Samuel Baker3 said:No matter how much they rotate their roster, those Frenchmen always seem to roll into the knockout stages of tournaments like this looking way more physically prepared than we are. I’m not even going to get into how much that depends on individual training camps or which pro clubs they’re coming from, because honestly, it doesn't matter. When you're playing in the European Championships, I truly believe that arriving at the finish line with actual stamina matters way more than raw talent, especially when the skill gap between teams is basically negligible. To me, that's the single biggest edge the French have over us right now.
It’s just fascinating to watch every single time... they prepare themselves so intensely that they end up being the most conditioned athletes on the planet.🙏
boldhound8 said:I wasn't watching the second group quite as closely, though I was still keeping a sharp eye on things. Look, this is just my take—it doesn't have to be gospel—but honestly, I think the Danes are sitting pretty as the favorites for gold right now. Not that there aren't any wildcards left; nobody’s an easy win anymore, and everyone is looking dangerous, so anyone can beat anyone at this point...
At the end of the day, we couldn't have predicted how this would shake out; we're stuck with what we've got. We've got one day and a half, maybe two days to try and pull ourselves together, and then we just charge in headfirst and hope for the best.🙂
I'm with you there; those Danes absolutely tore us and the Poles apart with a 10-point margin, and you really have to respect that kind of dominance.
Samuel Baker3 said:The final is going to be Germany vs. France, and France is taking the gold. For third place, it’ll be Denmark against the Americans, with Denmark walking away with the bronze.
And why on earth do you think the Germans are going to walk away with the trophy?
Paul Lopez49 said:When it comes to the whole debate over whether Metličić or Magic Johnson is the superior player, I actually had a chat with Červar—it was ages ago, right around the time we were celebrating that gold medal win in Athens—and he told me that while Magic Johnson is an absolutely phenomenal player, Pero is actually the more complete athlete. Though, honestly, that perspective has shifted lately because Pero’s game has dropped off significantly 😢 whereas Magic Johnson is just a constant presence.
Magic Johnson has these two specific traits that make him one of a kind. Now, both he and Pero possess that high-level court vision, but Magic Johnson has this terrifyingly creative playmaking imagination—which, unfortunately, he hasn't leaned into quite as much lately since moving over to the Spanish league—combined with this insane physical toolkit, specifically that explosiveness and ability to change direction on a dime, which he translates into decisive plays, mostly his shooting, which has actually improved since playing in Spain.
Pero just doesn't have that same physical edge. And let's be real, without that athleticism, you can't really claim to be the absolute best. He’s a brilliant technician, sure, but he lacks that elite speed; even someone like Cristiano Ronaldo relies on it... those old-school eras where pure skill was enough are long gone, now everyone is looking for these superhuman athletes...
Nowadays, Magic Johnson tends to decide games by scoring points, though he isn't facilitating the offense nearly as much as he used to. It used to be that he made everyone else on the floor look like superstars, but today he's more about individual dominance and just carrying the load himself.
In either scenario, he's usually the one providing the edge for the national team, but if I'm being honest, I always had a soft spot for the old version of Magic Johnson—the guy who might only drop two buckets but would still rack up ten assists in a single night...
I also realized I forgot to give credit where it’s due. I honestly don't know how we managed to pull it off in those two stretches when we were down two players at once. The way the guys stepped up during those brutal moments was nothing short of incredible, seriously, props to 🙏
We pretty much have Omeyer figured out by now; we’re practically his most frequent customers, and he’s saved more shots against us than anyone else. We really need to shake up our shooting style and catch him off guard with something different than what we’ve been throwing at him in previous games—maybe just a barrage of heavy shots aimed at the near corner.
The real headache is their backline, and figuring out how to shut them down is a nightmare. They don't waste many possessions, except for Karabatić, who clearly lives for the high-risk plays and loves drawing fouls whenever things aren't going his way. Then you've got Fernandez, who has been absolutely lethal this tournament, and Narcissus is looking just as dangerous too.
And let's not forget Bertrand Gilles, a total heavyweight in this sport, given how much damage he does both defensively and from the backcourt.
If we focus our defense on that perimeter—which is honestly our only real option—then we're going to run straight into trouble with their wing players, Abalo and Girault, alongside Gilles. Alilović really needs to work on his positioning when they attack from the wings; the Norwegians already read him like an open book, and he was giving up way too many goals in that near corner.
