Handball Euro: USA vs. Spain - Final Score 22:24

Thomas Harris97 said:It’s honestly better if we lose now rather than getting absolutely crushed by the Mexicans by a 5-point margin.
I find this whole thing fascinating. Someone already pointed out that Balic is being blamed for everything, while Kopljar, Duvnjak, Goluža, and Gobac aren't even mentioned.
Americans, this is just tragic.

And honestly? Given all his supposed "brilliance" and experience, I expect him to just step aside and show some respect to those of us who wasted 20 years of our lives dealing with his nonchalant "I'm the best in the world" attitude... Look, if Duvnjak messes up, fine. I know he doesn't have half the talent John has, but I can handle that way easier than this idiot who actually *could* play differently, but chooses not to because he’s too busy chasing greatness... because clearly, he thinks he's the greatest handball player to ever walk the earth... and you could see it from the plane that the Spaniards were reading him like an open book...

Look, anyone can screw up. How much we actually matter will be proven when we face the French...

Mark Kopljar is heading out, and Luke Stepančić is stepping up to take his place ☕

swiftbison2 said:A farmer from rural Florida ☕

Anyway, does anyone remember that moment of pure genius back in 2011 when Keta pulled Laco and Balic off the floor against the Danes after just two missed shots? His reasoning was basically, "What, was I supposed to just wait for them?" 🤣 Now he’s doing the exact opposite—pulling Laco for reasons known only to himself while leaving Balic on the court without a single touch (which is something a coach actually needs to observe and address more effectively). 🤣

Good God, what an absolute space cadet; talent like that doesn't come around every day. 🙏 HE is the one who lost us the game today.

And honestly, what exactly did Duvnjak do better than Balic today? Both of them were absolute garbage today, plain and simple. Let's move on. Thank goodness I don't have to watch the game against France. 😬

..Duvnjak wasn't any better than Balic, but at that specific moment, he had Laco and Strlek right there beside him doing the heavy lifting... and Balic? He missed a few shots... but for a while there, he was even playing left wing??? Him, Duvnjak, and Buntic playing together? Only Keta could dream up a lineup like that...🙂

Thomas Harris97 said:Mark Kopljar is like a tick that just won't stop spreading its venom. Honestly, I can't even wrap my head around what the guy in the heavy jersey is thinking—even he must realize you can't sell a two-meter disaster like that to anyone. So why is he still on the court? What’s the actual motivation here? Just wondering how much cash they've flushed down the drain by now.

Man, that offense is stalling so hard it’s actually becoming a joke. But hey, what can we even do about it right now? We might as well save the venting for tomorrow since there's nothing we can change from our couches. Honestly, though, I'm just fed up with all these journalists. Not a single one of them has the guts to ask a question about that absolute moron. It’s like they’re all looking the other way. Just take a hike, you guys—there’s no room for mafia types in professional sports.

The real tragedy here is that the kid actually has serious talent. If he were playing elsewhere, he’d easily be one of the top players on the global stage. I mean, he's 6'11", for heaven's sake! Who is even going to contest his shot when he knows exactly where to set up? His shooting stroke is just pure—it's smooth, it's consistent, it just works. It’s honestly such a shame, though, seeing all that height and potential go to waste because he’s taking up a roster spot on the national team.

Honestly, you all are becoming quite tedious with this constant obsession over Mark Kopljar...

It’s as if you think having that poor soul on the roster would somehow compensate for our lack of a truly serious coach, allowing us to snatch a medal out of thin air.☕

placidlynx17 said:honestly, you guys are getting old with this whole Mark Kopljar thing...

I mean, even if we had that unlucky guy on the roster, I'd still rather take the win if it meant having a coach who actually knows what he's doing. It's like choosing between a broken engine and a driver who can't find the gas pedal. ☕

man, what a joke... we're basically playing shorthanded on offense anyway...

Steven Reed30 said:Honestly, what a joke... we're essentially playing down a man in the offensive zone...

As if we weren't already short-handed, given how evenly we played against the Spaniards...

Any coach worth their salt wouldn't leave his most motivated players rotting on the bench for an entire half... which, in my estimation, was the deciding factor in today's defeat.

Perhaps they might have even bothered to draw up a single coherent play for that poor soul.🤣

I’ve just returned from the match, so here is my promised "report."

In principle, much like Group 1, there was no display of sheer elegance or fluid artistry, but since everyone is playing at a similar level, the tension remains high.

