Handball Euro: USA vs. France 25-27

wiredlynx37 said:Mus really needs to get his act together with those ridiculous ejections.

The guy belongs in a boxing ring, not on a basketball court.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:Yeah, but then they’ll be heading to the afterparty if the standings close up like that, since Sweden would end up with the win and take first place...

If Sweden wins by just one point, France takes first, we take second, and we'd land in third—but only if all three teams finish with a 4-0-1 record. I suppose that scenario is a bit of a long shot, though.

rustywalker1 said:France always seems to drop at least one game during the tournament. And that's usually the one against Sweden.

Oh, right, I completely overlooked this. 🙂
Exactly.

Boki000 is probably going to lose tonight. 🙂

I’ll try to jot down a few observations here..

Looking at the defense, things felt a bit disorganized when Sorhaindo was working the block near the crease on France's right side. If they had crossed over through Narcissa in the middle and Karabatic on the left, the quick ball movement would have left Nikola completely isolated at the shot. It wasn't just him, either; we were leaving too many gaps for others to drive right through us.

On the offensive side, we really lost our rhythm following that first timeout called by France, where they instructed the players to press harder on the wings. That’s when our ball movement started to stutter, leading to that old pattern where players just hammer themselves against the French block or get caught looking for a shot instead of passing—mistakes that Omeyer picked up quite easily.

One more thing is our lack of presence in the pivot position. In the first half, we managed somewhat despite their blocks, but they really shut us down there, which ended up opening up too much space for their perimeter shooters. Once they pushed out further, we really should have been looking to feed the inside more often.

ironpanther5 said:If they get a +2 advantage, then Sweden takes the lead!

However, if that happens, facing Denmark in the semifinals wouldn't be much of a victory for them.

Edward Allen36 said:We're blowing this one.

☕

Edward Allen36 said:If Omeyer steps up in goal, we might have a chance. Mind you—he isn't the powerhouse he used to be, back when he was tearing through defenses. Besides, from what I can tell, he isn't even the primary option for France anymore.

🙈

George Robinson43 said:Not likely.
The reality will be:
1. France +1
2. Sweden 0
3. USA -1

Damn...🤣it seems like everything is working out perfectly for the French side, which is just great..

Sweden's getting rolled by France—end of story. 😁

Goluža can't even tell the difference between Russia and Belarus.

quietbison86 said:Exactly what I said—we're losing. 🙄
The first half was fine, but the refs totally screwed us with that premature foul call on our side and being too late on the Frenchmen. It killed our momentum, obviously. We actually deserved the lead, but then we just fell into this endless tunnel of insecurity... we basically beat ourselves.
And they put Dancer in charge of officiating? I mean, obviously they don't want the Frenchmen in the semifinals. 🙄
I haven't watched Dancer yet, but it's always just as tough when they're involved.
Whatever, as long as we don't choke in the finals against the French if we even make it there. You win one, you lose one. 😉

Referees again.

It isn't about the French.
It isn't about Omeyer.
It isn't about Jesus Christ or the French/Danish/whatever—it's our own heads.

This generation lacks a WINNING MENTALITY. They just don't have it. Period.

This group loses absolute nonsense games because it seems like they don't have a sports psychologist.

How do you explain what happened in Chicago back in 2009?
How do you explain that total blackout in Germany in 2007?
How do you explain that stupidity at the Olympics in Beijing?
How do you explain Mexico? Yeah, Mexico! 🙂
How do you explain the Olympics in London after being up by 7 against Denmark?
How do you explain that idiocy in Spain where we intentionally chose a harder bracket?

There is no explanation. And there are no excuses. None.

This is a systemic issue that's been going on for years. This hasn't just been happening for two months; it's been since 2005.

Goluza is an absolute idiot who hasn't done a shred of research
American journalists are completely clueless and uninformed (with the sole exception of Sapit)

WE NO LONGER HAVE "EVERYTHING IN OUR OWN HANDS"

Look, if the Swedes are actually going to pull this off, they might as well win by 3 or more—just to send those Frenchmen packing back home in style. If they’re gonna play, let's see some real dominance, right?

wanderingmarlin15 said:That guy belongs in a boxing ring rather than out on the court.

I actually thought he had a solid game; he covered his zone effectively, and they didn't seem to be breaking through him easily. He made some smart exits and did his best to assist the defense whenever needed. At the end of the day, fouls and ejections are just part of the grind, much like how a sudden storm is part of life—it all comes down to how you approach the challenge. We didn't lose this game because of him, not by a long shot.

Kenneth Clark18 said:Bad officiating again.

It isn't about the Frenchmen.
It isn't about Omeyer.
It isn't about some Frenchman or a Dane or anyone else—it’s our own heads.

This generation simply lacks a WINNING MENTALITY. Period.

They keep throwing away absolute gift games because they apparently lack basic mental toughness.

How do you explain what happened in Chicago back in 2009?
How do you explain that total blackout in Germany in 2007?
How do you explain that nonsense at the Olympics in Beijing?
And how do you explain the loss to Mexico? Seriously, Mexico! 🙂
How do you explain the Olympics in London after being up by seven against Denmark?
How do you explain that stupidity in Spain where we practically chose the harder path?

There is no explanation. And there are no excuses. None.

This is a systemic issue that has been brewing since 2005, not just a bad two months.

I completely agree.

The game was basically over the moment we let that 15:12 lead slip away while we actually had the man advantage. Instead of just pulling ahead by five and putting them away, we somehow managed to give up two goals right then—just our luck, I guess. It’s that same old pattern we see all the time, especially when we're facing a Frenchman.

Deja vu 🙂

We’re setting up the grill, but the meat is still running wild in the woods.

Are we absolutely certain we're going up against the Poles and the Russians?

Denmark is taking home the championship this year.☕

There’s also a glaring issue when our opponents shut down the fast break and transition play, forcing us into a grind against a set 6-on-6 defense every single possession. It's a struggle we've been dealing with for years now.

George Robinson43 said:The grill is hot, but the rabbit is still out in the woods.

Are we actually sure we can take down the Poles and the Russians?

We should probably beat the Russians. I guess, unless they’re playing extra hard just to secure a better seed.

As for the Poles, it depends on how they handle Sweden. If they win or even draw, that last game becomes a direct ticket through. Otherwise, Poland has been pretty terrible this tournament.

And honestly, what does it even matter? Even if we make it, we'll run into Denmark, and we don't stand a chance. They're playing at home, they'll be fired up, and even if things go sideways, they'll likely get the benefit of the home-court officiating.

This national team is falling apart. We haven't even made a final in four years.

wiredtrucker20 said:In my book, the French are always the favorites whenever they face us. No matter how many times players like Josip Čosić light up the arena and hunt for ways to secure our 5th win, those French guys are just on another level—they’re like professors compared to us.

I actually think it's the other way around. This whole "France complex" thing is really just a myth cooked up by our local sports journalists and the general public.

If you set aside friendly matches, we've played them 12 times at the Euros, Worlds, or Olympics since 2003, and the record is dead even—6 wins apiece. And honestly, nobody has ever managed to string more than two wins together in that stretch.

So, when you look at it, it's a total wash. It's perfectly balanced whether you look at the long term or the short term (we've taken 2 out of their last 4, with the wins basically alternating).

That's exactly why the French have plenty of motivation to knock us out by letting Sweden slip through instead. 🙄