Posts by Chris Lopez59

Stevansson is actually Mexican; his father’s name is Stevan ☕

Kimberly White63 said:so far, Norway is losing... 22:25

hell yeah, Norway!... screw Borge... 🤣

Jose Booth48 said:He was watching our... 😁

So you think he actually went up against them? 😉

Maybe that's why they didn't pull off the win back then—it wasn't exactly like the refs handed it to them on a silver platter, though God knows they came pretty close to losing anyway.

vividbadger182 said:The guy is just being honest 🙂, he’s already factoring in our loss against the Danes if Iceland wins and pulls us into the semifinals

I honestly have no clue what he’s basing that on. If you look at the actual facts, Iceland absolutely crushed Denmark by five goals, yet they couldn't even manage to beat us—and frankly, we weren't even playing that great. So, how on earth can he be counting on a Danish victory? It’s like he thinks the Danes were just an easier matchup for them or something.

frozentiger6 said:Kazo Wilbek mentioned he’s particularly rooting for Kopljar... is he pulling our leg or what? I mean, I just want to know how we're supposed to react to a comment like that, since that specific kind of Danish humor hasn't exactly translated well to the US.

It’s most likely a heavy dose of sarcasm mixed with some desperate, upside-down optimism, probably an attempt to play the field by pushing Kopljar instead of Buntic. It's pathetic, really... but honestly, we've only got ourselves to blame.

Adam Collins4 said:Because he’s pulling for France while rooting against America...

I honestly have no clue, I must have completely missed something here 🙂what statement is he even making?

Samuel Baker3 said:I think I might actually find myself rooting for Olafur Stefansson this time around, mostly because the guy has managed to break my heart two years in a row now, and honestly, what else is there left to do in this life? 😢

Why on earth would you root for him? Why wouldn't we just back Norway instead? 😕

casualskipper8 said:Look, Kopljar is going to find his rhythm tomorrow. He’ll absolutely tear through Dance just like how Metličić used to dismantle them a few times back in the day. Just wait until he starts picking Hvidt apart and starts pulling off those crazy plays with Čupić....

It's going to be a total festival for handball fans.

Exactly. And then, in all his glory, Lino will step onto the court himself just to show everyone why he's considered the doctor of this sport. He’ll run circles around the team twice as effectively as Balić ever did, firing assists from the center straight to the wings, while those stunned Danes just sit there frozen by his sheer genius, clapping away for the magician. Once he's pushed the squad to their absolute limits, Lino will pull out that signature outside shot—something so lightning-fast that Hvidt won't even see it coming. Then, at the very end of the game, an ecstatic Gobac and Sandi Šola will storm the floor and basically tell the whole world to shove it. 👍

Of course, after putting on a masterclass like that, the coach will immediately start prepping tactics for the third-place match, because it'll be painfully obvious that France isn't even remotely prepared to handle the combined genius of Lino and Kopljar. 🙏 😍

Adam Collins4 said:Wait, why wouldn't the Norwegians have a shot at advancing? Even if Iceland pulls off a win by three, they still have a chance...

Aha, I see how it is... I totally missed that part, but if the Norwegians take the win and we beat Denmark, we’d end up in this weird three-way tie where everyone has one win against each other, leaving everything to be decided by goal difference. It’s actually quite...

And since they play before us, it means the Norwegians aren't going to let Iceland off easy... 👍

Adam Collins4 said:And who exactly is supposed to be feeding the wings?

Well, we've still got Štrlek out there playing, while poor Čupić is stuck watching from the sidelines like he's just dreaming about ever seeing the ball...

Unless, of course, someone actually decides to bring their own game to the court...

If the heavy hitter were actually on the roster, things wouldn't be such a mess...

But honestly, I don't get it—it's not like these players never learned how to set up the wings, so what's the actual issue here? 😕

So, how much did you end up dropping on this one?