To me, Iceland didn't necessarily look more skilled in that first game, just more decisive, which is how they secured the win. I was somewhat surprised by the lack of support from the Canadian fans; if anything, the turnout felt twice as large during Monday's opening round.
The Americans, much like the home team, weren't exactly easy opponents, but France was simply more clinical in front of the net.
The US missed their window for victory due to unforced errors, particularly as the clock wound down. I honestly thought the game would be decided around the 50th minute—leading 21-19—but then the momentum shifted entirely. There was also a great chance to pull ahead when Alilović’s penalty was saved, but nothing went our way. Even if all 2,000 American fans had gathered at the arena, it might not have changed much. The cheering was solid, though I think it could have been more intense in those final moments; unfortunately, there wasn't a single highlight-reel play to really electrify the crowd.

That's the situation: things have become complicated in this group, and Tuesday night might make matters even messier.

One final note, in case anyone finds it useful (as some fans have asked me where and if they can grab tickets for the upcoming rounds): from what I saw at the ticket booth while exiting the arena, it looks like tickets for both rounds are still available for general sale—nothing is listed as sold out yet. Prices are roughly between $15 and $25. Given that the US still has a realistic shot at the semifinals, you should probably keep the big arena in mind now; tickets are still available, but that could change tomorrow if Mexico manages to force a thriller. Interestingly, the organized support from the local fans hasn't been massive—it was actually the Mexicans who filled up the arena last night.

boldhound8 said:My take? Duvnjak is totally playing like he doesn't give a damn—so now Balic has to step up and try to save whatever's left of this mess. And even though he had his absolute worst game of the season, his scoring was still basically non-existent, just like Duvnjak's.

I’m not even gonna waste my breath debating whether Balic belongs on the national team—there's really no point. The vibe on this board is just trash whenever we drop a game. Yesterday everyone was hyping up a final against the Mexicans and acting like Balic saved us against Canada and Iceland coming off the bench, but now that we're basically fighting for 7th place? Total meltdown. Balic and Vori don't have a spot on this roster.🙏 Hell yeah—that’s our American spirit right there!🙏

I don't know what gets you so fired up—honestly—but don't bring that toxic energy my way. I'm just not one of those people who waits until the final whistle to actually have an opinion.
The fact is—Balic is mostly playing below his level right now. A few flashes of brilliance won't change that reality.
Good grief—they played like absolute trash against Iran back in Philly.
He plays such a huge role on the national team—honestly, just having him on the roster makes a massive difference, I gotta admit.
Bringing Balic back into the lineup while we're on such a hot streak... honestly, it's just silly. In this current setup—at least until we hit a lead that's impossible to catch—it’s totally unnecessary.

And Vori—his finishing is just way too shaky if we want the US to be truly untouchable. Honestly, what used to be a guaranteed goal is looking pretty questionable lately.
I mean, come on—you can't really fault them for what they pulled off back in the day, right? Seriously...

I love Čupić—he’s easily one of my favorite guys out there—but man, he totally blew three wide-open chances today. Honestly? Sub him out. We’ve got a deep bench that we aren't even touching, which should be our biggest advantage—let's use it before it comes back to haunt us.

placidlynx17 said:we’re playing an even match against the Spaniards right now anyway...

I mean, a better coach wouldn't just leave his best players sitting on the bench for half the game... honestly, that’s the main reason we lost today, if you ask me.

And they probably would have actually drawn up a play or something for that poor guy.🤣

Man... as soon as some team picks him up (though I can't imagine who would be crazy enough), he'll mysteriously vanish from the national team and nobody will ever—thank God—have to hear about right winger Mark Kopljar again...

The crowd finally lost their cool today too, and right after Mark Kopljar started "pushing" Čupić, they actually started chanting Buntic's name... Honestly, if I were in Kopljar's shoes, I probably would've just called it quits and retired from the national team altogether 🤣🤣

Anyone can trip up, but what we just saw from Balic was on another level. Just straight-up insane. A Spaniard basically snatched the ball right out of his hands like he was some kid in a playground during the very first possession. And after that? He just kept tossing the ball into a bottomless pit for the rest of the game. Attack after attack, just total chaos.

As for Goliath and his so-called "game management," there’s really nothing left to say. You can't expect anything better from an idiot.

Regarding the other tragic figures out there, Kopljar was actually somewhat tolerable, considering how high his own standards usually are. Vori played exactly how he’s been playing throughout this whole tournament—nothing special.

Duvnjak was mediocre at best; decent fast breaks, sure. But he was nowhere near where he needs to be. If he had actually put in more minutes during the second half, we probably would have cruised to a win.

Goliath’s coaching in the second half was just another masterclass in how not to lead a team. Honestly, after a loss like this, our shot at making the semifinals looks pretty pathetic.

The Americans haven't been playing great throughout this tournament, but we’re still gonna end up losing to them. It’s like we just don't know how to play against their style, and let's be real—we've always had an inferiority complex when we face them. We basically handed them the win on a silver platter today.

