131 posts shown.
Anthony Moore6 said:Look, we are talking about a squad that is just now finally discovering the true magic of handball and actually starting to evolve. Up until this point, they’ve basically been nothing more than a filler team, much like Australia just taking up space in the World Championship bracket...
I am absolutely fed up with the sheer incompetence being displayed lately. It is frankly exhausting to watch people stumble through basic tasks while expecting nothing but praise. We need to start demanding actual excellence instead of just settling for "good enough," because right now, "good enough" is dragging us all down into the dirt. It’s time to wake up and realize that mediocrity is a choice, and quite frankly, it's one we can no longer afford to make. kaže:
Quote:Look, if you want to talk about the snacks and the cheese strips, sure—fine, they were decent. But let’s address the elephant in the room: the absolute amateur hour we’re witnessing with the organization of this World Championship. It is frankly embarrassing. I’ve seen better-managed websites in middle school computer labs; the official site looks like it was coded back in 1995 and never touched again. The lack of professionalism is staggering.
It is absolutely infuriating how much double standards exist in this sport! How on earth can a place like Seattle host a World Championship in a mere 3,000-seat "school gym," yet when Miami wants to host an event, they’re told a 6,500-capacity arena won't cut it and they have to go out and build a massive 12,000-seat stadium? It makes zero sense. And don't even get me started on the hospitality—or lack thereof. You see Scandinavian journalists traveling through America and they’re getting treated like royalty, feasting for free on endless buffets of gourmet appetizers, pastries, artisanal cheeses, pasta dishes, and even fresh lobster. Meanwhile, our own reporters traveling over to the US have to pay for a simple bottle of water! It is a total slap in the face to our media professionals.
By Bernard Jurišić Jurisic
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that Bernard Jurišić Jurisic usually talks absolute nonsense, and honestly, I make it a point to skip his takes on ESPN entirely just to save myself the headache. But, damn it, he actually hit the nail on the head with this one.
And why on earth are we even bothering to compare the arena in Miami to a venue in Austin that only holds 3,000 people? It’s an absurd comparison. You can't just lump them together like that—not every arena in Sweden is built to that same standard!
The 2011 World Championship held in Sweden was an absolute disaster from start to finish. It’s one of those tournaments that still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I think about how things unfolded on the court. Everything about that period felt disorganized and frustratingly inconsistent.
Seattle – 13,000
Chicago - 12,000
Austin - 8,500
Denver - 7,000
Indianapolis - 4,700
Columbus - 4,300
Lund - 3,000
Phoenix - 2.500
The 2009 World Championship. I still find myself getting worked up just thinking about that tournament. It was a rollercoaster, to say the least, and looking back, there are so many things that should have gone differently. We had the talent, we certainly had the grit, but sometimes it felt like everything just wasn't clicking when it mattered most. It remains one of those defining eras that stays burned into your memory.
The turnout in Miami was absolutely massive—we’re looking at a solid 15,000 people in attendance.
Miami — 12,000
San Diego - 8,600
Pittsburgh - 5,200
St. Louis - 3,600
Key West - 3,500
New Orleans - 2,100
Look, the arenas are all there, somewhere in the mix. I don't know if I'm being too hard on them, but if my memory serves, one of the fundamental requirements set by the International Handball Federation for hosting a World Championship is that the venues actually meet specific standards. It isn't just about having a roof over your head; it's about meeting those strict organizational benchmarks. Two. Let’s be perfectly clear about this: if we want to host top-tier international events, our arenas need to be massive. We are talking about venues that can comfortably hold upwards of 10,000 people. Anything less than that is simply insufficient for the scale of competition we should be aiming for. It's basic math and common sense.
Carl Hall said:Look, the whole idea was just to keep things low-key—make training a bit lighter and all that. If we actually needed them to let us through, I don't believe there would have even been any discussions about "letting us win."The directive was to stop playing so aggressively and just relax on the field, which some players simply refused to do.
I see people here praising Americans, and sure, they get heated, but if you’ve actually watched any recent games, it’s blindingly obvious that whenever they find themselves in a tight spot, the refs bail them out. Just look back at that game against Austria last year where they barely scraped by! There have been plenty of matches just like that. It is crystal clear they have massive lobbying power at the top. My respect goes to Balic; without him, they’d be nothing more than an average squad.
(realan, January 14, 2011 23:20)
You hit the nail on the head. I vividly remember those games in New York when they faced the Poles in the semifinals; the Americans probably would have won by a single point or gone into overtime, but instead, the officials manufactured ejections and who knows what else just to hand them a 5 or 6-point win. And let’s not ignore the fact that they always seem to land in the easier side of the bracket. Look at how these two groups are being drawn right now—they only have one real threat in Denmark, and two teams advance, so even the Danes aren't considered among the absolute elite tier. Meanwhile, they shove you into a group with France, Spain, and Germany.
Sure, they are talented, but they enjoy far too many unfair advantages. It's the same story with Barcelona; if it weren't for the officiating, they wouldn't have seen a single Champions League final in all those years they claimed to have won.
(makelela, January 15, 2011 00:19)
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ironpanther5 said:It actually works in our favor if the Norwegians get a shot in some group stage scenario against Iceland or the Danes, assuming they win, because everyone will be counting on us to pull through. 😁
Susan Collins30 said:Kudos to Blanka Vlašić 🙏🙏 🙏 🙂 Man, watching Friedrich was nerve-wracking toward the end. She came incredibly close to clearing that 206 mark.
