Sandra Hernandez13 said:Alright, alright Ex, now that I've finally pegged you, just know this is gonna be one hell of a fight, but I’m coming out on top and winning Joe's heart in the end. 😍 🙂 😛
I say you should head over to Ex's place and if you're feeling yourself enough, maybe test the waters and report back to us...
Do it for the squad, sacrifice yourself for your fellow forum members and then he'll just hand Joe right over to you. 😁
I gotta say one thing, and that's that this group is hands down the best squad I’ve ever seen on the US national team. They just click, you know? Like, they totally fill in the gaps for each other. Honestly, the closest I’ve ever seen anything like that was back when the guys were tearing it up in the NBA during the old school era—I mean, watching those old tapes of the legends from the late 80s... but since I was born in '85, I didn't actually see that live, just caught the highlights. Still, seeing how this current crew plays? It's something else.
James Vaughn3 said:man, they just judge everything by who scored the most goals
instead of looking at the guy who racked up 20 assists and snatched 5 balls back from the other team
look, I mean, Lackovic definitely earned it—I’m not saying he didn't, he totally did
plus, Ivan already grabbed those two awards earlier, what else does he need? 😁
but hey, he might snag one more anyway
Yeah, Lackovic deserved it, but honestly, people expect a lot from him since he's basically the only consistent player on the roster—I think I mentioned that before—it just bugs me how much they hype him up, though someone else already pointed out that when he gets called out in the comments, he doesn't even defend himself, and yeah, I'm totally with you on that.👍
Sandra Hernandez13 said:the defense is full of holes, and on offense, they’re just constantly banging their heads against the wings, trying way too hard to force plays through Balić, metla, and Laco—who's hot, sure, but not hot enough to mess around with the heavy hitters... We really need to get Džomba and Šprem involved, because honestly, even Horvat isn't bad, though he's still nowhere near the level of Džombale😉
look, Horvat is actually playing better than Džomba right now, but only because he's barely at like 30% capacity—he's not even ready to sprint or hit those fast breaks, which is his whole thing. Meanwhile, that trio out there? They look totally lost on the wings, like they forgot how to play them entirely. It feels fine as long as we're scoring, but the second two out of those three shooters get shut down, everything is going to fall apart. Then the ball stops getting to the rim and suddenly it's a total disaster, like watching a blowout loss in the playoffs.
Seriously though, why was Lac the player of the game today??? I don't know, man. In my eyes, there were way better options out there—like Balić, for sure. I get that Lac has been stepping up over the last couple of games, but he’s still got those tendencies where he just messes things up. He tries way too hard sometimes, you know? Like, he'll just force plays and take two shots in a row for absolutely no reason. It's totally senseless. Just look at that one play when we were up by three with like two minutes left on the clock; he's sprinting in and launching from nine meters out when you can see from the nosebleed seats that he's gonna miss.
Sandra Hernandez13 said:Agree I👍 It’s not even really about playing against Mexico and Mexico that worries me, it’s more about how we're gonna hold up against teams like France or Spain 😲 Those guys are great, honestly, and we all love them, but our style of play isn't even close to the elite level... Hopefully things improve because we can't exactly sell this kind of performance to the French or the Spanish...
Everything's fine I guess, but our defense is absolute trash. I don't get it—is it because we keep switching formations every five minutes, or is it just because we make it way too easy for opponents to score? And the offense? Not feeling it. Everything is so narrow and predictable. It’s like we just know the plan is always "our three wingers will take a shot" or maybe "the ball might eventually find someone standing right in front of the net." That’s basically it.
I'm not even scared of the Mexicans right now; honestly, I think if we had a different roster, we'd actually pull it off. But what's bugging me is how we're gonna handle the bigger stages later on.
I don't know about you guys, but watching our national team over these last two games has been, frankly, pretty worrying...
