Posts by Walter Hughes53

Honestly, we should probably call the cops on Stepancic and Cindric. They're straight-up criminals, I guess.

But man, that signature says it all. It’s just your classic American semifinal setup—once you make it that far, the result is basically already decided. If we were facing some powerhouse like Mexico, we'd be lucky to even stand a chance, maybe.

Robert Doyle8 said:If you have a defense like that paired with an average goalie who pulls off 12 or 13 saves, suddenly he looks like a superstar. I guess we saw exactly how that works yesterday with the Canadian team.

But man, our guys just love to hoof it at American keepers. It’s like they think if they hit it hard enough, they’ll somehow score both the keeper and the ball at the same time, if you know what I mean. Just trying to show you guys what I mean by all that mindless kicking.

It was a blast while it lasted, but hey, taking 4th place isn't half bad either

Andrew Hayes6 said:He’s retiring after the finals, so he won't be there next year for the European Championship here in the States

We've got Gerard, so it's fine. I mean, he's bald, he's French, and he knows how to stop shots right down the middle, I guess.

It’s basically a participation trophy at this point, honestly. We're totally mentally drained, so I guess we might not even be able to pull it together for tomorrow's game.

Robert Doyle8 said:Of course we have a shot. Honestly, I’d say it’s 50:50.
We could even take down the French if we make it through. For real, they’re maybe a 25% chance. 😁

Man, why do I even bother? Some people just don't get it. Not sure why I even jumped into this debate in the first place, I guess.

I remember back when I used to play, my folks would ask what I was expecting—well, a win, obviously. But then losses happen, you know? My old man could easily tell his buddies that I might lose, but everyone expected me to win, and honestly, I expected that too.

@devil Let them talk trash. I mean, the Spaniards really were the favorites, and our odds were like 3.50, but I don't think we're totally out of it. It's probably best to just bury your head in the sand and chant "USA USA," right? I mean, what's even the point of a chat if there isn't some subjective opinion flying around?
By that logic, you'd expect Qatar to lose to Canada or those Canadian Norwegians—which is kind of a similar vibe—but they absolutely crushed them.

i

Andrew Hayes6 said:Cervar
The US is the absolute favorite here! The guys look super confident, but they aren't getting ahead of themselves, which I think is good. They know the real work starts now and they have this huge chance to prove that the US is an American handball powerhouse

When I first said we were the favorites, a few people around here laughed at me, but hey, even Cervar is saying it now

I'm asking you again, should we be pulling up articles after Prčija's win against Spain, and then after that one against Portugal?

A forum is kind of like alcohol—people say stuff here that they’d never dare say in public.
If everyone actually spoke their minds, a group like yours would probably call them out like a bunch of rowdy fans, but nobody would ever invite them onto a TV show. Anyway, when you're deep in sports, you always have to stay optimistic. I mean specifically about my own sport, and when my old team plays, in this case, my former squad.

Who’s really gonna judge?
If the Danes go down, we're toast... though I guess the Norwegians and Danes are pretty tight anyway.

Adam Williams2 said:it’s almost like we’re all drunk or something, you know? Like we totally forgot how much they actually screwed us over. We’re just out here acting like we tripped and fell onto them or whatever 😁

Honestly, if someone had offered us silver at the start, I probably would’ve signed on the dotted line right then. Now? We don't even have silver. But, I don't know, maybe bronze feels better than silver sometimes. For me, my bronze feels worth way more. I mean, you finish the tournament with a win, you gave it everything in that last match, and you just get this... I guess you could call it a sense of satisfaction.

Adam Collins4 said:From what I can tell, pretty much everyone here is saying things are gonna be tough... and yeah, they probably will be...

We aren't exactly favorites or anything; at best, we're just sitting there even with the rest...

The Norwegians seem to have the smoothest transition in the whole tournament based on the games I've caught so far...

Honestly, I'm more worried about something else. We've been stuck in this loop lately—sometimes grabbing bronze, sometimes missing out on it entirely. Our form has kind of tanked, while it feels like the Norwegians are just one tiny step away from greatness. Like, a single leap from their dream scenario. Not to mention how much they blew me away during the qualifiers. That Norway vs. Denmark game was easily one of the craziest things I've ever watched 🙏. It’s such a bummer they didn't make the Olympics, especially since the Danes ended up taking the win in the end.

Andrew Hayes6 said:I mean, yeah, sports is unpredictable and favorites lose all the time, but people are acting like we don't stand a chance against the Norwegians. If you actually read what our former handball pros are saying in the papers lately about tomorrow's game, everyone agrees we're the favorites—it’s just gonna be a total grind.

Is it really necessary to start linking news articles right after we beat Spain in soccer, only to get hit with a reality check against some guys from the Pyrenees?
And man, the media was hyping us up so much that if a foreigner picked up an American newspaper, they'd think we were world champions instead of just a team fighting for the top spot in the group.

