Posts by Alex Barrett3

Jason James said:I mean, I get what they're saying, but now they're trying to sell us this whole "bad officiating" story...

Man, that Mexican attack was wild..
They were just standing there waiting for someone to throw a Hail Mary lucky shot.

And don't even get me started on that goal to make it 6:2..

Three turnovers, two easy breaks for them, and a ton of shots that went absolutely nowhere..
Yeah, sure, blame the refs. 🤣

Duh, obviously they're letting them through. I mean, did you really think they were gonna stop them?

dustypanther6 said:I think I get what you're trying to say, but you totally missed the mark on that one part, so I had to jump in. And honestly, it's not even the first post like that I've seen in the last few pages.

I mean, yeah, I agree they picked them because they thought they were an easier matchup. But there's also this whole history between our two countries that hasn't exactly been friendly, you know? And that kind of stuff definitely carries over to how the players from both sides feel about each other.

There’s clearly some old beef between our guys and their guys, and maybe it even goes as far as actual hatred, so I don't think I'm totally off base here. Sure, the main reason was picking an easier opponent, but there was another factor too, I guess.

Btw, I wasn't talking about whether Americans love or hate people from certain places, I was talking about the vibe between our players and theirs, which directly messes with the score (and the game). Whether we personally like or dislike people from, I don't know, Russia, Switzerland, or Congo... that doesn't really matter at all.

THE AMERICAN TEAM IS A TOTAL DISASTER AT THIS CHAMPIONSHIP!

Man, out of five games, we haven't played even one properly. If it wasn't for Pavic, I guess we might have had ONE win (against Romania). That guy basically saved us against Mexico, and then again against Spain today. Honestly, that game against Spain wasn't even water polo.

Nobody else really stepped up to their usual level every single game.

Our backs—Bura, Bushel, and Buljubašić—who are usually the backbone of the whole thing, were just way below average. Bura was playing through an injury and trying his best, but he wasn't anywhere near his usual self. Same goes for Bushel, I guess. On top of that, they weren't threatening at all on offense. And Buljubašić is a whole different story; he just doesn't have the skill for the national team, but unfortunately, we don't have anyone better.

Dobud played at a high level almost every game and was clearly a class above Paul, who, much like Buljubašić, just lacks the quality to be an American representative. Sadly, I think Dobud's stupid mistake against Mexico probably cost us our spot in the second round. We played the most important game without our main center, and the officiating felt like it was totally biased because of that one play.

Mario, Mike, and Sandy played okay, but those are the guys who are supposed to make the difference, so you expect them to be more than just "okay." Muslim finally woke up in the last game, but until then, he was easily the worst player on the American squad this tournament. Obradovic was useless, which is the last thing we need—we need a killer shooter from the perimeter.

Barac and Karac did exactly what was expected of them. They're kind of like the safety net, experienced players who step in when things get intense (like Barac did today against the opponent).

And finally, there's Rato, the most decorated and respected coach, but honestly, he just timed everyone's form wrong this tournament. Our defense was just pathetic, man. I mean, our goalie only had about 15 saves over three games, and that's just unacceptable! The offense was bad too, especially the man-up situations where we were slow and uncreative. But my biggest gripe is the discipline—or lack thereof. As the coach, he should've had that under control.

Sadly, I'm expecting Germany to beat Romania—which won't mean much to them—and maybe a friendly draw between Mexico and Mexico, or a win for Mexico, whatever gets us through. Honestly, based on how we've played, we didn't deserve anything more than this.

The whole team is just falling apart. Honestly, what we’re playing right now isn't even water polo. Some of these guys just don't belong on this level, like Paul or Buljubašić. Then you've got others who aren't giving even a tiny bit of effort—I mean, Muslim still hasn't stepped up at all—and then there are those who let people walk all over them, like Dobud.

If we actually make it through to the next round, everyone in the Dames owes Pavic three drinks. He's basically the only one out there playing at a world-class level.

I guess Dobudov's total blunder is finally catching up to us sooner than I expected...

