Posts by Jose James15

Jose Booth48 said:Let's go, Team USA! 👋👋

🤣

go 👋 👋

casualfox112 said:Balić needs to get his act together with the ball😁
Even if we're nothing without him, we really need to pick up the pace...🙂

And who exactly is going to use that power line? 🤷

Samuel Baker3 said:Metličić's performance before versus his last 3 or 4 games—excluding the Denmark series—is night and day.

Back when he was playing in Chicago during those years, he basically served as a way for Olaf Stefansson to catch a five to ten minute breather, so I'm not surprised...

I don't care if you try to throw statistics at me now; I'm simply telling you the impression he left on me while watching the game, and the results speak for themselves.

And regarding Kopljar, I was obviously joking, though I don't think he’s solely to blame for why American wingers struggle to get the ball.

I said what I said and I'm sticking to it: American handball is far too slow these days, and one of the primary reasons for that is Balić.

How so? Explain.

Adam Collins4 said:Peter had 24 assists during the 2009 World Cup, while Ivano Balić had 14...☕

How many assists did today's World Championship leaders manage for their wings?

And you too... he isn't some high-voltage power line meant for handing out assists; he's just there to boost the scoring average.🙄

slybadger99 said:I honestly can't get behind this idea that Peter is the one missing. Neither he nor Lac have brought much to the table over the last two years; they’ve just burned through possessions for very little scoring output. That's just the reality. They're both predictable players at this point. If anything, we're missing someone in the defense... specifically Dominiković and Špolja. But then again, what else would you expect from them? Is Dominiković even healthy enough to be called up, or is that why he isn't here?

Of course the perimeter players are going to burn through some possessions—just look at everything else, from their assist numbers to how they step up when it actually matters. Saying they haven't contributed anything is just plain stupid.

Jeffrey Ramos84 said:...true, but even Peter spoke up publicly before the roster was finalized, saying he'd read on Yahoo that he was making himself available for the national team....that should have been the end of his retirement story. He belongs in the States leading us toward another medal; after all, he's our captain and the soul of this squad...this whole mess is Zoran Gobac's fault...that really should have been obvious to all of you a long time ago...how else do you explain why Gobac—who isn't the head coach, one of the trainers, the director, the doctor, the physio, or even the President of the Federation—shows up in the locker room before the game, at halftime, and after the whistle??? What is he doing there??? That’s when everything becomes clear...which is why, despite the disastrous performance, the coaching staff restarts from scratch every single game while Gojun gets touted as the anchor of our new defense...it's pure nonsense...and Zoran Gobac is solely to blame for it all...

I was just about to write this exact thing regarding Peter.👍

Jeffrey Ramos84 said:First off, Copland isn't going to make it; he just doesn't have the caliber for the national team, regardless of how much some fans cheer for him... the kid is a solid player for a top-tier domestic league, maybe even the G-League level, but nothing more. He’s someone who can step in if we need to cover for Dominikovic or Spoljarić, but there is absolutely no way he becomes our defensive anchor. You need serious experience for that role... and we only have one true defensive leader, and he's definitely not old... nor is Dominikovic... As for the offense, it should be obvious that we can't function without Perez. He doesn't necessarily have to score or play perfectly, but his presence on the court matters immensely. He’s a pure warrior, and don't even get me started on his experience... just look at "Big Olaf"... the guy is 37 and doesn't look old at all. Honestly, someone should find his old highlight reels and hand them to Copland to watch as training; maybe then he'll learn how to actually play with heart and fight for the jersey he's wearing... but he just doesn't have it; he lacks that grit. And then there's the goalkeepers... massive respect to Alilovic, because without him, we'd be lost... it's a shame Pesic isn't here, as this could have been his tournament. Then there's Charapina—like Copland, he's just a standard first-division player, period. We had better options, like Sunjic or Granic from the small towns... elite young keepers. If we want to rejuvenate the squad, why aren't we doing it properly? Charapina is 27 or 28... it's not too late, but if we are committed to youth, let's go all the way instead of calling up guys like Charapina just because Cervar wants him on his roster in Mexico after the EU championship... Moving on, young Strtek is excellent, but he's playing too many minutes without any rest, and the problem is we lack a legitimate backup... To be honest, I've never really watched Matija, so I don't know what he brings to the table... where are players like American or Vukic? They are also young but have experience in major international competitions... Now, the pivots... that's my favorite part regarding Cervar... Musa???? Man, hats off to the kid, but at that position, we have a powerhouse player who is being left out simply because he crossed Gobc the wrong way... if he were on the team, we'd have the best pivot duo in the world. And one last thing about "rejuvenation"... it feels totally unnecessary right now. These players should have been playing through at least the London games, and only then should we start introducing youngsters to build a legacy (though they usually force their way in via club performance anyway, so we shouldn't have to hunt for them)... In my opinion, this is how the national team should look for the next 3-4 years... judge for yourselves:
goalkeepers: Alilovic-Sunjic-Pesic
left wing: Strtek-(Vukic or Sprem)
right wing: Cupic-Zrnic (maybe even Jomba, depending on his club form)
left outside: Valcic-Lackovic-Dominikovic (defensive specialist, obviously)
right outside: Metlifsky-Buntic (we don't have anyone better)
center outside: Balic-Duvnjak-Vukovic-Spoljarić (defense)
pivots: Vori-Sulic
That would be a squad blending youth with heavy-hitting experience... a proven formula that brought us an Olympic medal with a very similar lineup...
As for the game against the Danes... we're us, so we'll pull through, but that matchup against the Austrians won't be easy... let's just let the coach do his job; he might not be the greatest strategist in the world, but with a roster like this, even a novice could probably make it to at least the semifinals...

