Handball World Cup Bronze Medal Match: USA vs. Canada 31-26

Like I said, Kopljar really starts showing off once we're up by more than 7 and there's only a few minutes left on the clock.

Kopljar is out here playing hero at the absolute worst possible time🙏

Susan Miller79 said:If we focused solely on using Kopljar for defense rather than offense, we’d probably be winning games by double digits. Hey, Goluza, do you actually see some offensive spark in Mark that the rest of us are missing?

It would basically slow the game down to the pace of a 1972 championship match in Munich. Think about the rotation issues; if you bring in guys like Kopljar, Gojun, and Musa, you're already stretched thin.

But what happens when you can't swap out Kopljar or Gojun? You're stuck with players like Buntic and Lackovic, who can play through the middle or move to the wings, though our wing defenders aren't nearly as elite as they used to be back in the day with guys like Kaleb or Vukic.

People need to realize that modern players have to be able to play both ends of the floor, and quite frankly, there isn't anyone on the bench who can step in for Kopljar. It's just not an option.

Kopljar was easily the MVP of the game ☕

Britney just shuts down the haters like it's second nature ☕

Jonathan Barnes5 said:If we slowed the game down to that old-school style—think the 70s era of heavy hitters or those classic powerhouse teams from back in the day—how many subs would I even be making? You’ve got guys like Kopljar, Gojun, and Musa ready to step in and change the rhythm.

What do you even do when you can't swap out guys like Kopljar and Goluza? You're stuck playing Buntic and Lackovic. I could play them through the middle, or maybe shove them out to the wings... though honestly, our wingers aren't exactly defensive powerhouses like we used to have back in the day with Kaleb or Vukic.

Look, get real. These guys have to cover both ends of the field today and we don't even have a sub for Kopljar. Forget about it.

We’re gonna invent a teleporter... but only if it works for Kopljar.

Kopljar is going to lose his mind over this win.🤣

Adam Wilson said:I don't care what happens, he was always an unpleasant guy to me. Now he’s acting? Please, get lost. 😁

Unpleasant 🙂

Carl Garcia22 said:Unpleasant 🙂

Anti-plastic

I just don't get all this theatrical nonsense from Alilovic...

George Hill4 said:I imagine Kopljar is going to absolutely lose his mind over that win.🤣

It’s hard to say what the connection is... he completely lost his rhythm during that meaningless mid-season game. Ever since he took over as the head coach of the national team, he’s managed to net five goals despite looking like he’s taken about 80,000 shots at the goal.😂..

😁First the VAR call, now the ref wipes the goal off the board... man, the universe is really out to get him.

Got to get this off my chest.

That Kopljar guy is a total joke. Now that we’re finally at the finish line, we get nothing but silence, and against the Danes and the French? Zero points. Just zero...

Jonathan Barnes5 said:I mean, what's even the point... he totally lost his mind during that random regular season game, too. Ever since he took over as the starter for the US National Team, he's scored like five goals despite taking roughly 836,720 shots😂...

Seriously though, what kind of logic makes a quarterfinal less important than a semifinal? 🤷

Drago is talking nonsense

That’s a goal, plain and simple. But that play against the Frenchman? Not so much.🤦

Robert Green93 said:I feel compelled to weigh in here.

Honestly, Kopljar is being incredibly frustrating right now; we’re right at the finish line, yet there's this eerie silence from the leadership, and looking back at our matches against the Danes and the French, we walked away with absolutely nothing.

When we faced the French, he was easily our standout defender alongside Mus, standing head and shoulders above the rest, whereas Gojun just couldn't find his rhythm during that game.

But clearly, playing solid defense isn't the priority today.

Gregory Ramos3 said:What kind of logic dictates that a quarterfinal matters less than a semifinal? 🤷

It comes down to the fact that the Americans were the clear favorites from the start. Back when we were playing in New York City, there wasn't this overwhelming sense of pessimism; most people actually expected us to lose to the Americans, which is a completely different vibe than what we saw in New York.

But once the playing field started to level out, he just choked again. There’s also another crucial point to consider: tell me, when was the last time he played a match where he completely shifted the tempo in our favor after our initial game plan fell apart? You see a world-class midfielder truly step up when his team is trailing—think about how someone like Plamsson performs, like when he turned things around against a team like the Lakers after Kiel lost momentum. He's a solid player, certainly, but he lacks a contingency plan for when he gets neutralized; he's essentially a one-dimensional player.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:Against the French, besides Mus, he was easily our best defender. Way ahead of everyone else. Gojun just wasn't on his game during that matchup...

But yeah, apparently playing defense doesn't mean much in today's game..

Everyone played out of their minds against the French, though.

George Hill4 said:I suppose Kopljar is about to lose his mind over this victory.🤣

Then, quite suddenly, everything came to a halt... ☕