I feel like we’re just getting lucky because we play great when it’s basically just four guys running the show and those two wingers just catch the ball and pass it along. It’s obvious Dzomba isn't playing much; he clearly isn't at 100% yet—makes you wonder how much longer that's gonna take.
It honestly feels like the guys have completely forgotten how to run plays through the wings. We're just relying on outside shooters constantly. When we run into a top-tier team, we're going to be in deep trouble, especially since our defense is looking absolutely catastrophic right now...
I'm really hoping everything clicks before the semifinals, because things could get ugly fast. Honestly, it might not even be a bad idea to throw a bit of a curveball and surprise the Mexicans by dropping the B-team for a bit, letting the starters rest up so they're fresh for the semis.
This next game is going to be a grind. Expect more shoving and physical scraps than actual handball, kind of like that matchup against the Canadians, but hey, I'm calling it now—we walk away with the win.
I mean, honestly, if we have to sit there and swallow some blatant robbery during a championship final, I’d almost say we should just give the players free rein to absolutely tear into the refs. Even if it meant our national team getting banned from every major tournament for the next 50 years, I don't care. Because those guys? They’d go out there like absolute kings, and people would be talking about how they stood their ground for decades to come.
He’s got that knack for taking a bunch of massive egos and actually making them work together—getting them to move, run, and play as a unit. Just look at what happened with Real Madrid; they had all the talent in the world but couldn't get the gears to mesh properly...
And honestly, out of everyone we're talking about, Mourinho is the youngest, yet he's clearly operating on a different level right now. He knows exactly how to manage the situation, which he proved way back when he was killing it with Porto.
Merry Christmas to everyone on the forum! Wishing you all nothing but the best—hope you have a peaceful, happy one filled with good vibes. Peace out, rustystag7
Eat plenty of great food and grab some drinks, just... uh, please don't drive drunk. Especially not on the I-95, because I'm actually heading out on the road right now myself
Jonathan Clark12 said:Keleb is nothing but a traitor talking absolute garbage.
Man, life is just unfair sometimes. It kills me seeing a true hero like Ante end up behind bars just because he’s actually trying to build this country, while these little cowards sell out the nation just for a bit of pocket change. 🙂
👍 👍 👍 man, that is exactly what I've been saying this whole time! You've got people building the foundation of this country and dying for it, and then you get these few idiots who just swoop in and exploit everything. Honestly, if the government actually functioned properly, they'd just revoke his passport and make him apply for a visa like any other foreigner coming into the States.
I told him good luck, but he needs to stop whining about being "driven away" by us. He had everything he needed right here; we just didn't hand him a blank check like katar would. And that's why... 👋 duje
Chris Mitchell11 said:Look, let Duje do his thing, I’m behind him. It’s not like he joined the Qatari military to fight against us or anything. He just went to go swim for the same kind of paycheck those "patriotic" ballplayers grab when they sign with clubs overseas. Honestly, massive respect to everyone staying put here—especially the ones who started from nothing, like Janica—but we don't need to jump down the guy's throat just because Duje knows he needs to secure the bag while the opportunity is actually there.
But you're missing one big point: all those patriotic players still play under our flag, and when they head out to the big tournaments, they're representing the US. I'm not exactly cheering for his choice, but hey, I wish him the best. Just tell him not to act like moving to Qatar has anything to do with the spirit of the sport.👍
Kenneth Kelly5 said:Honestly, if I had Duje’s mindset, I’d probably be playing the sympathy card a bit more too, just to squeeze out an extra few bucks. Who knows, right? Maybe Saudi Arabia or the Emirates—or some other big players—would jump in with a check. I mean, if you're going down in flames, you might as well go out with a bang. And honestly, if he doesn't feel any connection to his American roots, then whatever, he can just pack it up and leave. Why give him all this free airtime in the media anyway? It was actually pretty hilarious watching him shut those journalists down like that. I wouldn't even bother asking him for a statement at this point; clearly, there's no money left to be had.😬
Man, who cares? It’s not like journalists are out there chasing him down just because they love his work or anything. It’s all just a game to sell more papers. That's how the industry works, I guess. Man, Duje is gonna get so loaded from switching up his citizenship and his religion that he won't even have to lift a finger to swim anymore. He’ll just be floating on cash. He’s got a pretty sharp beard going, though. Makes me wonder—did they actually pay him extra to look the part, or is he just trying to fit in with the rest of the crew down there?
get this money wasn't even the main thing here it was probably all about the ladies, switching up his name, and that obsession with the desert...