I’m really not sold on the idea of running a 5-1 defense against the Frenchmen, though I suppose I don't see many other choices besides trying a deep 6-0. The 5-1 is their specialty, and they’ll tear us apart if we try to play their game.
Our biggest struggles, though, are going to be on offense. They’re going to swarm the perimeter players, and because Balić lacks that raw physical strength, they’ll find it even easier to shut him down than they did last time—the Danes managed to do it, after all. Dinart is going to neutralize our pivot, which means the entire burden falls on Kaleb and those young, inexperienced wings, and honestly, facing Omeyer under those circumstances is a recipe for disaster. It’s the same old story; we know exactly how this is going to play out.
Our chances are incredibly slim, really. It all boils down to whether we can somehow hold them off defensively while praying that Alilović goes absolutely ballistic, and then hoping Balić does the same.
But look, if we lose like everyone expects, there's no point in moping about it. We should just shift our focus to fighting for third place, which will likely mean going head-to-head with the Germans.😉
The French have everything going for them. They’re healthy, most of their roster is in peak or near-peak condition, and they can score from anywhere—whether it’s deep from the backline, out from the wings, or right there on the six-meter line. Their depth and tactical versatility are just massive. I mean, what can you even say about a squad like that?
Another huge edge for them is that they actually got some rest after their last match, whereas we’ve basically run ourselves into the ground. Our chance to catch our breath was completely blown during that game against the Danes—a game we really should have secured easily to save some energy for these final two rounds. It sucks. Honestly, considering how exhausted we are, I think just making it to the finals at all is a massive achievement. Expecting anything more than that feels delusional; if we pull off a win, it’ll be nothing short of a miracle.
Our one, and I mean absolute *only*, advantage is the incredible motivation our guys have to get some payback for those previous losses. But man, it’s such a damn shame to burn all that fire and drive on an opponent that’s already running on empty and might not even have the legs to capitalize on it... 😠
wearyeagle2, you’ve got to be kidding me—you’re actually the very first person on this entire forum that I’ve ever felt the need to put on ignore 👍 cool
Larry Thomas said:I haven't caught the French team playing in this Euro, but honestly, if they bring that same suffocating defense they showed at the last World Cup—and if the refs actually let them get away with it—we’re going to get absolutely demolished. We aren't nearly as strong as we were back then; our offense feels completely lost right now, just making amateur mistakes left and right. And man, you have to remember how much trouble Balić had against Dinart toward the end (it was basically a mix of handball defense and heavyweight boxing). Those easy strolls Balić used to take toward the goal? Yeah, those days are long gone. They were just forcing outside shots against that 3-2-1 defense, which defied all common sense. So, there's really no room for flashy improvisation or waiting on some burst of Balić-style inspiration here; it’s all about discipline and running set plays, mostly through the wings. And frankly, we haven't shown any sign of that yet. That is, unless the French team isn't even a shadow of what the Germans were.
It wasn't Dinart who stopped Balić, it was Bertrand Gilles.
Lino really nailed the roster selection here. I know some people just can't wrap their heads around it, but honestly, this EP is basically just a dress rehearsal for the Olympics and the World Cup. Look at the goalkeepers—that's the perfect example. He's putting Pozoves Alilovica, who's clearly the best, alongside two young kids just so they can get a taste of high-stakes competition. Is it a risk? Sure, obviously. But Americans in sports have this weird knack for "dodging bullets" when it counts, something we've seen happen more times than I can count. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that our national teams usually play their absolute best right when everyone else has already written them off as losers.
Man, I'm done arguing with you; you don't need to keep replying to my posts, it's honestly a waste of breath.
Aaron Gonzalez6 said:WITH THIS MUCH RAW TALENT ON THE COURT, WE SHOULD BE CRUISING STRAIGHT TO THE FINALS. Instead, we’re out here struggling against these absolute jokes from Mexico, Norway, or Canada (even if those guys played their hearts out in the second round)
Look, Aaron Gonzalez6, I hate to break it to you, but Červar needs to pack his bags because that era of old-school chemistry is long gone, but damn hell, look at what we actually achieved—don't you realize that just making it to the semifinals is a massive freaking miracle in itself?