The officiating was basically a direct fallout from how he acted during that game against the Mexicans. If you take that crazy, over-the-top refereeing and mix it with our terrible play—honestly, we've been struggling all tournament—you just end up with this blowout loss. Tomorrow, there’s going to be some intense chemistry between the Mexicans and Mexicans, then Germany takes the win, and maybe we can just scrape by into the fight for 7th place.

shadowbison17 said:I honestly don't get you at all, and I don't get some of the other guys jumping into these debates trying to make excuses for those Americans who are basically the biggest 🙂 losers out there...☕

Filipović is just a weak guy, honestly. Given how he was throwing up those three-finger gestures and getting all worked up over stuff we see constantly in water polo, I'm kind of expecting Dobud to shut him down the next time he feels like acting out. 🙂

Man, I'm actually pretty embarrassed by Dobud's move in that game. I'm not making excuses for anyone, because I don't think it's necessary. If anyone needs to apologize, it's Dobud—and they owe it to their own teammates. The only way to fix this is through solid play and keeping it classy for the rest of the season.

Just because someone provoked him doesn't make it okay. There are better ways to handle it, like under the water, instead of being an idiot and throwing a punch ten seconds before the buzzer! His move really messed things up for the squad (now he's suspended for the next one, leaving us stuck with Paškvalin, who can't command respect from the refs, and Muslim, who's playing terrible right now), not to mention our reputation.

In sports, especially water polo (and I say that from experience since I played for a long, long time), one of the most important things is to bait the opponent to get an edge. That's what Filipović managed to do. I won't get into his specific methods, but yeah, it worked. This game didn't matter much anyway—it was basically lost by then. We might face those Americans in the finals if we can even grind our way there, and if we do, we're in trouble. Our starting center will go into that game carrying the label of a dirty player, which is definitely going to affect how the refs call the game. I guess I don't even need to explain how vital that position is in water polo.

And that last thing you said? That’s the absolute last thing that should happen in that match.

As for the post I quoted, I only did it because calling the greatest water polo coach ever a "weakling" is just wrong.

Anthony James2 said:This guy is just a total jerk, and he’s kind of rubbing it off on his players too. 🤷

I honestly don't even know how to respond to someone calling the most decorated and legendary water polo coach in history a jerk. I'm speechless. 🤮 It's a disaster!

I feel like we've all already called out the move made by Dobud, and I guess the whole thing has been talked to death anyway. Maybe it's just time to move on to the next round.

George Nelson2 said:John's move was just something a desperate guy would do!
This kid really needs to realize that sports are built on wins and losses. You gotta take both with some dignity, you know? Like, stay stoic about it. If Dorothy hasn't figured that out yet, then maybe she’s just in the wrong business.
People will forget this specific game pretty fast, but Dorothy's little stunt is gonna stick around in a bad way for a while. Though, honestly, even that'll fade once some other version of Dorothy pops up in a different sport somewhere. Just look back at that messy scene in Greece when the whole American basketball team walked out during the awards ceremony.
If you're playing at the top level, you have to actually be an elite athlete—but more importantly, you have to be a decent human being first.

I mean, I'm mostly with you on what was said. John really needs to sit back and think about what he did, and I'm hoping Rita gives him the punishment he deserves.

On the flip side, though, that comparison you made to the stuff in Greece is totally off base. To put it simply... "you completely missed the mark, man." Maybe it would've made more sense if you compared it to what Miller did back in NYC during that America-Yugoslavia game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvxb1nGyRsE

Even if that trashy move might be even harder to wrap my head around than John's, which, like you said, was probably just a result of feeling totally helpless right now.

Terry Fisher2 said:There aren't even quarterfinals here, just those A2-B3 and B2-A3 playoff matchups. So basically, we're looking at a wildcard round against Greece and then maybe Canada. On the other side of the bracket, it’s Mexico versus Italy or Mexico. Honestly, it's not a bad setup for starters.

Yeah, though I guess Mike calls it a quarterfinal... whatever. We probably need to grab the top two spots and settle for second (or maybe third 🙂), I guess.