I mean, obviously he’s stoked that for a certain amount of cash he gets to live the high life and swim with the absolute heavyweights of today's relay teams 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏
quietfox38 said:If you guys remember, Duje told us in his letter that he isn’t dropping his name because nobody even asked him to. Now he’s kind of backtracking a bit, saying he might add another name of his own choosing, but claims it’s got nothing to do with religion.
I can't help but wonder... is Duje just playing us for fools, or are the Qataris playing him? 😁 hmmm...
Nah, nah, you're reading that wrong. He's basically saying he won't budge until the Qataris reach into their pockets, and then all bets are off... From what I can tell about how he operates, it seems like he won't move an inch on certain things until someone actually asks him, "Alright, what's the damage?" And like he always says, once it's famous, it's all just a matter of making a deal. 😁
Looks like Duje might actually have to change his name after all.
It's kind of like when a customer asks a total jerk, "What's your name?"
And they just go, "Whatever you want it to be, honey..."
🙂
There was that whole thing about how you can only swap names if you switch up your religion or whatever, but honestly, I’ve said it before—nothing he does ever really catches me off guard.👎
man, Schoeman's just soft🙄 what wouldn't he do if he could pull a move like Duje? Just head over to Qatar and swim around to keep everyone happy for a cool 5 million bucks. I mean, at the end of the day, money talks—or at least that’s how like 66% of Americans see it, anyway.
I'm just saying, Schoeman is actually a real athlete who's all about the results. Duje is just built different; from everything we've seen, his main goal is padding the bank account, and then he treats swimming like a side hustle.
Carl Brooks22 said:Look, that’s a pretty controversial take... I don't think anyone on this forum could actually describe those feelings firsthand—and until they do, I’m definitely going to be second-guessing your logic here...😁
Well, you didn't totally trash the idea, so I guess there's some truth to it!! Just look at the scale of it—we're talking pocket change here!! If you only had $167 5,000 bucks, that's a huge deal for you, right? So how do you think someone who already has $17 feels about it? You gotta realize how much more tempting it becomes when the stakes are that high!! I mean, the people who agreed to that 66% cut? They’d probably swim through sharks for a million dollars from Qatar, but Duje Draganja definitely wouldn't touch that for this amount, you know what I mean!!
mellowbadger8 said:. It all starts at the grassroots level, you know? Not from the top down. Like, the government should focus on making sure sports are accessible to everyone, the regular folks. Then, if someone actually shows talent and wants to go pro, let sponsors handle them or maybe some Olympic grants or whatever. It shouldn't be the state's job to bankroll "rising stars" in America. Personally, I’d set up contracts where, if they get government funding, they have to give something back once they hit the big leagues. That way, the money cycles back into the system.
I mean, you're totally right about that, but man, nothing ever changes. It’s easy to talk the talk, and if everyone just took responsibility for their own piece of the puzzle, we'd be in a different world, but... yeah, easier said than done, right?!! The other day, a buddy of mine was venting to me, just trashing the whole government, saying everything is rigged with bribes and corruption and whatnot. So I asked him, "Look, if you were speeding and a cop pulled you over, would you pay the ticket or just try to grease his palm?" And he goes, "Oh, I'd definitely try to bribe him!!" So I just looked at him and said, what's the point of complaining about the system when you're ready to break the rules the second it suits you?