jadeseal7 said:Look, let’s just be realistic when it comes to Babb—I mean, he definitely cost us that championship game, but if Goluza were the one calling the shots on the bench right now, he probably would've started today with Alilovic and Cupic too. He likely wouldn't have even touched those kids, maybe giving them a couple of minutes at most. But Babb? He actually brought in Zlaja and Steve. Honestly, that might be one of his few smart calls lately.
I’ve got a feeling Babb actually wanted to put Alilovic back in from the very first whistle, but Alilovic was the one who spoke up and said he wasn't mentally where he needed to be, basically asking not to start.
"—Honestly, I’m just happy with the medal. That’s the nature of the job—one day you’re the hero, and the next, everything goes sideways. It’s a hell of a feeling, sure, but man, the stress is something else too. Being the head coach is great, but honestly? Not having that weight on your shoulders is pretty sweet, too. Life is meant to be lived, through the highs and the lows alike."
23-21 Gojun picks up his third penalty, which leads straight to a seven-meter shot. And somehow, Stevanovic pulls off another massive penalty save! 24:21 Horvat nails the penalty—only nine minutes left on the clock! Stevanovic is absolutely on fire again! 25:21 Slišković delivers!! Stevanovic isn't even giving Sagosen a chance! 26:21 Karačić makes it happen!
Man, Steve really did me dirty by stripping away my bronze I’m telling you—I’d bring home gold for my mom if I could, but instead, I’m just stuck dealing with this mess!
Spaniards score 4 goals in just 22 minutes Not a single shot from outside the box... man, oh man, Babicev... you really got blindsided by those crazy circumstances, didn't you?
I bet Babic is watching the finals right now—watching how the Germans just slammed the door shut with a 6-0 run against the Spaniards and are absolutely tearing them apart, leading 7-2 as we speak!
Jack Kelly5 said:I’m honestly just dreading another one of those Viking-style collapses.
Honestly, whether we finish 3rd or 4th—it’s basically the same thing at this point... that's the kind of podium space we have to work with. If we land in 3rd, I'll take it with a smile—especially if the Norwegians end up in the mix again, because man, they really earned their spot. The reason I say that is purely because we're being led by Coach Opus Dea right now. Look, if we lose because they're just better than us? Fine, totally fair. But losing because of the coach's tactical blunders? That's what stings. If Stevanovic had been the one calling the shots from the jump, we probably would've walked away with the win. That’s why, for me, it really doesn't matter if it's 3rd or 4th.
Brian Doyle6 said:Even if you managed to force overtime, I’m 100% sure the Americans would have walked away with the win in the end. They just weren't as gassed as the US team was after that absolute thriller against Poland. Honestly, the reaction from the American players just wasn't there. In fact, I think you guys got lucky—if the Americans had come out in the second half with that deep 4-2 defense (there were moments where it felt like 3-3), you would’ve lost by at least 8. Since you had the halftime break to adjust, you stayed in the hunt until those final four minutes.
People on these forums love to tear into the coaching staff, but honestly, I don't think anyone here actually has a solid argument to back that up this time.
Oh, give me a break. We really should have been up by 5 or 6 points in the first 15 minutes—we would've been right there if Stevanovic had actually started. And look, any coach with even a shred of tactical sense would’ve switched to a 6-0 defense after we let them score three times straight from the line. Instead, they just watched us concede 18 times (if I recall correctly, nearly all 18 in the first half were either from the crease or fast breaks/semi-breaks). At the end of the day, the American coach won this game—or rather, he lost it for us. Are they better than us? Probably. But tonight, we basically beat ourselves.
We basically handed them the game because they went on an absolute 8-1 tear—one minute we’re sitting pretty at 13-10, and the next, we’re staring down a 14-18 deficit. Honestly, the coach really should have pulled the goalie right then. If Stevanovic had just stepped up and saved even one or two of those shots—out of the 17 Alilović let slip through—we might have actually walked away with a win. But hey, when you look at who’s running the show over at our sports federations—whether it’s handball, soccer, or basketball—it’s a miracle we’re even in a position to compete for trophies at all!
quietridge62 said:Exactly! I was actually trying to say that—my brain just lagged for a second there, haha. The issue today wasn't really Alilović; it was the defense as a whole.
If Stevanovic had just snagged one or two of those 17 turnovers, we would've cruised right into the lead during that second half. Sure, the defense fell apart once the Spanish team swapped their lineup, but honestly? That’s more on the coach than the players. I mean, if they switch to an 8-1 formation and you just sit there without adjusting? That’s on you, coach. end of Story. When we managed to pull ahead by 3, their coach was already making moves—we weren't sitting there trailing 1-8. Game over.
George Ward7 said:They’ve got a coach who actually understands the nuances of the game—and honestly, that was the biggest takeaway from today. He had an answer for everything! Whether it was calling that perfectly timed timeout, swapping out the keepers, or just making those smart tactical shifts... his pure basketball IQ is what snatched this win.
That is the absolute truth right there.
If we actually had their coach leading our squad instead of them running with ours, who do you think would be walking away with the W?
silverdrifter24 said:Honestly, most of the time, he’s just like a single flagpole standing out in a field—you don't really get any practical use out of it unless someone decides to go ahead and slam headfirst into it!
Yeah, look, Kopljar looks solid for the moment—really solid. But why? It’s because we don't have a damn thing in the wings to back him up. We are thin as a toothpick at that position right now—just completely lacking any real depth.
He’s just playing way too naive on offense—I mean, he’s constantly playing with his back to the basket, which totally kills his vision of the floor. He can't see the open lanes, he can't spot the cutters, nothing! It's like trying to drive through downtown Chicago during rush hour without a GPS—you're just flying blind and hoping for the best, you know? He lacks that overall court awareness we really need right now.
Everything you said is spot on—but man, today? Today he was playing at a whole different level. Just absolute peak performance.
Look, I’m not even mad at the guys, honestly—that’s exactly why you hire a coach in the first place, right? To step in, fix the mistakes, make the adjustments, and keep everyone on track. If they could just figure everything out on their own, we wouldn't even need a coach, would we? Hats off to the players, but thumbs down to the coach. Seriously, someone should just offer him a job managing a resort in Medjugorje instead. It’s such a shame, because if we had a real tactician in charge, this game would have gone a completely different way.
We’re looking at a +3 to -4 swing, and man, that Spanish offense just went scorched earth in the second half. It felt like we were basically handing them everything—points off the line and easy fast breaks. There is absolutely no way Alilovic should be starting in goal after how Stevanovic carried us all the way to the semifinals. It’s such a bummer because the coaching was questionable, but honestly, once they started bringing up divine intervention and miracles as the reason we made the semis, what else could you expect? It's a bit much. Such a shame, too, because we started this tournament with so much momentum.
We’re looking at bronze or maybe just a wooden trophy... total Goluza vibes here.. Barely scraping by against Brazil We're absolutely crushing the Poles Pure euphoria The Germans are just steamrolling us Wood or bronze