Andrew Hayes6 said:So you think these "big shot experts" see Norway as favorites against us? Haha having fun
They had a couple decent games this tournament, sure, but they’re a squad that’s never actually grabbed a medal. I guess only total rookies or die-hard Yankees would claim they’re favorites over us.
They’re solid, though, and it won't be easy, for sure. But honestly, anything other than an American win would be a massive upset.

Look, I'm no expert or anything, but one game doesn't really mean much. Someone feel free to prove me wrong, but hey, we've got at least a silver medal coming our way. Still, those Norwegians play fast—they've got shooters from deep and they don't waste time on offense. I hope you've watched some Norwegian games besides just the ones against the US. Their goals look almost too easy sometimes.
Anyway
USA:
http://www.ihf.info/files/Competitio...f/CROTOTAL.PDF

Norway
http://www.ihf.info/files/Competitio...f/NORTOTAL.PDF

Shot Percentage:
USA 60%-Norway 64%

Goalkeeper Saves:
USA 29%-Norway 34%

7m Throws
USA 65%
Norway 67%

We're better on the break if we don't mess up, and we're only about 2% behind on wing shots.
If you look at the pattern, someone always knocks out the favorite. We're basically the Spaniards here, then there's Canada, then Denmark, and Norway hasn't really taken anyone down yet 😉, but maybe our turn is coming.

Mark Harris3 said:I’d love to see how those Norwegians handle our 6-0 defense when we set up a wall with Stepančić, Mus, Gojun, and Dulet... they can run and cross patterns all they want, but they're gonna have to shoot right over our giants... and if we need a backup plan, we've got the 5-1 setup with Dulet...

Obviously, it won't be an easy game, I mean, it's pretty clear these guys have stepped up their game, but honestly, it's all on us. If we play tight defense, stay composed, and if Steve plays well, we're good. Plus, we have our own advantages on offense, and everything just feels easier when the defense is solid...

Well, they were shooting over the big guys before too, I guess. That's basically their whole thing—outside shooters, just enough pivots to fill the gaps, and their goalie is actually pretty decent.

Kenneth Clark18 said:😁 Don't overdo it.

I guess I won't anyway, since there isn't even a video on YouTube... man, they really scrubbed it when they took it down.

EDIT: I changed my mind, but I'm adding this to my favorites anyway.
First half

Second half

Kenneth Clark18 said:👍 No worries at all.

Back in 2012, Ćos basically looked at the stats and said, "hasta la vista"—America made it to the semifinals.

I can't quite remember, but I think that whole outburst happened during the World Cup in Spain.
You know, like when people start acting all crazy and complaining about Barcelona and stuff.

neonfalcon16 said:I can't believe I'm actually typing this out, but man, what a wild ride that game was. I was just sitting there, probably eating way too many chips, when everything started going sideways. It’s one of those moments where you just have to shake your head, you know? The energy in the stadium—well, watching it on TV felt just as intense—was honestly unreal. You could tell from the jump that things weren't going according to plan. I guess we all expected a certain outcome, but sports, man, they just love to mess with your head. One minute you're feeling pretty good about the momentum, and the next, it's like someone pulled the rug right out from under the whole team. It’s kind of funny looking back on it now. I kept telling myself, "Hey, maybe they'll turn it around," but I don't think anyone really believed it at that point. It was just one of those messy, unpredictable afternoons. Still, you gotta love the chaos of it all, I suppose. Even when it's frustrating, it keeps you coming back for more. Just part of the game, right?

Kenneth Clark18 said:Yeah, I mean, the retirement thing was actually happening over in Spain, and then the Danes basically shipped us off to some nursing home. It’s kind of wild. And when Coffee and Cake decided they were gonna play it smart and aim for France and Denmark in the same bracket... man, that was something else. I guess things just didn't go as planned.

Thanks for catching that, but I actually thought Ćos had sent them over back in 2012 during the retirement transfer, too. I guess I just had it stuck in my head like that. Maybe I'm off base, though.

Chris Fisher3 said:... or maybe the French just want America because they think we'll be easier to deal with than the Norwegians? 😁 Who knows!

@Walter Hughes53/">@@Walter Hughes53
I'm not totally sure. I've got the memory of a goldfish, I guess. But all I know is we already sent them into retirement.

If I'm remembering right, we beat them back in Chicago, and PBS was broadcasting it, along with those classic, overly dramatic American commentators😁

Chris Fisher3 said:We basically forced them into retirement once things started going south...

Was that back in 2012? I think there was some stuff happening over in Chicago

Even with a decent lead, I guess the Canadians need to play a bit more aggressively. Like, maybe throw an elbow in their ribs when the ref isn't looking? That way the Frenchmen might start getting twitchy and committing those obvious fouls, just totally shutting down the opposition.

Come on, guys! Let's show them how we do it on our home turf!