Henry Rodriguez5 said:Well, here we go—looks like Linus is actually starting to have second thoughts. I was just scrolling through some news about Sandi Šola and his recent political maneuvering, and honestly, it’s just more of the same exhausting theater we see in Washington all the time. It feels like watching a slow-motion car crash where everyone involved knows exactly what they're doing, yet they still act shocked when things go sideways. You look at these figures and you can almost smell the desperation behind the polished press releases—it’s that classic, weary cycle of ambition meeting reality, and reality usually wins by a landslide. I don't know, maybe I'm just getting too old to be surprised by this level of predictable opportunism, but it really makes you wonder if anyone in leadership actually has a moral compass left, or if they're all just playing a high-stakes game of musical chairs while the rest of us watch from the sidelines. Word on the street is that everyone is practically begging him to stick around.🤣

It’s like some total idiot is just standing there, whispering nonsense directly into his ear... 🤣

copperskipper38 said:Yeah, you're spot on, though I'd say our only real success was when we actually tried playing through the wings against the Russians; everything else felt like we were running around with our wings clipped. We kept stubbornly trying to force things through the middle, but the ball almost never found its way to Štrlek or Čupić (or Zrnić when he was out there), and if we don't see some drastic improvement soon, we're looking at a pretty grim outlook.☕

It honestly feels like the prep work just wasn't there. We aren't using the width of our talented wingers at all, and we're practically non-existent when it comes to exploiting counter-attack opportunities—we just lack presence in both areas. I'm desperately hoping the players finally catch on and realize what they need to do, so maybe we can actually stretch out the Danes and give them a run for their money by playing wide.

boldhound8 said:We’re just coasting on pure luck at this point😁

The Americans and the Danes always used the exact same playbook against us—just heavy, aggressive, suffocating defense paired with a goalkeeper having the game of his life, which was usually more about sheer grit than actual luck. That’s exactly what they’ll try again because, frankly, it’s all they’ve got. If Hvidt starts getting into that zone where nothing gets past him, we might as well start packing our bags now...
It doesn't help that our offense feels totally hollow this tournament; Balić can't carry the whole load alone, Vuković hasn't played a decent game since facing the Norwegians, and Buntić is playing incredibly inconsistent, hot-and-cold ball... and honestly, the same goes for Lacković and Valčić too...

I honestly have no clue what to predict, because the way we play in these championships is a total mystery even to me, but I’m bracing for a brutal match—maybe the toughest one we've faced yet.

Back then, the Danes had a much punchier offense while the French relied on a powerhouse defense, and the French were really the only ones with enough talent up front to actually shut down Balić when he was at his peak.

But things have changed, and now we actually have some width to work with. We aren't just blindly hammering away through the middle anymore; we have both wings to utilize, which means the opposition can't just collapse on the perimeter like they used to. They have to defend the whole floor. Of course, that means we also have to be smart about it—we need to actually use that space to create openings for our wing players instead of just constantly crashing into a wall.

We could potentially hold our own defensively, but it all comes down to how we show up, and that dictates our offensive rhythm. If we manage to match them physically, it'll be an even fight, but if we actually tap into our full offensive potential and stay disciplined for a solid sixty minutes on defense, we might actually pull off an upset. But if they outrun us? We don't stand a chance.

Keith Bailey38 said:Look, I’m right there with you on this one, but honestly, I was just sitting here waiting for someone to finally bring up Gopce 👎 👎

Everything pretty much traces back to Gopce; but let's be real, Linus is the one at fault for actually listening to him. Sure, if he had any backbone, he’d jump right out of his armchair and tell him off, but clearly, the chair and the comfort of his own seat matter way more than handball, the national team, or actual results. That’s why all the responsibility falls squarely on Linus.

Keith Bailey38 said:Alright, alright, 😳

By the way, I honestly don't get why everyone is throwing a party over the possibility of the coach stepping down. Seriously, people, this roster is young; these kids still need to actually experience the pressure of high-stakes games before they can be expected to carry the weight of the national team.

