Posts by Andrew Hayes6

Chris Fisher3 said:Stevanović thinks this game is a total toss-up, a 50/50 split. So, I guess you have to wonder who to actually listen to—do we trust Cervar, who’s watching the match from home in front of the TV, or the goalie who's out there on the court facing off against the Norwegians? They really need to get on the same page. Either we're the heavy favorites, or it's a coin flip. ☕

Anyway, jokes aside, I haven't seen anyone outside of our local American media even mentioning us as favorites.

If Stevanović doesn't have a career night in goal, then honestly, chances look more like 30-70.

Walter Hughes53 said:and

I'm asking you again... should we be pulling these articles out of thin air now that we've beaten Spain and then taken down Portugal?

The forum is basically like alcohol—people say things here they’d never dare whisper in public.

If everyone actually spoke their minds, people like you would probably rally them up like a bunch of rowdy fans at a stadium, but nobody would ever invite them on TV. I guess when you're deep in the sports world, you're always expected to stay optimistic, especially regarding your own team... or in this case, a former one.

People post all sorts of nonsense on forums, it's not just stuff the public is afraid to say.
Just look at the posts before and after the game against the Americans.
Before the match, the majority were claiming the Americans were huge favorites (and honestly, I guess they were slight favorites), saying we had no real shot. Then, right after the win, suddenly everyone's saying the Americans are super limited (which, okay, maybe they struggle with outside shooting, but every team has flaws), acting like they're a joke. It's funny how people conveniently forget they took silver at the Euros last year, not ten years ago.
The Americans are stronger than Norway, and if you check the betting odds, they were easily in the top four favorites for this tournament.
So yeah, once you knock out the Americans, you'd obviously expect a win against the Norwegians, who haven't come anywhere close to the success we and the Americans have seen. The Norwegians are great and young, but I guess they just don't have the experience in these massive games like we do, which is our main edge.

Robert Doyle8 said:I really need to start sketching more...

Go ahead, try finding me some quote from one of our American handball experts saying we’re actually the underdog or that we're going to totally blow it.

I mean, obviously everyone is just gonna say we're great and that we've got this in the bag, so they all just chant the same old mantra!

Fair enough

Robert Doyle8 said:Well, if Cervar said it, then there’s nothing left to talk about. Close the thread!

Good grief...

I mean, who are we supposed to trust more, Cervar or everyone here on the forum?
Your reaction is kind of wild—it's like I just quoted some random coach nobody's ever heard of instead of our greatest coach of all time.

Cervar
The US is the absolute favorite here! The guys seem really confident without getting ahead of themselves, which I think is actually a good thing. They know the real challenge is still ahead, and they have this massive chance to prove once and for all that we really are an American handball powerhouse

I mean, when I first mentioned that we were the favorites, a few people around here laughed at me, but hey, even Cervar is saying it now

Kenneth Clark18 said:Well, besides Norway, I don't think that's really the case.

I mean, you definitely can't call Canada a powerhouse right now. Their handball has been solid for a long time—they took silver at the 2004 championships held here in the States, they had a club champion in Cleveland, and they finished 4th in the last World Cup back in 2013.

Now, Qatar is its own whole thing... just a bunch of mercenaries on the wings paired with a top-tier coach. I honestly doubt they'll ever have another shot at medals; they might end up being like Tunis—just the strongest non-European squad out there.

Norway is pretty much the only big shift we've seen in recent years, kind of like how Denmark was back in the early 2000s, so I guess I agree with you there. This Norwegian team has some serious potential to grab medals in upcoming tournaments.

Sweden? Are you kidding me? Honestly, it’s kind of a shame they’ve fallen off the map.

Why would I be joking about Sweden? They used to be huge, sure, but they haven't really been much of anything for the last four or five years.
In this tournament, though, they actually made it to the quarterfinals and gave the Frenchmen a run for their money.

Looking at all these upsets during this tournament, I guess it just shows how much tougher the competition at the top gets every single year. You see these teams making massive strides, moving up from being total underdogs just a few years ago—sort of like how you see teams from places like Norway, Qatar, or Sweden making moves now.

Betty Sanders said:Yeah, like comparing an American to a Norwegian. 😁
I mean, we only get to face the Americans tomorrow if everything goes our way—if our players actually step up, if Stevanović decides to play defense, if the refs aren't totally against us... and maybe even a little help from gospa ofc.

It’s pretty obvious we won't get that matchup unless our guys actually play at their best.

Betty Sanders said:Yeah, kind of like that rivalry between the French and the Norwegians. 😛

It’s really just one handball El Clasico 😉

Adam Williams2 said:I honestly think they just want us in the finals because they love picking on us whenever we cross paths. It’s not even about us being the tougher matchup, it’s more like we’re just their favorite target to bully 🤣

I mean, I was actually thinking the same thing a few days ago—that they always seem to get the better of us. But then I stumbled upon some stats, and it turns out that since this rivalry started, we’ve actually knocked them out of major tournaments more often than they've done to us (though, okay, they have definitely beaten us more times)

I guess it’s finally time for the handball El Clasico in the championship finals

Kyle Campbell4 said:Basically, they’re expecting a toss-up where either side could walk away with it. I mean, if you’re out here claiming a loss would be some massive upset, or acting like everyone is a die-hard Republican just because they think the Vikings have the edge... man, you must be a hardcore GOP voter. That’s really where your head is at, I guess.