Actually, this isn't even a terrible way to go. If we end up facing the Canadians in the semis, they might actually be a better matchup for us than Mexico would be, even if they are technically more talented.

Still, based on how we've been playing lately, I'd say anything better than 4th place is a total win for us.

Gregory Ramos3 said:Basically, the issue is we just weren't playing any defense...

Usually, if a team drops 12 goals on you, they’re gonna win.☕

We haven't played a single game with actual defense so far. I mean, Bura is still recovering, and Bušlje is a great fullback, but he struggles whenever he's up against a fast center (kind of like how Zloković is a total miracle on court). As for Buljubašić, acting as the third defender alongside Muslim (and Obradović), he’s probably my biggest disappointment of this tournament so far. He's playing pretty desperately.

Setting the defenders aside, we’re just totally static in the M zone—you know, when an outside player is supposed to close down their center while the ball is on the other side to prevent that pass, but they don't. And don't even get me started on our ability to step out on players during blocks. When you combine all that defensive mess against a top-tier squad that played a tactically perfect game, I guess there wasn't much more we could do.

Pavić is a killer goalie, but you can't really expect him to average 15 saves every night. Honestly, if it wasn't for him, we probably would've lost that game against Mexico too.

On the flip side, the Mexicans played an incredible defensive game. Their press was on point, lots of movement, and they were way more mobile than us. Sure, maybe the officiating favored them a little bit at first, BUT that's definitely not why we lost. Our guys were decent, I guess, but their play was just flawless.

Alex Barrett3 said:Today is a huge reality check. Even if it doesn't totally decide the medal hunt, it shows us where we actually stand. I mean, Pavić can't carry us forever. We really need to step up our defensive game big time if we want any shot at a medal now or later.

Well, there it is. Now we know exactly where we stand...

Honestly, more than the loss itself, I’m just embarrassed by how Dobud and even Paškvalin acted at the end. I guess losing sucks, but you don't have to act like a total classless jerk about it.

I’m not exactly thrilled with how we played in those first two games, honestly, but hey, wins aren't everything, I guess. The Romanians are a tough squad to deal with and we handled them pretty well early on, but man, that game against Mexico could've easily been a blowout if Pavić hadn't been playing like Pero back in his prime.

Our defense feels pretty weak right now. Our guards aren't really dominating like they used to—I mean, Bura is fighting through screens and Zloković always holds it down for us, but Bušlje and Buljubašić really need to step it up if we want to actually win anything big. It just seems like we're always a split second too slow in the paint and during defensive rotations. Maybe they just aren't communicating enough out there? On the bright side, the offense is doing okay. I'm glad Miho finally found his rhythm and is shooting more, and Maro made his shots when it counted. But then again, I feel like Sukno and Obradović aren't giving quite as much as they could. Our centers are decent; Paškvalin still hasn't really earned that respect from the refs yet, but Dobud has totally transformed into a real powerhouse in the middle. I'd love to see way more from Muslim, though, because he's got the talent to be world-class. For now, Samir and Karač are doing their jobs as the veterans.

Today is a huge test. Even if it doesn't totally decide our medal chances, it'll show us where we actually stand. Pavić can't carry us forever, so I think we seriously need to tighten up that defense if we want any shot at a medal in this game or the next ones.

From what I've been reading in the news, the Italians seem to be sliding a bit—they're missing Tepesti, who's basically 70% of their roster. The Canadians are also dangerous; they dominate whenever they get momentum, but I wonder what happens when they find themselves trailing by a few points. Mexico is showing up with their strongest lineup again, so they might be our toughest hurdle if we run into them later. We'll see the Mexicans today, too. Against the Germans, they started down by 2, surged ahead by 4, and then barely scraped by with a win. And let's not forget we still have to deal with those Spaniards, who are always such a headache to play against.

Maria Phillips54 said:It was just a terrible game, honestly. It wasn't even bad luck or anything like that...

Pavic was awful, but Rudic was even worse because he had absolutely nobody to sub him in for.

