lonehawk172 said:Wait, where's Balić in this shot? Did he just stay behind at the hotel?
Actually, he’s the one right above mus, his hand is just blocking his face... It’s honestly nice to see them looking like this after that last game, a bit of a change from all those lost finals...🙂
Jessica Doyle91 said:Somewhere I read this guy saying they actually need a good psychiatrist. Apparently, all these years, the French were their biggest hurdle, but now that they've finally beaten them—or rather, absolutely crushed them—it’s a total mess. They're out there losing to teams that aren't even close to being on our level... honestly, I just don't get it... 🤷
They don't need a psychiatrist; they need a psychologist.
So, did I hear that right about what Chuck said? Is Mark Kopljar really looking at a seventh-place finish in the league? Is that actually happening? RIP Kirk... 🤣
I’m honestly thrilled. To kick things off, we finally wrapped up the tournament with a win after such a long drought, and we even managed to take down the French... Plus, we had Vuković and Balić dealing with injuries, so they weren't out there as much as usual. It took until the match against the Frenchmen for Kopljar to really find his rhythm, and we had Štrlek going down with an injury too. Goluža did a solid job rotating the guys, pulling our top performers from the first half to give them a breather in the second... So, honestly, it couldn't have gone any better 🤷
It’s a bit of a shame you don't have one or two more players alongside Lazarov who are truly top-tier... You guys were so close to that semifinal run back when we played in the 2009 World Cup too. I’m really happy for Kira, though; he seems like such a great guy, and I've thought he was an absolute class act ever since his days playing in Los Angeles 🙏
darksailor5 said:if they just had to face the Spaniards, the Canadians would have a real shot at moving on...
Plus, if the Mexicans had been a bit luckier, imagine the absolute chaos we'd see in the semifinals... it would basically be an open championship for the former America👋 🤣
rapidstag51 said:Is there any way for America to take first place in this group just so we can dodge the heavy hitters in the semifinals? Looking at this group—Mexico, America, Denmark, and Spain—we’re definitely the underdogs here... if I had any say in the matter, I'd pick Spain to lead. They seem just as outmatched as we are... total rookies, really... they aren't going anywhere near a medal anytime soon... 😢
Right now the Spaniards are up 8-7, but who knows how things will shake out... 🤷
I honestly can't wrap my head around it... one minute we were absolutely certain we were cruising straight into the semifinals—hell, maybe even the finals—and now suddenly everyone is writing off Shane Valdes and Vori. It feels like this constant, exhausting pendulum swing from pure euphoria to total despair... 🤷 Sure, we played like we had butterfingers today, and let's be real, the officiating definitely swung the momentum their way on those crucial calls, but it’s nowhere near over. We've seen how unpredictable this tournament has been; anyone can beat anyone on any given day. With two games left on the schedule for everyone, there's still plenty of drama left to unfold...
I mean, I honestly can't believe how much Ivan Balić has been carrying this entire team on his back over the last three games. It’s incredible. But let's be real... there were so many other matches where he basically won it single-handedly while playing through pure agony—broken ribs, losing teeth, you name it. He's been through the wringer... Today, though? He coughs up three turnovers, gives away a couple of seven-meter penalties, and picks up some suspensions. Honestly, they should just publicly hang him out to dry right in front of City Hall. Or better yet, give him a buzz cut and scrub those tattoos off with a wire brush. What is this, some kind of Wild West showdown? Is this really how we play things now? 🙄
Look, yeah, he totally blew it today, but a little bit of objectivity wouldn't hurt anyone...
I finally sat down to watch it yesterday after finishing the books—well, I’m actually still working my way through the third one right now. Even though I already knew the basic plot, I wasn't bored for a single second. They did such a fantastic job adapting the source material... the atmosphere was exactly what I had pictured while I was reading. Honestly, I loved everything about it 🙂 As for a happy ending? Yeah, don't hold your breath. In the sequels—which feel much more like complex political and journalistic thrillers compared to this first installment's classic crime vibe—things only get significantly more complicated.
restlessridge10 said:I’ve always found this whole debate about whether Kostelic or Vlasic deserves more credit a bit strange. I always assumed Bojan Marinovic was her primary coach... since he's the one constantly offering technical advice during competitions rather than the older generation...
Think of it this way: Marinovic is like a former jumper acting as the technical specialist, while the veteran handles the physical conditioning. Since you need both to succeed, they’re inseparable. Yet, whenever there's talk about her coaching staff—whether the news is good or bad—Joško is always the first name mentioned. It feels a bit unfair to me, but I suppose because Joško tends to be much more visible in the spotlight, people just tend to overlook Marinovic... But he’s a completely different personality from Joško, and I imagine he actually prefers it that way. Regardless of what anyone thinks about high jump, their trophy haul speaks for itself; no one can take those wins away from them. And clearly, knowing he played such a massive role in those successes provides all the satisfaction he needs 🙂 It’s wonderful to receive recognition from peers, journalists, or the public, but it isn't healthy to rely on it too heavily—which seems to be the case with Joško...
Carl Brooks22 said:Raymond Anderson4 started this thread, which is actually exactly what I was hoping to bring up myself earlier this morning.
The whole thing just hit me while I was watching this year's World Cup handball tournament. Everyone seems to be obsessed with talking about John Doe, how he's outplaying the Americans, or how he's weaving through defenses like John Doe, or how he runs without even breaking a sweat... but where does John Doe fit into all this hype?😁
Then the IHF turns around and names him the MVP, even though the guy misses almost every single throw-in... 😕