Aliloviiiiiić absolutely has to step away from this national team—it’s non-negotiable at this point... I honestly can't wrap my head around the incompetence within the coaching staff.
Looking back at that first half, when he gave up 8 goals in what felt like a blink of an eye, you can't just pin that entirely on Mirko—our defense was basically a sieve because they ran that 5-1 zone, which left our pivots totally exposed.
I mean, seriously, who decides to set up a 5-1 against a squad that doesn't even have a reliable outside shot? Is it the Lady or Babić?
BABIĆ, man... seriously... they practically handed themselves a win against Poland and then blew a massive opportunity against these half-baked Spaniards—we could have walked away with a 10-goal lead right out of the gate if anyone had used their heads.
Ugh, I truly hope there isn't a medal at stake here, purely so this absolute mess of a performance doesn't go unpunished by reality.
Jack Taylor21 said:It’s funny how it works—when the US absolutely crushes Poland and claws their way back from an impossible deficit into the semifinals, suddenly everyone treats them like absolute legends. But the second they drop a few points in the first half? Suddenly, they’re nothing at all. 😁
We Americans 🙏🙏🙏🙏
I don't think that's really the core issue here—it's more about Alilović and Čupić... if the national team were being managed properly, losing wouldn't even be a big deal. But since we aren't quite there yet, I'll just keep my observations to myself and let the experts handle it.
It isn't even a matter of the Spaniards being better than us—they really aren't—it’s just that we were frankly subpar today. We were giving up way too many easy goals, our defense was completely non-existent, and the goalkeeping... well, let's just say it wasn't our night either.
It’s honestly pretty heartbreaking, especially since we could have cruised into the finals if we had just played with any sense of discipline.
stormybadger8 said:I’m really hoping Kimi finally finds his rhythm, though I have to admit—I’m not exactly holding my breath regarding that outcome...
I totally get that testing is always a massive question mark—results from these sessions rarely tell the whole story—and these Pirelli tests were especially weird since nobody even knew what kind of rubber they were running on... But still, seeing him sitting three seconds behind Vettel? That feels like a massive gap, regardless of whatever excuses we try to throw at it...
Well, I was at least expecting you to have a handle on the basics here.
Kimi was only testing on full wets, whereas Vettel was running intermediates on a track simulation that was actually drying out....
Steven Ward62 said:How could anyone actually know for sure? It’s possible they just have a thing for teams they haven't faced yet. 🤣
Yesterday, I was listening to Marić on this local radio station out of Mostar—just one of those random stations you stumble upon—and he mentioned that if they move forward, he’s secretly hoping for a rematch against Norway to avenge that previous loss.
Sam Murphy said:Honestly, my bigger worry is that our defense won't step up at all—it's hard to pull off two solid defensive games in a row when Alilović is struggling to find his rhythm even in just one.
At the end of the day, if the defense holds its shape, everything becomes much easier for the keeper—though, personally, I’d much rather see someone else out there than Alilović right now.
I'm crossing my fingers for an off day from their goalie, though—mind you, if they get caught in too many fast breaks and breakaway opportunities, there won't be much left for anyone to defend anyway. We just need to stay sharp on our own level.
Mind you, their keeper pulled off 21 saves, and they still managed to lose the game.
I honestly don't even know how to approach a prediction—or how to process my own reaction—after yesterday's performance; in all honesty, I’m still trying to wrap my head around where we actually stand after this stretch of the tournament.
It seems like when we’re playing well, we can effectively dismantle any opponent by breaking down their simple mechanics, but the moment we lose that rhythm, everything just falls completely apart. Still, seeing us bounce back like this after the matchup with France—and doing it with such style—really shows the kind of grit this team possesses; I’ll admit, I had my doubts about our heart for a minute there.
As for the game against Spain, history tells us that anything can happen, and we're about to find out if that pattern holds true today.
The blueprint for success is pretty straightforward: we have to dictate the tempo with our own style, build our lead through patient play, capitalize on those fast breaks, and—this is non-negotiable—our defense absolutely has to step up alongside Stepanović. That’s the bottom line.
Let's just stay focused and give it everything we've got.
😁 They really went out of their way to keep things strictly internal... honestly, I hope everything looks this clean without those bulky air intakes sticking out from the race cars.
