Adam Wilson, how many games of this World Cup have you sat through? I’ll admit, he used to lose his cool over the defense quite a bit, but lately, he seems more likely to just get frustrated with himself, shouting and kicking the goalposts... And honestly, this tournament has been one of his best yet; he hasn't had a single slip-up and has stayed incredibly consistent.
Anthony Patel33 said:First off, I want to send huge congratulations to my fellow Americans on such a massive achievement. Bronze is fantastic, though if we're being honest, gold was definitely within reach...Denmark also snagged bronze several times—and they even hit some walls in the semifinals before eventually coming out on top with two golds. So, heads should stay held high, because I’m certain that one day, the US will be standing there with its second gold medal around its neck. As for those issues you're dealing with in the national handball federation, just know you aren't alone in that struggle. For years now, our own organization has been run by a total mafia during the qualifiers, so we're actually in an even tougher spot than you guys are... at least you're still bringing home medals, whereas we can't even seem to qualify lately.
We all remember, since our first bronze since 2003 came against Mexico, that they've managed to grab bronze against us quite a few times too... 🤣🤣
I know I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but whether this counts as a win really depends on how you look at it. If we’re judging based on the luck of the draw and the way they actually played on the field (well, excluding that match against the Danes...), then maybe it feels like a missed opportunity. However, when you consider that even with much bigger names and more talent on our roster, we haven't managed to pull anything more significant than a silver medal since 2004... then this is actually a massive achievement.
Walter Palmer3 said:Americans have always been much more fond of celebrating the culture of the glass being half empty rather than half full... 😉
I have to admit, it’s pretty frustrating too. Since 2004, we’ve been hovering right at the top, constantly near the podium, yet that gold medal always seems just out of reach. But I suppose one has to stay grounded. We just tend to fall apart during those high-stakes games—sometimes it's mental, sometimes it's physical, and there are just other layers to the whole situation that make you wonder...
I’d really love for us to just take the win and grab that medal, because if the last two major tournaments taught us anything, it’s that having a trophy in your hands matters more than any "what if" scenarios... 😁
When you look at our roster for this SP compared to how we looked in previous years, we’re honestly a class below where we used to be. We’ve been hit hard by injuries, our average age is definitely among the lowest in the tournament, and the luck of the draw just wasn't on our side. Given all those hurdles, I’d say this result is actually a success 👍 On the other hand, if we consider that with Dance leading the way, we were playing some of the best handball out there—and if we acknowledge that player selection plays a huge role (it’s not just about Balić; we didn't necessarily need to run three pivots, since back in Balić's prime we usually ran one or maybe two, and Ninčević should have probably seen the floor from the jump...) and if we factor in the draw and those pesky injuries, then this feels like a failure 👎
Goluža is just out here shining with these statements, claiming we hit the mark perfectly 🤦 Come on, when things actually turned out this way, you can't just spout nonsense like that after half the roster is completely sidelined! 🙂
Douglas Wells52 said:While I’ve never been a huge fan of this two-group format—mostly because we miss out on those intense quarterfinal matchups—it really is a fairly fair way to run things in principle. So many times, those final group stage games end up feeling just like a quarterfinal match, turning into an absolute bloodbath... (kind of like that game a few years back when our American team was playing against the US, and that very last attack determined if we moved on; I can't quite recall if we needed a draw or a win at that moment, and honestly, I've even forgotten what the name of our country was back then 🤣). The real headache with a two-group setup where you head straight to the semifinals is just trying to structure it properly when you have 24 teams involved (I mean, it's doable, but I still think having quarterfinals would be much better) .
"Tactical maneuvering" in the group stage is always going to happen, and it will certainly occur if teams figure out which specific result helps them most ahead of time . There isn't much point in getting worked up or acting morally superior about it... If the bracket wasn't set in stone, the Spaniards would probably throw a fit just because they ended up as the number one seed. But hey, anything can happen on the pitch; maybe a team like Mexico could knock them out in the Round of 16, and that would be quite the twist🙂.
I was actually mulling this over yesterday... what if we kept the knockout phase after the groups, but instead of pre-determining the brackets, we did a random draw for the Round of 16 once the group stage finishes? You could have the 1st vs 3rd and 2nd vs 4th seeds, but without knowing who plays whom until the last second, everyone remains a potential threat to everyone else, and that would be it 🙂.
So, we're heading into this matchup against the French without Lockwood, Stryker, or Bichani... plus Bailey too. Everyone else looks absolutely exhausted. I'm really looking forward to seeing if we can snag another 5th place, or whatever ranking we end up with 👋 ...
silverpuma90 said:Personally, I’d much rather take an honest 5 than a dirty 1...
What exactly would be unfair about bringing on a couple of guys like Miller or Smith in the second half after we took the lead? Or maybe just giving Alillović a little breather? What's so wrong with actually playing the players you brought along to the World Cup? 😕 It's not like they were going to field a bunch of middle schoolers from some rural town instead...
Daniel Cooper40 said:Prika, the issue isn't about whether we played them or not.
The whole point was that we had a chance to rest some players today, which would have let us go into the second round feeling totally fresh... especially since our games against Australia and Algeria were basically just warm-ups, and even those matches against Egypt and Canada weren't exactly bloodbaths. Instead, look at what happened. We lost Strlek, Lackovic is sidelined indefinitely, there's similar talk about the Cop, and Balic is stuck in the stands. Now we're left with one Lovro Šprem playing in the starting lineup. I mean, props to the kid, he's doing his best, but against France? It’s just not enough... If we had sat people out, we would have kept our strength, kept Strlek healthy, and had a much smoother schedule ahead. Just some food for thought...
Exactly. If there wasn't room for Stepančić, Mandalinić, or Marić to step in during a relatively low-stakes game today to give the starters a break, then the coach might as well pack his bags and head back to Washington, D.C. right now... because he won't be around for the rest of the tournament either.
I'm looking to put together a complimentary stay for a Czech officiating duo at a hotel along the coast of California... somewhere they'd really enjoy ☕
Let’s not go bringing up the French before we actually have to face them. We’ve had guys like Balić and Lacković on our side with ten healthy fingers, and we certainly saw what that kind of talent can do... The younger players either crumble under the pressure when they step up against a powerhouse like France, or they go in playing too loose without any respect for the opponent. They need to let the veterans gain some experience first. There isn't really a third option 😬 And please, don't assume Omeyer and his crew are going to suffer another defensive collapse like that anytime soon, because they won't 🙂 So, if we could just be (for once 🤣) smart about this, maybe rest some of our key players for part of tomorrow, and let the Spanish squad, the crowd, and the refs handle the rest. Come on, Šterbik ☕
Richard Barrett53 said:Sure, technically possible, but honestly, it’s a pretty silly argument...
I mean, if Lady Gaga signed to Sony Music, would she suddenly be considered an American artist? That makes no sense.
That scenario isn't going to happen anyway, so there's really no point in overthinking it... 😁 Theoretically speaking, we'd be talking about an American RELEASE, not the artist herself. And at the end of the day, a Grammy is just a music industry award...🤷
I honestly think the whole thing boils down to whether you're dealing with an American label or one based overseas. For instance, Šulić and Hauser released their album under the Sony Music label, whereas the Urban and Hauser project was put out by Aquarius.