Posts by Adam Collins4

rapidstag51 said:Oh, come on, don't mess with me... I don't know what you're watching, but on ESPN you can clearly see the guy absolutely blasting the ball.

I was watching the stream—which, let's be honest, isn't exactly high-def—so I didn't get a perfect view, but based on the camera angle...

I don't know what to tell you—some people just seem to have a natural knack for finding trouble, while others, like me, mostly just find ways to avoid it until it finds us anyway. It’s a fine line, really. You spend half your life trying to stay under the radar, only to realize that the radar was actually looking for you the whole time. Makes you wonder about the physics of bad luck, doesn't it? Anyway, I digress. Just some food for thought while I sit here wondering why everything feels slightly off today. kaže:
They ruled it a failure—so much for those "bad refs" everyone loves to whine about.
He didn't catch that kicking motion because, from his angle, there wasn't any change in direction to spot.

neondriver5 said:I think this Zeppelin analysis is actually spot on... and yeah, the Mexicans definitely got pushed back. That’s what happens when you lack experience. It's the same story we see with teams in North Mexico... they just can't seem to pull off wins against elite squads unless they're sitting comfortably in the top five themselves.

And he just had to step up and play judge when the entire sideline was empty—everyone saw exactly how he trampled over everything.

Olivia White25 said:so, looks like the Mexicans took the hit...

EDIT: yeah, basically the Mexicans just totally spilled it all, +6

Yeah, that goal in the last three seconds to tie it up was brutal...

neondriver5 said:That rarely gets called, though.

Oh, trust me, that is *exactly* how things work here...

shadowotter142 said:Mexico plays defense just like France used to during their prime. They simply grind the opposition into the dirt. Honestly, I don't think anyone at this tournament can touch them.
You have to realize that the landscape of European handball is shifting after years of the same few teams dominating. That’s just the reality—Mexico is going to be running this sport for years to come.

Just a +1 from me...☕

rapidstag51 said:Oh, please. It’s always the same story. When the officials screw up in favor of Mexico, they're basically pushing them toward the goal, but the second they make a mistake that helps Germany, suddenly everyone loses their minds and acts like it's a catastrophe...

Nikčević should’ve been tossed with a red card ages ago after three blatant fouls... just constant pulling from behind during the counter-attack...

Anyway, that's my two cents...☕

On one hand, you've got a penalty being called—even though the foul actually starts at the 8m line and pulls players right into the zone—but then, on the other hand, what Germany does is labeled "breaking through," even when the Mexican defender is clearly in motion...

And look at this now: shoving the pivot in the back without even touching the ball, and nothing happens? Seriously, that's at least a two-minute penalty in any normal game...

shadowotter142 said:Mexico is hands down the powerhouse of this tournament. It’s just a fact. They aren't conceding anything—I mean, they only let Germany score 7 goals in the first half.
Mexico is going to take this whole thing home. Honestly, if they play against the US like this, I expect us to end up trailing by about 17 or 18 goals.
Ilić and Vujin are easily the best shooters in the tournament. Nobody can stop them.

And when the refs are basically blowing the whistle in their favor too, where does it end, right?

Nikčević gets another foul after two minutes, but whatever...

Miller isn't even officially on the roster yet—he's just hanging out with the national team and getting his reps in during practice.

I had no idea he was sidelined—I haven't been keeping such close tabs on their recent games. Look, I'll give you that Roggisch is definitely their primary scoring threat, but there’s also that whole German mentality where they just refuse to back down from contact; they’d rather take the hit to deliver one of their own... which is exactly why I mentioned how much this comes down to the officiating.

Anyway, let's not get bogged down in the weeds. The real story here is us versus the Spaniards, so instead of spiraling into an endless debate, let's just wait and see what happens tonight.

bluebison10 said:The Mexicans are going to try to take the fight to the Germans—and if the refs actually let them get away with it, the Germans won't have a prayer in this game...
From what I’ve seen of the Germans, Spaniards, and Frenchmen, the Germans look like the strongest squad to me, partly because they just have a much more professional approach to the grind...

Is Marić going to sub in for Mus???