Honestly, if you ask me, our biggest loss during this tournament has been missing out on having stars like Zrnić and Jović (not that they aren't great wingers, but the boys have really struggled with shooting and penalties, which has been a nightmare), plus Vuković being sidelined and totally unprepared for the whole thing. Vuković is honestly a much better backup for Balić at the left back position; Duvnjak playing at pivot looks pretty ridiculous in most of these games, and frankly, I don't even know why he's part of the rotation right now, because he just isn't stepping up to the plate.
just one thought on that sports article about how "young" certain national teams are compared to others😕
Some rookie journalist just finished rambling about how the US has the brightest future because our roster is packed with young talent. It’s hilarious, really, because they completely ignored the young stars on other teams. Like, they mentioned Abalo from France, but did they seriously forget about Karabatić? The guy is basically the backbone of their whole setup, and I'm pretty sure he's only 23. They fail to realize that when a young player actually makes it onto an opponent's national squad, they aren't just some kid—they're usually elite players. Meanwhile, our "youngsters" aren't even carrying the team; they're just sitting there on the fringes waiting for a turn
The thing is, these writers totally overlook the fact that other countries might have plenty of talented youngsters too, but they choose to lean on their veterans. They prioritize experience and quality because they actually have a solid core of mid-career players they can rely on. We don't have that luxury, so we're forced to call up kids, or maybe we're just leaning on them for political reasons rather than actual skill. It's a different game entirely.
The refs were technically okay—they kept their criteria consistent from start to finish—but they definitely gave the home crowd that little nudge we’ve come to expect, letting way too much physicality slide without blowing the whistle. It was pure chaos; they just let the hitting and the heavy contact go unchecked. I mean, look at the numbers: Norway walked away with a measly 4 minutes in penalties while we racked up 10, which honestly feels totally disconnected from how aggressive the game actually was. Our guys tried to play by their rules for a bit, especially toward the end of the first half, but then the pendulum swung and suddenly we’re the ones getting hammered. We ended up sitting two players on the sidelines twice, which felt completely unfair given the standard they were setting earlier in the match.
In the grand scheme of things, it feels like all those pre-tournament meetings about officiating standards just went right down the drain. Don't get me wrong, in terms of sheer professionalism, this European Championship is looking a lot better than the last few, but they seem more focused on "protecting the flow of the game" than actually protecting the players. Under these current guidelines, being overly aggressive actually pays off, and players can basically get away with dirty tactics. I highly doubt that was the intention when everyone sat down to plan this tournament.
Kyle Torres60 said:If you want to know how much these players actually care about Cervar, just look at what happened during that game against Denmark—Balic didn't even bother going to the locker room; he just stayed out on the court during halftime.
And then yesterday, you have Cervar yelling about some long, active possession versus passive play nonsense, while Pero clearly doesn't give a single damn.
Man, if these guys just had someone who could actually draw up a few plays or offer some real advice when the pressure is on, they’d be steamrolling through everyone like the Atlanta Falcons, instead of just stumbling through every match like this.
That's exactly why Cervar has to go. The chemistry is completely dead; the players aren't listening to him and they don't respect him anymore. He brought this on himself. We owe Cervar a huge thanks for everything he’s done, but I honestly think his own ego needs to admit it’s time to step aside. Talent scouting isn't moving forward under his leadership anymore, and things definitely used to be different.
mcaucliffe, I’d really love to hear what you think about the officiating here... I already posted my own take over on the thread for the USA-Norway game
1. A massive nod to Balić for playing with so much heart and those incredibly smart shots; his scoring kept the whole American squad in the fight whenever things looked grim. 2. Shoutout to Laco for showing pure grit and that undeniable character when the pressure was at its absolute peak during the most critical game. 3. Kaleb deserves credit too, for making every single one of his limited opportunities count by burying all three of his shots; that kind of reliability really lifted the entire team's morale. 4. Alilović definitely did his part, pulling off some heavy saves and shutting down easy shots while forcing those Norwegian attackers into making mistakes. 5. Dominiković and that 5-1 American defense were absolutely vital, clicking perfectly in the latter half of the first period and especially throughout the second half to shut down the Norwegians—without that setup, we wouldn't be standing here. 4. Metli put everything on the line for the defense and even chipped in a few clever goals and some killer passes, especially finding Kaleb when he needed it. 6. Honestly, just kudos to the entire team for their sheer soul and fighting spirit, squeezing every last drop of energy out of themselves while battling through pain and injuries.
So, we're basically inviting the French to come in and kick our asses, which is just great, isn't it? 👍 I mean, seriously, it's such a massive gamble; you lose to them once, make one stupid mistake, and it’s lights out for our shot at the Olympics... honestly, I'd much rather take on the Russians, damn it.