Not bad, though I wouldn't go for American under any circumstances.

casualskipper8 said:Copland will be back in top form tomorrow. He’s going to absolutely dismantle Dancer, just like how Metlifsky crushed them a few times before... Just wait until he starts tearing through White and teaming up with Cupic for those signature plays....

It’ll be a glorious day for handball.

Yeah, and once he drives in from the right wing and cuts to the left, the Danes won't even know what hit them.🤣🤣

casualskipper8 said:Is that Markan?? 😂

So, who's going to be our Marko Kopljar on the power lines... you know, one of those old-school types...🙄

slybadger99 said:What kind of "rebellion" are we even talking about on the court? lol. This peasant coach keeps forcing Kopljar into the lineup, and I honestly don't get why. The kid is tiny and just tosses the ball under the net. But no, they insist on him. And my favorite line from the press: "we are significantly weakened because Lac and Valčić aren't playing." Are you kidding me? Vuković is playing out of his mind... and Lac has been a spent force for the last three years. He keeps shooting low into the bottom corner and the keeper saves every single one, especially since all keepers dive low anyway—though I don't see why they bother diving like that (and I'm a goalkeeper myself).

Buntić played great. Sure, he's playing solo, but he's scoring. Kopljar can only dream of scoring; actually, he can only dream of catching the ball. Our wings are fantastic, but the plays aren't being set up for them at all, which is on Balić or Dule when he's playing. Plus, the coach doesn't even know how to lead a team, let alone say anything meaningful when nobody gives a damn about what he thinks. Just some corporate errand boy. And Šola is my goalkeeper coach now? Seriously, wtf? He was a great player, but I highly doubt he can actually teach anyone anything. All in all, it's a disaster. Handball is a team sport, not an individual one. The Americans will crush us tomorrow. Unless, of course, the refs decide to bail us out again.

🙄 They can run plays, attack, and create advantages until they're blue in the face, but it doesn't matter if the ball hits a dead end and just stops 🙄

Chris Lopez59 said:if the coach actually had a plan, things wouldn't look this messy...

but honestly, it’s like players have never even heard of running plays through the wings... I don't see what the issue is 😕

Way too many fouls, sluggish ball movement, zero teamwork, and far too much isolation play. 🤷

boldhound8 said:The tally continues, and the medals are being counted...
Just my impressions...Well, good, bad, deserved, or undeserved... They forget incredibly fast, and none of it actually matters. Or maybe you think the European handball community is going to weep over the injustice dealt to Americans in Canada, or act like we were somehow failing because we finished fifth in Germany after a single loss? Please... just get over it.🙂

I won't go so far as to say people are exaggerating... it would be unearned if we actually moved on. Meanwhile, everyone is tearing into Iceland, even though they’re sitting there with those draws against Mexico and Austria after giving up three goals in just forty seconds. Then you have Poland, who barely scraped by Canada and is struggling against the Czech Republic today; France deserves it too, considering they barely escaped the Canadians and then had that close call with the Spaniards. Everyone deserves a shot here... except for us. You guys are really overdoing it...🙂

👍

Melissa Price6 said:So... a Canadian national team, made up of guys playing for top-tier clubs and led by a "renowned" coach... just lost to a team that basically relies on two standout players.
And then people act surprised when we struggle to hold our own against the Russians..

This isn't directed at you, but I honestly don't get this tendency to underestimate the Russians; they are a genuinely solid squad, and you can never tell what they'll do because their mentality is so unpredictable—they can dismantle anyone, yet they can also crumble under pressure. In my opinion, it’s all psychological, as their talent is undeniable 🤷 Personally, I was more intimidated by them than by the Norwegians, and in the end, it turned out to be the tougher match 🤷

Frank Turner72 said:Forget about Noka and the Canadian. That chapter is closed. Instead, who would you rather see in the semifinals? The French or the Polish?

Always the Polish, though the semifinals are still a long way off, so let's slow down...🤷

So, this is essentially how the table looks right now 🤷

France 5
Poland 5
Spain 3
Czechia 2
Canada 2
Germany 1

A difference of nearly two... they absolutely deserved the win

- just two minutes left on the clock

🤣 what are these people even judging

The Czechs have fallen behind on pace; things are about to get interesting...

rapidbison42 said:It’s going to end up being a -4 or -5 because the refs are clearly playing favorites with John.

Anonymous said:if they don't turn it around right now, they never will...🙄

Suddenly we're down four... nice job calling that timeout, coach.