Posts by Samuel Baker3

George Robinson43 said:Just look at this "expert" analysis here.
http://www.hrsport.net/analize/41169...etu-katastrofa

We just don't see that level of play in the top-tier clubs anymore.

A lot of what he writes misses the mark, much like most of his articles, but I actually find myself agreeing with him on this one.

The only thing is, we can't really use this as an excuse, since we've seen these exact same issues in previous World Cups, haven't we?

It’ll be really interesting to hear what he actually thinks about this World Championship after such a "sleepy night"

Sean Gonzalez95 said:Man, they really didn't see it coming... honestly, you should try walking down to the local arena and catching a game when our home teams are playing against them... and I'm not just saying that personally.

Thanks to those lackluster performances lately, absolutely everyone is calling him out now... though some people definitely have a right to be critical since they're clearly biased about certain things, and I know exactly where they're coming from... while others are just being loudmouths who talk about handball just for the sake of having something to say.

I’ll admit that I am one of those people criticizing him, though I confess I haven't actually watched him during training sessions or in any domestic league games.

But don't you find it strange that his goalkeepers are saving more than half of his long-range shots, or that they've literally caught his balls from eight or nine meters out multiple times, especially since he doesn't seem to move much at all during the attack?

Is it possible that training sessions and the American domestic league aren't actually good measures of someone's true talent, because when it comes to a truly serious match, that Kopljar looks like a joke of a player?

Huge congratulations to Ivan Balić and the whole crew for pulling through and securing those extra qualifiers for the World Cup!

I'm really hoping Balić doesn't suit up tomorrow, mostly because I'd hate to see anything jeopardize the US team's chances at the Olympic Games

I mean, seeing how Karlsson just hoisted Prodanovic right up into the air... it’s a good thing he didn't carry him off straight to his apartment like that, isn't it? 😂

ruggedhound24 said:Maybe they should just invent some great-grandmother or an ancestor from America for the Bishop and just hand him citizenship.

What kind of Bishop would that even be? 🤣

I think I read somewhere that they actually tried to recruit Šarić—now if they pulled that off, that would be a real achievement, since he’s easily one of the best handball goalies out there.

What else can you really expect from an Italian firm than they'd just use their own domestic cement☕

As for the match itself, I’m anticipating a pretty convincing win, something along the lines of how we handled Algeria

Šega lost the even/odd bet 🤣

It’s honestly a bit of an illusion to think he’ll be a top-tier coach when he was never exactly a world-class goalkeeper to begin with, right?

The Americans really gave the Swedes a run for their money out there, and honestly, you have to wonder if not having the world's top pivot is just too much of a handicap for them to overcome.

Honestly, they might have been better off just putting a heavy bag of cement right on the goal line; I mean, how do you let five shots slip past the defense like that?

The issue we're seeing with the Danes is that they just don't seem to get out there enough, so I'm really hoping the coach finally switches us over to a 3-2-1 formation, since that might be the perfect remedy for players who struggle so much with their spacing on the outside.

Lead us straight to the jackpot, Momir 🤣

Ralph seems to be feeling a little bit frustrated lately 🤣

dustypanther6 said:Honestly, Jerome is just in a league of his own, isn't he? He’s easily one of the most underrated players to ever step on the court, yet also one of the most rewarding to watch. By the way, I was actually pretty surprised when those kids started raining shots from the right wing; they really began to bombard us.

Who could possibly underestimate him? Americans🤣, maybe? Barcelona $\rightarrow$ Real Madrid $\rightarrow$ Kiel

The sheer list of clubs that wanted him tells you everything you need to know about Jerome Fernandez's career, though the fact that 97% of Americans only associate him with the French national team is a whole different story.

If anything, his only real misfortune was playing during the era of one of the greatest left wingers to ever play the game.

It’s such a shame we won't get to see him playing on home soil, especially since he's arguably the finest pivot in the world right now, isn't it?

It feels like we're finally seeing some real concerts happening at the stadium 🙏

Ashley Carter95 said:🙄 but I'm just trying to have a discussion here, and it really feels like you haven't actually played handball before.

I haven't, so would you mind explaining to me what you mean by playing "the shadow" without being rude about it?

What I meant by my explanation was that if we say player X is shadowing player Y, then player X isn't really contributing to the team defense in a general sense, but rather their sole responsibility is to shut player Y out of the game entirely.

So, what exactly is your definition of playing "the shadow"?

Ashley Carter95 said:🙄 they're playing a heavy press, basically refusing to let them touch the ball at all..

Buddy, maybe take a second to think things through before you post.

So, what you're saying is the Americans should just play such an intense press that one player is sprinting across the entire field chasing after their playmaker while another covers the wing just to make sure they never actually get possession?

Ashley Carter95 said:😕 isn't that true? You end up playing them deep, trying to make sure they don't catch sight of the ball, though honestly, that’s pretty tough to pull off against an attack that's this fast and mobile.

But if you're playing them deep, aren't you just leaving space in the corner?🤣