I kind of expected a game like this, honestly. I knew we wouldn't absolutely blow it, but I also didn't think the Norwegians would be able to go on those massive scoring runs like the Danes do.
I have to say, it definitely helped us that Lino wasn't out there. Myrhol really fought for the ball on the line three times, though he did blow two of them.
This win—if you can even call such a messy scramble a victory—was gutsy. They pulled it off through pure exhaustion, pain, and injuries, relying on nothing but raw motivation and heart.
But look, I’m going to start with the critiques, and let me tell you, there are plenty to go around...
1. Vori played way below his level. This is the second game in a row where he's just been making silly mistakes. He only took two shots, both of which were absolute sitters. When you have a player of his caliber, you expect an 80% conversion rate or better, but he's been playing well below his class the entire tournament, especially in these last few games. One small silver lining is that he took a beating, but those two blunders happened right at the start because of some brainless plays—trying to go against the flow and a bad pass to the line. After that, he basically just vanished.
2. It was obvious the main shooting threat was coming from Hagen, and the guy practically threw the same shot over and over—that quick, low shot to the far corner without jumping. I mean, what was the defense thinking at the start, letting him shoot to his heart's content? (That was basically the defender's job, after all.) And what was the keeper thinking? Most of the time, he was just a total amateur. What kind of game prep is that?? (On top of that, both Strand and Solberg were shooting way too early in the first half.)
3. Ege jumps like one of the best keepers out there; he’s got incredible reflexes, but he also makes a lot of shots based on guesswork. He constantly gets tripped up by balls bouncing off the floor. Balić tried to play him smart, but since a good chunk of the players weren't following suit, they basically tore him apart early on. It drove me crazy. Things improved later, though. Lac wasn't playing particularly smart, but luckily he was able to overpower them with sheer strength and precision. Given the pain he was pushing through, I have to tip my hat to Lac for his heroism and those penetrations; 🙏 it was his first truly solid game of the championship.
4. Balić taking the first penalty? WTF?? The guy clearly wasn't prepared to be the designated shooter during practice, so I don't know what the logic was there... we all know who is actually ready; regardless of any misses, it should have been either Duvnjak or Cupic.
And now, for the end-game tactics:
4. That last exclusion we took from Kaleb was pure stupidity! The player fakes him out, breaks past him, and Kaleb hits him from behind—what on earth was he thinking? Luckily, it didn't ruin everything in the end, because Kaleb actually played great overall (props to him for several excellent assists). He did his job and used his chances well, even if Skoglund gave him way too many easy looks in the second half, but whatever. We still had a few other dumb, unnecessary penalties.
5. Balić was driving through the defense, but when he got totally gassed, he started coughing up the ball. Overall, though, he was the hero—he provides way more value than harm. However, the tactics during those final attacks after we built a three-goal lead (22:29) were completely baffling, if not outright stupid. First, we burned through an attack way too fast instead of milking the clock, and then the penultimate attack was rushed even more. Balić shoots, Ege saves, and suddenly the Norwegians have the ball and 40 seconds to run the floor against us... what were we trying to achieve? Thankfully Alilovic makes the save and Balić scores on the second attempt. He pulled us out of it, but it could have been a total disaster; we could have lost purely due to sheer stupidity. 👎
What am I even expecting from the Spanish officials tonight? Honestly, what kind of criteria are they actually using? I’m sitting here wondering if we can even count on them being objective at all.
Dana Peterson39 said:Look, I’ll say it again: all the US team needs tonight is a single point against Norway to punch their ticket to the semifinals. But let's be real—handball isn't soccer, and trying to play for a draw is a losing game if you actually want to win. The Poles, and especially those Canadians, proved that you can actually go toe-to-toe with the Norwegians, provided the refs don't just bend over for them from the jump and maintain some actual standard of officiating. If they do, our chances aren't half bad. There's just one other thing: we need the US squad to stop playing in short bursts of brilliance. In previous games, they'd show up for maybe twenty minutes or a single half and break the opponent's spirit (well, except for that mess against Denmark), but today? They need to stay at a hundred percent for the full sixty minutes if they actually want to stand a chance at a positive result and moving on to the semis.
What’s your take on that? It’s not just hard, it’s practically impossible to play for a tie (unless you've already greased the palms of the officials)😁. Though, I guess it could help if a decision somehow falls our way in the final minutes . If we do, it'll just make it look like the Norwegians can't actually play without the refs carrying them, and honestly, the last time we faced them, we barely scraped by🤷