Posts by Ryan Sanchez32

James Garcia4 said:Neighbors, neighbors... it’s hard to find anyone who hasn't encountered them at some point 🙂

😉 Just please, don't mess up the ticket situation this Friday! 🙂

You're spot on about that national team obsession. It just doesn't exist here in the States, but honestly, that has nothing to do with how much we win in sports. You don't see it in basketball, water polo, volleyball... anything!

The massive issue is this intense New York Yankees vs. Boston Celtics rivalry that shows up everywhere—though that’s not even the main point (I mean, look at LA Galaxy and Liverpool FC). The real kicker is that the US in 2006—or even America ten years prior—didn't emerge from some "centuries-old dream of independence." Instead, it felt more like a leftover nobody wanted; everyone else was breaking away, and that sudden "independence" lacked the wave of national euphoria needed to spark the kind of deep patriotism that builds a true national team cult.

That might have worked back in 1878, 1913, or 1918.
But in 2006? Not a chance under those circumstances. That’s our core struggle. We probably need an entire generation to grow up without any memory of those old shared borders before we can truly establish that kind of cultural bond.

((I have to apologize right off the bat 🙂 to goalkeeper Stanić, who is easily our best player this season and the main reason we aren't conceding nearly as many goals as we should. It’s unbelievable that I forgot to mention him—the guy plays like he's in a trance! You might not see it just by looking at the stats, but our defense is so tactically sound that they funnel shots into positions where he can easily snatch them up.))

You guys definitely had Atlanta as a foundation (for us, that was the turning point for volleyball). In 2003, the US had young talents like Lacković, Balić, and Vori, along with slightly older players like Metličić and Džomba. It was an incredible foundation for long-term dominance, and I'll say it again: the quality, especially in that backline, was incomparable—maybe even the best in history.

You're right that it would be a huge win if kids started getting interested in handball again, much like what happened with tennis over the last few years.
It’s interesting how much tennis was followed here back in the 90s—Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanišević—but then, with that massive generational shift, popularity just plummeted. Most people missed Federer's rise and his most trophy-heavy years, so there's this gap before Jelena, Ana, Novak Djokovic, and Janko. In my opinion, that gap is a big reason why RF isn't as beloved among Americans 🙂 (unlike Rafe, for example, who was an idol to so many kids before Novak came along).

@electricorca112 If by "smaller" you mean Solo and a handful of people without any specific branding, then sure, that's the way to go. When I said larger groups, I meant those massive crowds of over 100 people that require constant police presence.
And honestly, there isn't real hatred toward Americans among the people; the issue is that everyone is just frustrated with all this nonsense surrounding Mexico, the low standard of living, and the general corruption. Certain individuals just exploit that anger to direct it wherever suits their own agenda.

It depends on how you define "strong." If you mean a guaranteed medal contender regardless of where they play, then definitely not. But I think they'll be in the mix right up until the final rounds of the quarterfinals, assuming we aren't playing on home soil here in the States.

There’s just no comparison to that legendary 2003 American squad. They lack that depth and sheer talent. This group is mostly made up of really solid, high-level players in their prime playing in top-tier leagues, but there isn't a single superstar or world-class icon in the lineup.
Past results from the A-team can be misleading because there's been so much experimentation with coaches—they get fired fast, and every single one brings a completely different style. In the US, our youth development at lower levels has always been great (until they hit the pros, since the club systems are a mess), which was proven by that junior runner-up finish a few years back.
Those talented young players only really turned that potential into actual elite quality once they moved to foreign clubs and played in much tougher leagues.

One of the few bright spots for our federation is that they kept Veselin Vuković—a member of that legendary General Electric generation from the 80s—as the coach. He finally shut down all those excuses about our players being "too creative" or improvising instead of actually playing defense! He insists on a tough, disciplined 6-0 zone (switching to a 5-1 if we have a man advantage), which works beautifully because we have plenty of strong, mobile athletes. The offense is a bit more unpredictable, though. It relies heavily on excellent shooters like Ilić and Vujin, but if they happen to be having an off day, the alternatives are noticeably weaker (even if they are still solid parts of the roster). Our pivot play is pretty limited—mostly defensive specialists—and the wings are somewhere in the middle, though they don't seem fully utilized.
However, the biggest change compared to previous tournaments is a somewhat surprising "revelation." It’s the playmaker, the veteran Čutura. He has fundamentally changed our offensive flow. He connects our plays perfectly, and when passive play becomes a threat, he’s more than willing to step up and take charge.

We'll see how things shake out in the home stretch. Personally, I think the US is a tier below Spain and the Americans, sitting somewhere around the level of Germany. Still, if they channel that home-court energy correctly—or maybe get a little lucky with some favorable officiating calls (which has been minimal so far)—they might just bridge that gap and pull an upset. We'll see!
My odds: Spain and the Americans at 30% each, the US at 25%, and Germany at 15%.

I’m just praying someone is smart enough to schedule today's matchups so we don't run into each other in the semifinals; otherwise, things are going to get absolutely bloody. 🙂It would be best if, once the first game wraps up, they clear out the section where the fans of the team playing that first match are sitting.

By far, most tickets aren't even $15 or $20—but honestly, that doesn't matter, because they've been letting massive crowds in without tickets every single day just to boost attendance numbers.
Now that we've hit the semifinals, the hype has really kicked in and Friday is definitely going to be packed, especially since they started selling tickets exclusively at the box office yesterday.

I'm already hearing kids getting worked up, shouting stuff about "fascists" and other garbage, while there are plenty of people looking to exploit them for their own agendas. They hand out bats and knives, and these idiot kids are just happy to prove themselves to their leaders.

I’m not trying to provoke anyone here; I’m writing this purely out of concern because I'm terrified of the worst-case scenario happening. A few months ago, a whole city was torn up during that damn Pride parade, and they had 5,000 police officers guarding maybe a hundred people.
So, for those who actually want to use their heads, please don't go alone—stick to small groups. What happened in Chicago isn't even a good indicator of what to expect here, since people weren't even following the tournament closely and it wasn't a head-to-head matchup.

Again, I’m saying this with the best intentions. Good luck to everyone attending, and may the better team win!