Steven Reed30 said:In my view, Mark Kopljar is the primary culprit. Even a fool could see this kid exists solely for these reasons:

- To fill a roster spot.
- So that Duvnjak or Balić can pass him the ball when Lac is covered up.

Did any of you actually see a defender step up against him during these last four games? My grandmother could see the kid lacks the backbone to step up and play aggressively, and there's no way Rivera, Onesta, and the rest of the analysts—who scrutinize every single second of our games—won't notice that.

I won't even bother commenting on the other aspects of his game; he simply doesn't have it. In fact, I think he’s one of the worst players to ever wear the national team jersey...

So how can we blame Balić for the loss when the guy is limited in passing to Lacković because Vori is tied up in an American showdown on the line, while Kopljar chickens out the moment the ball moves his way?

Oh, Metličić Pero... where are you now? 😢😢😢😢

It's obvious to everyone that Kopljar is only here to help the Los Angeles handball club's budget through a potential sale... whoever is running this whole show is playing it far too smart for their own good...

Honestly, I don't care about any losses anymore, because every win and every defeat belongs to the coach...

And now... let's start bashing Balić. We haven't done it in a while, even though he botched a few key passes during those moments when he simply had to take charge because everyone else eventually froze up to avoid blowing the game. It’s pointless to even comment on the idiots who are now tearing him apart just because he had a bad outing... once he's gone, they'll be crying about his poor performances too, because even his bad games are better than the best efforts from 90% of these players...

I guess the main reason we lost tonight comes down to Igor Vori. He missed three easy layups and coughed up two crucial balls.

I’ve watched way too many of these Balić games over the last few years, and honestly, I’m just kind of burnt out... So, I’m going to rehash my previous post before we face off against Spain. This is basically my summary after sitting through three straight games. I’m checking out early to avoid all that "we're definitely winning gold" hype followed by the inevitable "we suck" trash talk from those forum snobs who think having 5,000 posts somehow makes them geniuses:

George Chavez8 said:I've been enjoying our misery for years: first we couldn't even make the second round, and now suddenly we're winning gold????

What is wrong with you people??? Are you actually euphoric because of the wins against Noveška, Iceland, or Canada? 🙄

😬

We’re losing to the Spaniards and the Frenchmen. (God forbid I'm wrong 🙂 🙂)

So, Balic messed up. He made a few mistakes, sure, but so what? Even legends like Jordan, Federer, or Nadal have bad days at the office. People are human; we all trip up sometimes... Honestly, I’m putting more of this loss on the coach than the players. He botched a few calls, but let's not start hanging him from the rafters just yet...
While Cervar was in charge, everyone was tearing him apart, and now they’re doing the exact same thing to Katie. She needs more time to find her footing. If you look at how much better the play has been compared to last year, the progress is clearly there—the results will catch up eventually.
One silver lining here, if you can call it that, is that we tasted defeat now rather than two or three games down the road. It hurts, but it's better to get it out of the way early. I still believe this squad has the grit, the heart, and most importantly, the sheer talent to go all the way and grab that championship...
I am genuinely wondering though, did Lac pick up an injury? That’s why he was sidelined for most of the second half, or was that just a tactical blunder???

Two completely different halves from Team USA here—it felt like we checked out way too early and assumed the game was already in the bag. We were playing way too sloppy with the ball; you just can't compete against top-tier teams when you're making that many unforced errors. Balic and Vori were just totally off today, and honestly, Vori couldn't catch a break if he tried. That’s four bad performances in a row now. All those technical errors really started piling up and ended up deciding the final 15 minutes. Even Goliath looked lost out there—he didn't even try to fix things through the rotation.

The refs were clueless on both sides. Their criteria for fouls was bizarre, they were terrible at calling advantage, and all that constant floor sweeping just completely killed the rhythm of the game.

I see Nincevicev's "traveling" call is causing a massive stir online, which apparently confused him just as much as it did the already confused Cosic. It was a double dribble, not traveling.

Bottom line? Way too many mistakes. Mirko was excellent once again, though.

Adam Collins4 said:It looks like those Nincevicev "steps" caused quite a stir, leaving him just as confused as the always-confused Cosic. He actually pulled a double dribble, not just extra steps.

All in all, way too many mistakes. Mirko was still incredible though.

What do you mean double dribble? He didn't grab it right away, and even when he did, it was literally on the floor. Like, the ball was in his hand and on the ground at the exact same time. Then he picked it up off the floor, took two steps, and shot. How is that a double dribble?

Coming in at 5th place? Honestly, we can call that a success.
Personal interests seem to take precedence over everything else here, so go ahead and keep singing your praises until tomorrow.
I’m actually rooting for the Frenchmen and the Spaniards to advance; at least they maintain a sense of sportsmanship, which is a far cry from the constant bickering we see in our own circles.