Look, I don't have anything against the coach's tactical decisions, per se, but I can't stand the fact that he just does whatever that big shot tells him to do. It feels like he’s sidelining or even pushing out genuinely talented players just to serve certain club interests—or even his own personal agendas that have absolutely nothing to do with basketball. He's choosing guys who haven't earned that jersey over players who actually deserve it. Or, if you want me to be blunt: I resent him because he lacks backbone, he's got zero character, and he clearly cares more about keeping his job than the actual sport.

If you've been paying any attention at all, you'll realize this has been going on for years. Every single season, some player finds himself out of favor, often sacrificed just to boost the value of certain players at the big-name clubs in New York. It has nothing to do with the game itself. Anyone watching closely can see that there's a major power player pulling the strings behind the scenes. But even the coach should be asking himself some hard questions here. He could just say "no" and call up the players who actually earn it. I'm assuming he's competent enough to recognize who the best players in America are right now.

Keith Bailey38 said:I honestly don't even know how to put this into words, other than saying I've never been able to stand those Dance tracks. 😕

Honestly, I’d be way more worried about your state of mind if you actually liked them.😕 🤣

The Americans won't take down Iceland, because on top of losing their edge, you’ve got that whole sense of Nordic solidarity kicking in, so Iceland walks away with the win; the Americans just aren't going to break a sweat trying to screw over Iceland, and that'll be more than enough for the Icelanders to celebrate. There might be some backroom deal for an equalizer happening, but I highly doubt it. Basically, Iceland is practically cruising into the semifinals, leaving us and the Danes to fight over who gets that second spot. Since they already hammered Dance in the group stage, a draw against us would be massive for them, especially since they're stepping onto the pitch for a second game against an unmotivated opponent. I'm not sure if they even realize how huge a point against us—or even a win—would actually be in a scenario where Norway doesn't win; if Norway had taken it, then our draw against Iceland would have looked absolutely monumental by comparison.

Us and the Danes. We could actually pull this off because they aren't playing at a high level right now, much like ourselves. If Hvidt finds his rhythm during the match, it could be the deciding factor, provided he can lock down the goal—though if Alilovic isn't following suit, there's trouble, and honestly, Alilovic has plenty to say about the defensive setup. Our other advantage is the physical condition of both squads. I have no idea what to expect from the Danes, though, or just how exhausted they really are.

If things go according to plan, we'll likely finish second in the group, but even then, I haven't a clue who we'd end up facing. If I'm not mistaken, the French need a point to guarantee their semifinal spot, while the Poles have already punched their ticket after beating Spain. Regardless, we’re heading into the semifinals completely drained after all those nail-biters in the group stage. We basically made life difficult for ourselves; it turns out that Iceland match was the real turning point, and if we had just secured that win, we could have actually enjoyed a bit of "rest" against the Danes today.

Adam Collins4 said:No, a missed seven-yard penalty doesn't change the outcome, even if they handed it out "incorrectly"...

Maybe according to some textbook referee manual, but in the real world, the Norwegians got absolutely robbed on a goal that should have counted (that's a two-goal swing right there). If you're asking me, we're looking at a pretty terrible definition of what actually impacts the final score...

Adam Collins4 said:They didn't even play the advantage...

But honestly, calling that penalty a robbery feels like a bit of a stretch...

Look, the guy took a heavy hit and the defender was right there in the keeper's box, but somehow he still managed to tuck it home—the shot went off before he even hit the turf. At that point, you either let the goal stand or call the penalty. The only way it’s a foul is if he stepped over the line, and we'd really need to dig through the replay to be sure. I'm gonna go hunt for some clips on YouTube... because if the refs actually screwed up here, they basically decided the outcome since that penalty was missed...

And remember when that right winger scored while being fouled just a Minute earlier? The refs didn't honor the advantage at all; they wiped the goal off the board and sent them back to the spot...