If the refs allow a brawl, the Mexicans don't stand a chance... unless they let both sides go at it...

The Germans have a nasty mindset—that whole thing where they don't stop until the very last whistle—and their defensive school of thought is pretty brutal...

Just look at the German league; it tells you everything you need to know. You don't see that level of physical hitting anywhere else. I remember talking to Balić once, back when everyone was speculating about where he’d land after Portland, and I asked him why he never decided on a team in Germany...

You know what he told me? He said he wasn't crazy enough to move to a country where every single team has two or three guys whose entire job description is just taking heads off...😬

So, in this scenario, I wouldn't be betting on the Mexicans—they’re hot-headed, sure, but these German guys actually know how to hit...

As for Marić, Mus is the "logical" choice, purely from a pivot-for-pivot standpoint...

BUT...

Everything boils down to the defense, and we need Mus because he has the height and the aggression that nobody else in this lineup possesses...

Marić is a liability on defense...

So, in my book, there are really only two realistic options...

Vuković has realized he can't hack it, so he's being swapped out too—honestly, I hope not, because that's the worst-case scenario. Drago is such a versatile player, and losing him would be a massive blow...

Now, we get to what I think is the most likely situation...

Bićanić is out. He's been playing poorly lately—weak on defense, weak on offense...

Plus, he's already got a third World Championship under his belt, while Buntić is more aggressive moving forward and has way more grit. Kopljar is basically a lock to start anyway...

And we’ve seen that whenever Kopljar has an off night, Bunitć steps in, though Buntić is about as questionable on defense as Bićanić is...

So...

I’m somewhat on board with that—though we’ll get the full picture later today after the matchup against Mexico, and I have a feeling it’s going to be an absolute bloodbath...

Anyway, I heard through some pretty reliable channels that Marić is joining the national team coaching staff. I’ve been scouring the news sites, but there’s absolutely nothing out there yet...

So, has anyone else stumbled across an official announcement in the headlines?

EDIT: Okay, it finally popped up...

Arthur Hill2 said:If they’re already in the finals, they’ve basically secured their medal 🙂.

True enough, but gold is gold—especially when you're playing on home turf...

I mean, we walked away with a medal back at the 2009 World Championships, sure, but that wouldn't have meant nearly as much—or left half as much of a memory—if we had clinched the gold right in front of a packed Madison Square Garden, especially against a Frenchman...

Besides, those guys were riding our backs ten times harder than we ever pushed against the French...

Anthony Wilson4 said:The Spaniards are going down—hopefully—and then we can settle in for a tactical grind. Personally, I’d much rather face the Mexicans in the semis instead of the finals; in my book, they're the only ones who could actually knock us out of the running. We absolutely cannot let a repeat of what happened with the Americans during their last World Cup happen here.

Facing the Mexicans in a final is a whole different beast than meeting them in the semifinals...

You've got bigger crowds, higher stakes, and that unmistakable "scent" of gold in the air. It adds this massive layer of pressure on us to finally clinch the title, while putting that same weight on the Mexicans to finally bring home a medal from a major tournament...

Then there's the officiating factor in a final... though, honestly, I doubt the refs will be the deciding factor. For the last couple of years, it feels like things have finally been handled somewhat decently—more or less...

The Americans almost took two losses in just a few days during that qualifying tournament—it was razor-thin—so my biggest fear is that we might walk in there thinking this is going to be a walk in the park. We can't let that "easy win" mentality get stuck in our heads before we even step on the court.

dustypanther6 said:Honestly, there isn't much of a distinction between a right or wrong call here; whether it's a two-minute penalty or a red card doesn't matter as much as getting that timeout called immediately.
What about that rule where, say, if you foul someone on a breakaway with 10 seconds left on the clock, but before they can actually take the shot—like from 12 yards out—they can call a penalty at the same time? I heard something about that a few years back, but I've never actually seen it happen.

There are definitely wrong calls here, because a red card can lead to a suspension for future games...

If you take someone out right at the start of a play when they're heading toward an open goal, that's at least an ejection and a penalty—red card if the foul was nasty enough...

See, if they're heading toward the goal solo, that's a clear scoring chance, which means a penalty shot...

