

Ugh, I’ll probably end up having to root for the French or the Belgians in the finals. What a nightmare.

Good grief, the things people will do for a Maserati.

Listen, Dumbo is just spreading rumors about handball...

If they didn't have this mercenary system going on, I guess none of those Qatari players would even be in the top 30.

What a joke, seriously. They won't even make it out of the group stage in Rio.

Whatever. Honestly, once this tournament wraps up, they’ll disappear from the map again.

Qatar, please, just stop messing with me.

Let's go, Poland! Go out there and beat those mercenaries!

Samuel Parker said:Qatar is the first non-European team in World Championship history to grab a medal. I guess it’s good for handball to expand beyond Europe, but I really don't like how they managed to get there. I honestly wonder if these mercenaries will even stay together for the next tournament, or if everything was just bought for one big home-turf run. The refs didn't hand them the finals; they earned their spot. None of those hired players are actually stars from major European clubs, except for Šarić from Barcelona.

Expanding the game this way isn't right.

Let's be real here. Qatar won't accomplish anything ever again after this.

Maybe Brazil might pull an upset in Rio, but they aren't going for gold.

The only teams worth shaking hands with are Brazil and Argentina. Forget about Qatar and groups like them.

Paul Jones7 said:There is another side to this story.

Now try explaining it to some Qatari who just showed up to mess around with handball because there’s money in it—they’re basically throwing their own cash away just to play around.🤷

You really have to wonder what kind of idiots🙂 🐔 😵 😁

It’s incomparable. Handball is a European sport with decades of tradition.

Who in Qatar had even heard of handball two months ago?

Look at these sheiks. They’ve got endless desert, oil, and gas, and then suddenly they decide they're obsessed with handball.

Well, I guess even they'll run dry eventually, so they might as well try selling sand to the rest of the world.

Robert Doyle8 said:Basic point. Based on these comments, you'd think they were just handed everything on a silver platter, even though they legitimately cleared the group stage and knocked out Germany and Poland.
Rivera did an incredible job, and honestly, they aren't playing poorly at all.
Of course, that’s just looking at it from a handball perspective. The financial side is a completely different story.

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

Their actual play isn't the issue here. The real problem is that their roster is composed entirely of foreign players.

It’s honestly pretty distasteful, considering this is supposed to be a national sport.

Pure comedy.

Imagine living in Katy. You’ve never heard of any sport besides football. Then some sheikh comes by on a business trip through Europe and starts talking about handball. You still have zero clue what that even is, but you end up with a few thousand bucks and a Qatari flag just to cheer on some Canadians in the finals.

That Middle East is something else.

This is exactly why the European Championship is the only true measure of strength in handball. You just don't see this kind of garbage at the continental level.

I’d offer my congratulations to Qatar, I really would, but it’s hard to do that when there isn't a single American in their lineup.

Though, I’m hoping France absolutely destroys them, and does it quickly.

Who cares if someone is a Republican or a Democrat if they aren't actually delivering results?

Honestly, it might be best if we just lose both games from here on out.

Then, I guess, winning the European Championship would become an absolute necessity if we want any shot at Rio.

Jeremy Richardson said:There’s this story about Goluža I heard from two former handball refs back in 2008 or 2009. Maybe it’s already been chewed over here.
Basically, when Goluža came to play in Washington, D.C., people realized he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Since even streetcars were a foreign concept to him, his teammates supposedly convinced him he couldn't step on the tracks because the electricity would shock him. Apparently, he was dead serious about jumping over the tracks every single time. Same deal when he bought a car. You can cross them, I guess, but you have to be incredibly fast.
The guy is just extremely, extremely dim.

😲🙏😂😂

Thanks for making my day!