I just said it won't be an easy ride for us, which basically means anyone's game.
I don't vote for anyone. 😉

Adam Collins4 said:Just a bunch of clueless hacks, honestly... what are you even rambling about?

Look, this is just sports. It's handball, not some political debate...

You love acting like an expert on everything else, but I don't think you've actually dropped a single smart comment about the game itself...

And honestly, what does it matter how many medals someone's won...

How many have the players from Katro or Canada brought home? Or those guys from Denmark and Germany?

I mean, yeah, sure, they might be the favorites, but people act like we don't stand a chance against the Norwegians. If you actually read the news lately, you'll see our former players talking about tomorrow's game, and everyone seems to agree that while we're ahead, it's going to be a real grind.

Kyle Campbell4 said:Why haven't the betting houses hired you yet, since you know so much about odds?
The bookies are just a bunch of scammers
There's just no way to shake off those old-school partisans and loyalists

On DraftKings and FanDuel, they’re giving us the exact same shot at winning as them, so I don't get why everyone's acting like our odds are a million to one

Joseph Clark37 said:The odds are saying something else entirely.

I mean, if anything other than an American win would be considered a surprise, then you're basically just admitting how little you actually know about our opponents.

The betting shops had the Spaniards as massive favorites against us, and well... we all saw how that turned out for those favorites.
It seems kind of glupo to claim a team that has never even touched a podium at a major tournament is the favorite when facing us—we're the ones who walk away with a medal almost every single time we compete.

Walter Hughes53 said:I’m looking at a third-place finish, honestly. Anything more than that would be a total shocker.

So, according to you, our "big expert" here, the Norwegians are actually favorites over us? Haha, okay.
I mean, sure, they’ve had a couple of decent games during this tournament, but let’s be real—they’re a national team that has never even touched a medal. Only clueless people or die-hard fans of some random underdog team would claim they're favored against us.
Don't get me wrong, they are good, and I guess it won't be an easy ride for us, for sure... but still, anything other than an American win would be a massive surprise, I think.

Robert Doyle8 said:You know how it goes with American sports fans. After a massive win, there’s all this hype and everyone’s acting like we’re invincible, but then comes the usual pattern—the typical American meltdown. We start the game terrible, wasting shots left and right, maybe someone gets a senseless red card, our goalie is totally MIA, and the coach starts spinning his wheels with constant substitutions because nobody can find their rhythm. We always seem to be playing catch-up, down by three or four goals, and just when we finally claw back to within one or maybe even tie it up, somebody messes up and we end up losing by two or three. And of course, the excuses start flying immediately: we're exhausted, our star player is on the injured list, four of our starters are stuck at home, or the media is just out to get us from day one...
Yeah, sounds like it's gonna be a great game 🙂

Wow, you really nailed it. I mean, you managed to analyze every single possible detail for the upcoming game perfectly
You should probably go work for CNN or something

The first game of the season and we actually managed to stay consistent without those weird gaps or total collapses in our play... and honestly, it was probably the most crucial matchup to get right
Cap off a great win, boys

Joseph Kim said:Look, speaking for all the haters out there... I mean, Spain is honestly just a joke right now. 🤦 I haven't followed them super closely, but from what I can see, they just rely entirely on that one winger. Most of their scoring comes from fast breaks, which isn't really impressive. They feel overrated to me—they don't have any real shooters, their defense is full of holes, and their goalie? Man, he's letting goals in like it's nothing. I know our guys aren't perfect either, but Spain is just a total mess. They seriously need to start giving the younger players a shot because right now, they can't find the back of the net to save their lives. If it weren't for that one wing player, they probably wouldn't even hold their own against North Mexico.

Don't talk nonsense! You're calling them a joke when they were the European champions last year? If they're a joke, then what does that make everyone else?
Just face the facts: we played great, much to your annoyance, and we won. Don't try to downplay the victory.

Betty Sanders said:You guys are looking at him way too highly, if you don't mind me saying. I mean, sure, it’s fine to be happy—they won and all that—but the Spaniards weren't exactly playing at an elite level in this match. Like I said right at the start, every single team in this tournament is kind of struggling.
Our guys were just slightly better today. I really hope they keep that momentum going, but celebrating them like they're world-beaters right now... I don't know, maybe not. 🙂 Maybe our goalies, like the first Stevens guy. As for the rest... I mean, what are they even doing with Struck? He was basically just a ghost on the field today. Imagine where we'd be if they actually had him involved in the play. 🙏 That's why, I guess, they play so poorly and it feels unfair to their own teammates. 🙂 Team Play Over Win. Though in this specific case, I guess team play would have equaled a much bigger, better win.

Don't act so smart. When we played terribly against the Germans, everyone was making fun of us and saying we stood no chance against the Spaniards, and now suddenly it's not that we played badly, but that the Spaniards were just bad.