Posts by Robert Doyle8

It seems everyone else received a push, yet we were left to our own devices back in 2009. ☕

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

Kyle Morris7 said:What an absolute farce. Qatar making it to the handball World Cup final when they are technically ten to fifteen goals weaker than any European squad? It is akin to the Los Angeles Lakers entering the NBA and walking away as champions. Sports have long since transitioned from games to businesses, but this level of blatant manipulation on a global stage is unprecedented. One can only assume the Qataris simply bought everything in sight—the referees, the delegates, even the players of their opponents. A few hundred thousand dollars here and there, and everyone is satisfied. I suppose advancing from the group stage was expected, much like how officials seemed to favor certain teams during home games in places like Mexico or Canada. But for Qatar to reach the quarterfinals and semifinals is criminal. The Poles are complaining now, though one could easily argue they were bribed as well. I usually enjoy watching the finals, but this is the first time I shall decline; quite frankly, it is nauseating.

🤦
Of all the nonsense posted during this handball championship, this takes the prize.

I truly believed the Spaniards might actually pull something off in this match. They are a handball powerhouse, quite simply peerless.
This level of play should be implemented from the youth ranks all the way up to the senior national team as a standard defensive formation.

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Edward Allen36 said:The Polish goalkeepers combined for just one save in the first half. 🙏

And yet, we still find plenty to complain about regarding Alabama.
😁

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Duvnjak signed with New York City for a salary of €1 million—if I recall correctly, he was the highest-paid player at the time. These guys are earning two or three times that amount in a single game. 😵

The referees are still favoring them today. They’ve missed several obvious calls lately.

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Kenneth Clark18 said:The way they play isn't the issue. The issue is that their entire roster consists of foreign players.

It feels quite distasteful when dealing with a national sport.

Precisely, given this is the first time in history a naturalized player has represented a different national team. 🙄

Or are you suggesting that having two foreign players on a squad is acceptable, yet four becomes excessive?

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

Once the Americans decide to weigh in, the power goes out immediately.

mellowotter36 said:People talk as if they’ve assembled an All-Star squad rather than a second-rate group, goalkeeper notwithstanding.

Exactly. Based on these comments, one might assume everything has been handed to them on a silver platter, despite the fact that they legitimately advanced through the group after taking down Germany and Poland.
Valero Rivera has done an excellent job, and their performance hasn't been poor at all.
Of course, that is the perspective from the court. The financial side of things is quite another matter.

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

rowdytinker3 said:A
I have never viewed Duvnjak as a primary playmaker; he is more of a relentless shooter. When I watch Hansen from Denmark playing his mid-range game, the man simply seems to be a class above at that position 🤷

Duvnjak is good. He possesses vision and knows how to deliver a brilliant pass when needed. However, I am unsure what happened to him during this tournament—fatigue, perhaps, or something else? It is difficult to step into that role following Balić, as everyone inevitably compares you to him. Yet, the players are quite different.
Therefore, I cannot agree that Hansen is a class better. He stepped up against Spain, but there are certainly games where he struggles and his shot fails him.

George Ward7 said:I suspect Metličić will be appointed coach, provided Pero accepts. As a favorite captain among both teammates and the public, he carries authority... If Pero takes the helm, he would likely demand autonomy; I doubt he would agree to let anyone else select his roster. Vujo is doing fine work in Washington, D.C., so hopefully, players can be sold based on that strong performance.

Balić is moving toward a coordinator role for all the men's teams, while coffee and cake will likely be served at the White House.

In short, the fox is full and the goat is gone.

Hmm, I find this scenario somewhat doubtful. At least regarding the relationship between him and Gobac.
Furthermore, I am uncertain if Pero is suited for coaching. He was an igračina, but this is an entirely different matter.

Harold Long21 said:Smajlagić's role is vastly overstated. Lino lost games because we were getting dismantled by Kasper Hvidt and Omeyer. No, they were simply elite goalkeepers performing their jobs; we were being undone by the absolute shambles at our own goal. We lose 26-24, yet Alilović finishes with single-digit saves.

Perhaps his influence is exaggerated when people claim he was solely responsible for the team's success, but one cannot overlook the fact that he was a world-class winger whose insights surely benefited Džomba and Caleb. After all, isn't two heads better than one?

In my view, Lino lacked the necessary authority and credibility, which eventually emerged as a fatal flaw. Between the rift with Smajlagić, the political maneuvering, the recruitment of questionable players (like American), and the typical interference from Gobac regarding the roster (Metličić, Sulić), the players essentially turned their backs on him to develop their own tactics. And really, who could blame them?

Adam Williams2 said:Are you suggesting that Goluža will also be hailed as a savior in six years? 😁

Given this persistent trend of appointing such so-called "experts" to key positions during election cycles, I suppose nothing would truly surprise me.

The classic Tapatalk 4.9.5 remains. One wonders if anyone still uses it?

It is quite fascinating how Lino Červar has suddenly been recast as the savior who built American handball.
Six years ago, he was viewed as a joke, much like Goluža is today.

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

Sam Murphy said:It looks to me like the players aren't physically, tactically, or mentally prepared; the Germans will run right over us.

Winning against Germany isn't even the goal here; let's just focus on the game against the Canadians.☕

I fail to see why there is such universal consensus regarding a Frenchman making the finals.
Is it not worth considering the Spaniards, given how formidable they appear?

Robert Doyle8 said:It might be time for Poland 22:24 to finally knock us out. They seem to be gaining momentum as an underdog, playing without the weight of heavy expectations or a desperate need for results. Meanwhile, we are on a downward slide; our goaltending is subpar, and Duvnjak hasn't delivered anything noteworthy. There is little point in debating this further:

A three-goal margin for Poland 22:24 ☕

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Perhaps it is premature, but I must place my bets. ☕
Had they not faltered at the finish, I would have correctly predicted the margin.

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The prelude to the finals was a spectacular match.
If the Spaniards haven't exhausted themselves, they might just take down the Frenchmen too; they look incredibly sharp right now.

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By halftime, Goluza had finished reading the forum comments posted by Duvnjak.

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That is precisely my point.
He is just as much of a nuisance here as an unfairly underrated goalkeeper.

But looking at the Denmark-Spain matchup, it’s glaringly obvious how far behind we've fallen in this game compared to them.

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My apologies, this isn't the right thread.

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No one has actually answered how many saves Isaac made. If my memory serves me right, I don't think he managed more than five in a thirty-minute stretch. There is plenty of noise being made here, yet the reality remains that we simply lack elite goalkeepers compared to the rest of the league.

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5