frozentiger6 said:Let’s get serious for a second—Denmark isn't exactly playing at their peak level during this 2010 run. To me, it feels like they’re running dangerously thin on bench depth. If Lino Cervar sticks to his core tactical concepts and we just play some common-sense basketball, I truly believe we have a real shot at beating them.
Quality is on our side. And so is Lino Cervar. 😁
I’m holding out hope that they finally come to their senses and stop playing around. I really don't want to see the coach roll out some soft starting lineup; he needs to field a powerhouse unit instead. We need a real strike force—something like Alilović, Štrlek, Vuković, Balić, Duvnjak, Čupko, and Vori. That’s the kind of heavy-hitting squad we need if we actually want to compete.
I just hope we aren't getting ahead of ourselves with all this fantasy talk. Honestly, looking at the roster, Kopljar and Balić don't bring much to the table when it comes to defense. They leave these massive gaps in the lineup that are just... well, they're wide open.
frozentiger6 said:Let’s be real here, the Danes aren't playing anything out of the ordinary in this 2010 tournament; my take is they lack any real depth on the bench, and if Lino Cervar sticks to his core tactical ideas and just follows common sense, we can actually beat them.
The talent level is definitely on our side, though I really hope Lino Cervar 😁
I'm crossing my fingers that he finally comes to his senses and that Kopljar doesn't start the match with some weird lineup, but instead goes with a solid attacking unit—Alilović, Štrlek, Vuković, Balić, Duvnjak, Buntić, Čupko, and Vori.
As long as there isn't too much daydreaming involved... because Kopljar and Balić offer absolutely nothing when it comes to defense. They are just massive holes in the formation...
Honestly, I’m feeling pretty anxious about today’s game... and all those wild theories floating around online. I actually agree with what one user mentioned earlier—just like how Perišić was struggling, the whole national team seemed to be falling apart. And look, you can't ignore the age factor. Our absolute peak was back when we played in Portugal and Athens; the guys were young then, and Coach was still fine-tuning everything. Lately, it feels like we’ve just been hanging on by a thread to reach the finals, only to get torn apart in two consecutive losses. We can blame the officiating for that lost final in the Arena all we want, but it isn't just about the refs. We played terribly because we completely burned ourselves out during that grueling match against Poland.
It’s honestly sad how much we stress over this while they just play however they feel like. Most of these players don't live for the national team; they live for their clubs, so... I don't know. Look, I love this national team more than anything in the world, but some things seriously need to change. That’s just my take—and nobody has to agree with me.
Look, I have to disagree with the idea that Peter is what we’re missing here. Honestly, both him and Lac haven't brought much to the table over the last two years. They’ve spent way too many possessions just wasting the ball for very little scoring return. That's just the reality of it—they're both pretty predictable players at this point. If there's any gap, it might be in the defense where you could use someone like Peter, but more than anything, we really need Dominiković and Špolja. But then again, what else would you expect from them? Is Dominiković dealing with an injury or something? Is that why he wasn't called up?
Oh, please, I wasn't implying that Ivano Balić was actually playing through the wings, for heaven's sake... you really have to read between the lines here. The plays start with him, which means he’s setting up the shooters on the perimeter, and then those shooters find the wings... goodness 🙂 it’s not even the point...
And honestly, Joe Montana was an incredible goalkeeper back in his day. Don't be so quick to dismiss him. During the height of our national team's glory days, he pulled off so many clutch saves, often racking up 15 or 20 stops per game. Mirko is a talented keeper, but he's just too inconsistent right now. It's obvious he's still too green, even if he is 24. It's common knowledge that goalies don't really hit their stride until they're past 26; they need that veteran experience. But you can't just pin everything on the goalie, because to make great saves, you need a solid defense, and there are massive holes on Kopljar's side. Or look at when Balić is playing defense—he's a total liability there. Those are our weakest links. And what happened to Dominiković? Is he not on the national team anymore, or is he just completely washed up? Seriously, wtf? We have such difficult people running our national team and the US... unfortunately 😢
What kind of "rebellion" are we even talking about on the court? Haha. It’s just some small-town hack constantly forcing the ball to Marko Kopljar, though I honestly have no clue why. This kid is barely even playing under the wing of the defense, yet he keeps getting shoved the ball. And my favorite line from them? Claiming how much they've weakened by not having Lac and Valčić playing. Give me a break... Vuković is playing out of his mind. As for Lac, he’s been a predictable book for the last three years. He just fires low into the bottom corner and every keeper saves it, especially since all goalies tend to dive low anyway—and I should know, being a goalkeeper myself.
Meanwhile, Buntić plays an absolute gem. Sure, he's playing individually, but he’s putting points on the board. Marko Kopljar couldn't dream of scoring a goal; hell, he can barely dream of catching the ball. We have fantastic wing players, but the offense never actually develops plays for them, which is entirely the fault of Balić or Dule when they're on the floor. And Červar doesn't even know how to lead a team, let alone say anything meaningful when nobody gives a damn about what he says. Just some political errand boy. Also, is Šola really our goalkeeper coach now? Like, WTF? He was a great goalie back in the day, but I highly doubt he knows how to pass that knowledge on. All in all, it's a disaster. Handball is a team sport, not an individual one. The Americans are going to absolutely slaughter us tomorrow. Unless, of course, the refs decide to bail us out again.