Dobud is a solid backup, I guess, but he’s nowhere near world-class like our media loves to claim... and don't even get me started on Paskvalin...

Cloth is an amazing player, but maybe he doesn't realize yet that he needs to step up and take charge since the older guys lack the guts.

Djokovic is also a top-tier lefty, but yeah, he just wasn't feeling it today (I really think so).

Karac, Buljubasic, Obradovic, Barac... what were they even doing???

Muslim... totally out of form, way to go Rudi!

Buric... he's got the raw talent he had back in the junior leagues 15 years ago, probably the strongest defender physically, but... Kunac, Saric, and Komadina are basically pros compared to him!!!

If I forgot anyone, there's a good reason for that... (Good grief, Boskovic...)

I agree with most of this.

Paul and Samir (especially Samir, who spent more time hanging out by the pool than actually in it) are talented, but just haven't been used enough. Same goes for Karac.

Muslim... I don't get how someone with all the tools to become a true legend of the sport can play this badly.

Bura - I don't know why you're picking on him (did he mess with you in the junior days or something? 🙂 ), the guy plays defense, moves into the center, and he was the only one to actually take a shot today and score when things got intense. Andrew played a bit worse than him, actually....

The Italians totally wrecked us using our own style from Chicago (that tight hand pressing, letting them shoot from non-hand positions), and we clearly weren't ready for it. I'll never trash the War because he's a water polo academic, but his student actually outplayed him this time. Hopefully, he gets some redemption in London.

We also got screwed because Hina said goodbye before the "big shots" (read: Pevic) expected, leaving us stuck with Dobud, who is a decent second center, I guess, but he's not quite there yet. I'm worried he'll never be the #1 center for Paskvalin, and they let Premus and Pavlovic go way too easily.

Mario - went back into "Australia fashion" mode, man. It just wasn't his day, but he was probably our best player in China.

Cloth - props to his bravery, but unfortunately, his shots to the body just blew Tempestia apart...

Pavic - no matter how much they feed us the line that he's one of the best goalies in the world, he'll never have the class of someone like Frank or even Skolnekovic... He's just too inconsistent, and his dancing was responsible for at least 3 goals (which were key).

If I forgot anyone, there's a good reason for that... (Good grief, Boskovic...) - everything has been said.

Mark Howard7 said:That Canadian loss was wild. They held a 3-4 point lead the whole time and then just completely fell apart. And man, that player was a total disaster by the end; nobody had the guts left to pull the trigger

Honestly, if you look closer, the Mexican squad is actually pretty solid. They’re physically tough, kind of like our guys who can keep up a high tempo for the full game, whereas the Canadians seem like a bit of an older crew.

The Canadians really lean on their shooting. You could even say they shoot too much and sometimes it's kind of irrational, but when they get hot (which they did today), they can definitely pull away. Still, they're the type of team that just mentally shuts down when things don't go according to plan—and that's exactly what happened today.

It’s crazy how things have shifted; Mexico keeps getting better while the Canadians are sliding, both physically and mentally.

I guess I feel a little bad that the Canadians couldn't hang, because if we make it to the Final Quote, they probably would've been an easier matchup for us than Mexico, who basically play just like we do (though recovering physically by then might be tough).

EDIT: But hey, despite everything I just said, I don't think the Canadians totally blew this one on purpose😵🤦

Nathan Kern9 said:I know how many fouls go down in water polo pretty well. This whole thing was just unbelievably stupid. At first, I honestly thought Titch played like a total jerk, especially after that super rude timeout called by Porobic. But looking back at the replay, it feels a little different than what the HTV water polo institution (™) saw.

It’s dead time, right? You have 14 seconds left to play, and Buslje gets caught out of position at the 2m mark while they haven't even started setting up yet—like, everyone is still swimming forward. Buslje is holding him, and obviously, he isn't going to watch someone holding his hand, and unfortunately, it ended up hitting him in the head.