And it doesn't even have to be a shot on goal; the player just has to be facing the net, same as a "standard" penalty shot—otherwise, it wouldn't count as a clear scoring opportunity...

They've even tightened things up regarding goalkeepers rushing out lately. If a goalie charges out and takes down a player on a breakaway, they get a red card and a penalty is called...

If they charge out and end up grabbing the player, dragging them along for a few yards, it’s a two-minute penalty plus a penalty shot...

All this stuff is being enforced way more strictly now because they're trying to protect the players...

For instance, if you intentionally cut off a player on a breakaway by stepping in front of them, it could result in a penalty and an ejection—that's a very specifically defined situation...

Because your target was the player instead of the ball, which is basically unsportsmanlike conduct...

Aaron Perez2 said:Not even when the US is hosting. 🙂

Give my best to Pedersen and the rest of the crew.

Now you've gone and done it...😬

Terry Fisher2 said:Total madness in the Poland vs. Sweden match.

Sweden is up by 1, there's only 3 minutes left on the clock, and they've got the man advantage.

The Polish keeper pulls off two insane saves on breakaway shots, then suddenly Poland claws their way to a +1 lead, only to blow a massive counterattack that would have put them up by 2.

Wilbek is absolutely losing it.

Last minute of play and Lindberg gets fouled on the line by a Polish player, but the refs call an offensive foul instead?! Seriously?

Wilbek is officially done.

Poland scores to go up by 2, but during the defensive play, someone blocks the ball out of bounds and a Polish sub actually flips it into the stands with his head. No call. Nothing.

Wilbek is about to have a heart attack right here.

Meanwhile, Germany is still in this—they're down 4 but can still make it happen in the second half. 🤦

I missed the last ten minutes because my stream crapped out on me—if anyone has a recording of that madness, I’d be forever in your debt...

Now, regarding this whole "heading the ball" thing—it all comes down to intent and how the refs interpret it, though you could definitely argue it falls under unsportsmanlike conduct...

Since this happened right at the end of the game, in those final frantic minutes, it could even result in a straight disqualification...

But again, it’s entirely subjective since we're looking at a "new" kind of scenario here...

In my experience officiating and supervising, I've seen people kick the ball, throw it into the stands, or even head a goalkeeper during a penalty or a free throw...

But I have never encountered a situation quite like this, nor have I ever even heard of it...😍

At the end of the day, the crucial part for the officials is making the right call in the heat of the moment—that's the part most people, from the players to the coaches and the fans, just don't seem to grasp.

As for Germany and Sweden, I got the impression the Germans were playing at half-speed; they cruised through that one without breaking much of a sweat.

So, I’m sitting here staring at the standings for a minute...

Here's how the math shakes out:The Americans carry over a max of 3 points, while the French guys get 2 (assuming they beat the Canadians) or nothing at all if they drop one to them—meanwhile, the Canadians walk away with 1 point if they lose, or 3 if they actually pull off an upset against France...

And that's all assuming the Russians get knocked out—which, let's be real, they probably will, since the Americans are stronger and likely to take them down. Since you only carry over points earned against teams that actually advance to the next round, the situation looks exactly like what I just laid out...

Bottom line? If we manage to carry over 4 points, we're starting with a massive leg up, especially considering only the top two move forward...

The Russians have practically sneezed themselves out of the game—down by four in the 15th minute...

bluebison10 said:Who’s actually guaranteeing the French will make it out of the group? Honestly—it’s a long shot, but it’s not impossible. Most of these matches are going to be decided by just a couple of goals anyway...

That’s exactly why I mentioned that today’s game against the Russians is basically the litmus test for their current form and overall play style...

In my opinion, the Canadians are actually tougher than the Russians (even if that matchup felt weirdly even to me), so if the Russians start causing trouble, the Canadians are going to throw an even bigger wrench in their plans...

Because, like I was saying before, I get the feeling the Canadians have them all figured out—they played them to a standstill in the last World Cup (if I remember right, that was the very first group stage match)...

But, even after that draw, everyone was talking about the French losing their edge, and we all know how that story ended...😬