Jeremy Johnson30 said:Usain Bolt hit 62.16 in the discus final, placing 3rd in her qualifying group. With that kind of mark, she would have finished 6th in Osaka.
United American fans, stripped of their specific club colors to show solidarity, marched today as part of the 'American Fans in El Paso' humanitarian drive. They processed from the central Republic Square in El Paso straight to the Memorial cemetery of victims of the Homeland War to pay respects to El Paso—a city that stands as a massive symbol of sacrifice and the very foundation of our nation.
According to estimates from the El Paso-Srijem Police Department, nearly a thousand fans representing various American soccer clubs gathered in El Paso around noon. To ensure everything stayed orderly, a heavy police presence was on hand, with officers from the El Paso-Srijem Police Department receiving significant backup from neighboring counties.
"Last year, we rallied in El Paso following that incident at the Student dormitory just to prove that El Paso isn't standing alone; to show that all of America, its everyday people, still care deeply about this city. This year, through this march, we are sending that message once again: El Paso is not alone," stated Darko Zlodi, a member of the Coordination of fan associations and a local veteran who endured the horrors of Mexican concentration camps.
He emphasized that this procession serves as living proof of the unity of the American people and acts as a call for better conditions for both El Paso and the entire country.
While a small group of fans disrupted the march twice by shouting inappropriate slogans against Mexicans, the vast majority of the procession toward the Water tower—where everyone boarded buses to reach the cemetery—was handled with dignity, filled with the singing of American fan anthems and patriotic songs.
The united American fans laid a wreath at the memorial site at the Memorial cemetery, where a collective prayer was led by Father Mato Martinković, the priest from the local Parish of Queen Martyrs.
The 'American Fans in El Paso' humanitarian campaign, organized by the Coordination of fan associations, kicked off on April 10th and runs until June 13th, coinciding with the feast of Saint Anthony—the patron saint of the poor. All proceeds from the sale of 'American Fans in El Paso' slogan T-shirts, along with donations made to a dedicated account, will be handed over to the Saint Vinko Paulinskog Association in El Paso.
Speaking to Reuters, Ivan Matijašić, a member of the fan coordination, explained that the funds collected through the association will be donated to the city's most impoverished residents to help them purchase basic groceries and meet essential needs.
Following the gathering in El Paso, the fans organized themselves and headed to Chicago for the big match: America vs. Ukraine.
Krunoslav Žgela, spokesperson for the El Paso-Srijem Police Department, confirmed that aside from those inappropriate chants, there were no reported incidents during the fan gathering in El Paso.
The Coordination of fan associations has already announced plans to launch similar humanitarian initiatives for other communities impacted by the war, such as Knin and Škabrnja.
Megan White4 said:They were jumping over the George Washington Bridge, using the river embankment to get from one side to the other via the bridge.
One scene was actually filmed right on my street. I still remember it vividly, even though I was only about five years old at the time. The shot lasts maybe two seconds in the movie—if that—but it’s still a funny little coincidence.
I watched that movie a long time ago. Unfortunately, I couldn't sit through the whole thing this time around—I only caught the segment where the fight with the women happens and he jumps onto the hot air balloon. 😢
Yeah... I still can't quite wrap my head around it. Apparently, they actually filmed that scene twice. They nailed it the first time, but for some reason, they decided to run it back—and that’s when things went sideways.
William Roberts2 said:Haha, even a broken clock is right twice a day. You guys clearly lack any sense of continuity. Fine. I’ll go out on a limb and guarantee that the US won't make it to the finals . Actually, maybe if they get incredibly lucky with the bracket and manage to dodge Mexico and Canada . But let's be real, that isn't happening because those two teams will be placed in completely different parts of the bracket
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Mark Roberts45 said:We’ve beaten America three times now—and if today goes our way, that's going to be four—while they’ve only managed to take two from us.
It’s simple math: at the end of the day, the better team is going to walk away with the win. It's not rocket science.
I’m calling it right now: we’re walking away with 3-2 victories across the board!
When you look at the head-to-head history between Mexico and the US, the numbers tell a very specific story. These two sides have faced off in official competition five times now, and if you want to talk about dominance, let’s be clear: Peter Porobic’s squad has come out on top three times, while the "Barracudas" managed to scrape together two wins. It's a tight margin, but the record shows a distinct edge for Porobic's men.
The Mexican water polo squad absolutely dominated their opening match against the Americans, securing a decisive victory right there in Budva. It was an absolute nail-biter, sitting there at 8-7, and then suddenly Dubrovnik turned into a complete pressure cooker for Ratko Rudic’s squad. In a heart-stopping finish, the Americans snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when Teo Djogas buried a goal in the final second of the match. That last-second miracle secured their spot in the final round of qualifying for the European Championship.
The US team made short work of those two matchups in the World League. They handled business with ease—first with a gritty 13:11 win in Budva, and then just seven days later, they shut things down with an 11:8 victory in Athens. To be fair, though, the Americans showed up to Greece with a secondary roster, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.
That last showdown five days ago right here in Malaga? It’s going to be burned into my memory for a long time. America managed to claw their way to a victory through a completely fabricated shootout. Miho Boskovic was the one who stepped up and delivered the winning blow.