Honestly, the Mexicans wouldn't have done anything anyway; they probably would've just floated on the ball until the clock ran out. Buslje could have just nicely positioned himself between the players and the ball or behind him.
And then just wait for the end, give a hand and say "good luck fighting for 5th place"...

Man, based on what you're saying, it sounds like you think Buslje is the one to blame because this guy clocked him in the head. 🤷

The Mexicans could have just sat on the ball for those last 14 seconds without Porobic even calling a timeout. What else was Buslje or anyone else on our national team supposed to do? Step away from the players and let them score or defend??!

Just calling that idiotic timeout is what set everything else in motion. Titch really didn't need to go elbowing Buslje above the water right when everything was already over. It was unsportsmanlike and totally rude, and I really hope he gets punished, both by his own federation and by FIN.

Nathan Kern9 said:Titch didn't mean for it to happen, he was just locked in a scrap with Andrew, they were wrestling, Buslje caught him, and he was just trying to push off... it just happened.
The bigger mess is that Porobicev move.

I don't know, I don't really see it that way regarding the hit.

There are tons of hits in water polo. You've got stuff happening underwater and above the surface. And there's clear rules on how those get called. But with this specific hit, right when the game was basically decided, you can totally see the guy intentionally swing his elbow. It was aimed right at Buslje's hold, which is actually just standard play in water polo.

Mark Howard7 said:Italy-Spain 10-6 at the buzzer. Everything comes down to Thursday at 3 PM, USA-Italy! What can I say about the Italians? Their strongest assets are definitely that killer perimeter shooting and their veteran keeper, Tempesti.

Nice. 👍 Historically, we just seem to play way better against Italy than we do against Spain. Honestly, if we play even half as well as we did today, there's no way the Italians can touch us. I guess the only way this game goes sideways is if the officiating gets weird, Tempesti starts pulling off miracles in the net, and our guys have an absolute disaster of a day—but that would also require the Italians to suddenly play out of their minds on offense, which seems unlikely.

I'm not sleeping on the Italians or saying they aren't good, but if we actually show up and play right, I think we’re at least three goals better than them. Then we've got the final, which I'm guessing will be against Mexico.

Douglas Hernandez6 said:Just chill out with the ball a bit. 😉

http://www.news.com/sports/porobic-...article-30577

I guess Misilm thinks Porobić should've just acted like a pro and congratulated Rudić on the win and how great his water polo squad played—those guys basically gave the former champs a masterclass.

Plus, I think he really ought to penalize Tičić for that unsportsmanlike move. It felt more like something a drunk guy at a dive bar in some small town would do rather than an athlete representing the US.

Honestly, props to Rudić for reacting like that. I mean, anyone else sitting on that bench probably would've reacted the exact same way.

I don't get why you'd even call a timeout with 15 seconds left when you're already totally outclassed and losing. 🤷

Maybe Porobić should focus on cleaning up his own mess instead of bringing up the greatest coach ever and playing dirty—just like his players did—while trying to lean on a 30-year friendship.

Here's one for Porobić: 👎

David Mendoza98 said:One decent quarter, but honestly, the rest was pretty meh... It would’ve been awesome if the Mexicans were at full strength... I guess we won't really know where we stand until we face Italy...

Tičić needs a lifetime ban for that elbow move...

Just a routine win against a weakened Mexican squad. Rato rested the older guys, which makes sense. Our flow looked surprisingly easy, though—we seem physically ready since we kept the same tempo the whole time. We totally broke them in the third and just cruised through the end. If things had stayed close, maybe we would've played more "seriously" in the final quarter. Maro is looking great too, back in top shape after being sick. Fingers crossed we get Italy next; they usually play right into our style better than the Spaniards do.

Tičić—what a disgrace! 🙂 Basically playing dirty for the Mexicans (who probably should be in the finals anyway). Man, imagine if Pavić had charged him after that cheap shot. He would've caught a suspension for the next game and we'd be stuck without a goalie. Pretty sneaky and definitely not sportsmanlike. I really hope they start handing out longer suspensions for stuff like this soon.