I’m writing this from the perspective of someone who isn't exactly an expert on the NBA, so please bear with me if I miss any technical nuances 😁
In my eyes, there are two fundamental requirements for us to pull off a win tomorrow, and both of them really hinge on how our offense performs
The Americans are currently playing what I consider to be the most formidable defense in the world; it’s an aggressive style, but more importantly, it’s incredibly fast, which I think is the main reason why referees don't seem to penalize them much They typically run a 5-1 formation—though we should note they’ve been switching to a 4-2 during this tournament—with the well-known B. Gille leading the front line, while Fernandez and Karabatic hold the halves. Since those two push so deep into the opposing territory, their setup often looks more like a 3-2-1, and that brings me back to those two conditions that need to be met if we want to take down the Americans Can Metlicic hold his own one-on-one against Karabatic, and can Lackovic or Valcic manage to handle Fernandez?
frozentiger6 said:I have this gut feeling that we might actually catch the Americans by surprise. It feels like the French team already has their sights set on the finals... honestly, isn't that how it works? You crush an opponent once or twice, and your subconscious just starts acting like you've already won.
That’s just how the American mentality works; they’ll find any way possible to get back at us and secure another win, especially since they're led by a guy who truly runs that locker room and refuses to let anyone underestimate our squad.
They probably won't even show any footage of the games where they beat us during their prep; instead, they'll likely only focus on the matches where we came out on top, particularly that one big win against Tunisia.😁
It seems like the French always manage to arrive at the business end of a tournament like this looking physically superior to us, no matter how much they rotate their roster Now, I won't get bogged down in the details of how much that depends on individual training camps or the specific clubs they play for But if you ask me, when it comes to the Euro, showing up to the knockout stages with actual stamina matters just as much as raw talent—especially when the skill gap between teams is so slim I honestly think that physical conditioning is the main edge the French have over us right now
boldhound8 said:I wouldn't say I'm expecting an eight-point lead, though I am certainly hoping for it... after all, the French aren't exactly monsters to be feared, right? If anything, I’d say they look a tier below what Denmark is putting on display right now.
Have you actually watched the French play at any point during this championship? It honestly feels like you haven't. It seems like you're basing your judgment on the fact that they crushed us and the Canadians by huge margins, whereas the French just barely scraped by Germany and Spain.
I really feel like I made a good point when I said that, no matter what happens, we just have to keep pushing Halilović until the championship is over 🙏
The championship game ended with Germany facing off against France, and ultimately, the French team walked away with the victory. As for the battle for third place, it was Denmark versus the US, which saw Denmark clinching the bronze medal.
This is just the reality we’re facing right now; Baling is physically spent and can't push through anymore, which makes them look like a second-tier squad.
Roger Allen3 said:No matter how evenly matched the teams are, everyone just looks at their head-to-head matchups. It’s always been done that way, and honestly, it probably always will be.
Let's look at a hypothetical scenario
Teams A, B, and C all have 10 points Team A beat Team B Team C beat Team A Team B beat Team C
So, the Danes are holding their own, we Americans are keeping pace, and now we're heading into a showdown with the French, who are almost certainly leading the pack
And once again, it looks like we’ll be walking away empty-handed without a medal 🤣🤣
wanderingorca9 said:He's more well-rounded than Balić...🤣 I have to hand it to vividbadger182, but honestly, you just can't compare him to Balić in any single facet of the game... not at all...
the defensive side of the game
If you want to tell me who the more complete player is, why don't you try comparing how they both handle defense first? It's pretty simple: Balić isn't exactly known for his defensive prowess, which is exactly why he usually ends up positioned way out on the far left of the perimeter.
At the end of the day, handball is about scoring goals, and that’s why Balić stands alone as the greatest to ever step onto the court. I've been following the sport for a long time now, and I can say I've never seen anyone score with such effortless grace, but it would be a mistake to assume that translates to elite-level defense when it really doesn't.
And don't even get me started on comparing him to someone like Nikola Karabatić.
wanderingorca9 said:There was simply no one else...☕ I've been following handball for quite a while now, and while I can certainly recall a massive wave of elite players passing through the league, I don't think the handball world has ever witnessed a player as complete as Ivano... I've also had several conversations with people who have a really sharp memory for the old school era, and they all seem to reach the exact same conclusion. Without a shadow of a doubt, Ivano Balić is the greatest handball player to ever step onto the court...🙏🙏🙏🙏
Ivano Balić is easily the most lethal offensive force in the history of the sport; he's just playing on a different level than everyone else, and that's a fact. But honestly, isn't it a bit silly to call him the most well-rounded player of all time? If we're being real, Metličić was a much more complete athlete, especially during those years when he was just as dominant on defense as he was on offense.
I have a feeling we’re going to see quite a few players step away from the national team after that, especially if we manage to pull off a gold medal win; I'm mainly thinking about guys like Metlific, Caleb, and Dzomba