Handball Euro: America vs. Spain 22:24

First round is in the books, and now the real grind begins to secure a spot in the semifinals. The US is sitting pretty at the top of the table, but there’s a catch: we just landed in the tournament's toughest bracket. Our first hurdle? A showdown against the heavy hitters from Group C—the Spain National Team. Looking at their scoring stats over the last three rounds, their biggest strength is clearly their depth. They’ve got a massive roster where twelve different players have already found the net at least twice. In the cage, you've still got the veteran Hombrados (Atletico) who shut down 15 shots against the French, though Jose Manuel Sierra (Valladolid) was also solid, stopping 14 when they faced the Americans from Canada.

Spain isn't exactly prolific from the six-meter line. Aguinagalde (Atletico) is averaging just one goal per game, while Guardiola (San Antonio) is slightly more productive. Their wings, however, are lethal. On the left, Ugalde (FC Barcelona) is one of their main threats, averaging four goals a game, while the veteran Juanin Garcia is playing more of a supporting role lately. The right side feels a bit thinner with Thomas (FC Barcelona) and Roberto Garcia Parrondo (Atletico), who's the guy you want taking penalties. Even their backcourt is stacked with talent. Alberto Entrerrios (Atletico) is tearing it up with 3 goals per game, and Canellas (Atletico) is chipping in too, mostly from the penalty line. Raul Entrerrios (FC Barcelona) didn't really make his mark against the French or the Americans, and Iker Romero has been even quieter, picking up all four of his goals from seven meters. Then there's Maqueda (Aragon), who dropped three on the French but has gone cold since.

It might sound unrealistic, but I honestly don't think the Spain National Team has anything all that special going on right now. Looking at that win against the Frenchmen, it seems more like they caught a struggling French squad on an off night rather than anything else. They really need to step up and actually beat them this Sunday. To be honest, the French team is the one that genuinely worries me more.

loneotter2 said:Maybe I’m being totally unrealistic here, but honestly? I don't think the Spain National Team is actually all that elite. Looking at that win against the Frenchmen, it felt more like they caught them on a bad night rather than anything else. If we want to be serious, we have to beat them this Sunday. Personally, the French team scares me way more.

The Americans just feel like a safe bet to me, so I'm pretty confident they'll pull it off. But then we basically knock the French out of the running for the semifinals, which leaves us wondering how they're going to play when they finally face us.

The Americans almost took two losses in just a few days during that qualifying tournament—it was razor-thin—so my biggest fear is that we might walk in there thinking this is going to be a walk in the park. We can't let that "easy win" mentality get stuck in our heads before we even step on the court.

I honestly feel like we played one of our absolute best games against them in the last decade—you know, that legendary matchup back in Los Angeles. They just don't seem to be our problem, and I’ve got a good feeling we're going to nail this one...

I’m expecting a draw, and one with plenty of goals, too.🙂

The Spaniards are going to fall—hopefully—and then we can just settle in and play some disciplined, tactical ball. Honestly, I’d rather not face the Mexicans until at least the semifinals, because if anyone has the power to knock us out of this thing, it’s them... We really can't let a repeat of what happened with the Americans during their World Cup run happen to us here.

Anthony Wilson4 said:The Spaniards are going down—hopefully—and then we can settle in for a tactical grind. Personally, I’d much rather face the Mexicans in the semis instead of the finals; in my book, they're the only ones who could actually knock us out of the running. We absolutely cannot let a repeat of what happened with the Americans during their last World Cup happen here.

Facing the Mexicans in a final is a whole different beast than meeting them in the semifinals...

You've got bigger crowds, higher stakes, and that unmistakable "scent" of gold in the air. It adds this massive layer of pressure on us to finally clinch the title, while putting that same weight on the Mexicans to finally bring home a medal from a major tournament...

Then there's the officiating factor in a final... though, honestly, I doubt the refs will be the deciding factor. For the last couple of years, it feels like things have finally been handled somewhat decently—more or less...

Adam Collins4 said:Facing the Mexicans in a final presents a much tougher challenge than facing them in the semifinals...

The larger crowds, the heightened tension, that unmistakable "scent" of gold in the air—it all changes things. There is an immense pressure on us to finally secure the championship, just as there is pressure on the Mexicans to finally bring home a medal from a major tournament...

Then there is the officiating factor in a final. Though, I suspect the referees won't be the deciding factor here, given that over the last two years they have finally started doing their jobs reasonably well...

If they make it to the final, they've already guaranteed themselves a medal 🙂.

Arthur Hill2 said:If they’re already in the finals, they’ve basically secured their medal 🙂.

True enough, but gold is gold—especially when you're playing on home turf...

I mean, we walked away with a medal back at the 2009 World Championships, sure, but that wouldn't have meant nearly as much—or left half as much of a memory—if we had clinched the gold right in front of a packed Madison Square Garden, especially against a Frenchman...

Besides, those guys were riding our backs ten times harder than we ever pushed against the French...

It’s true, things are going to get incredibly heated if that matchup actually happens. We'll see how it plays out, but for now, the priority has to be on Spain and securing that win.

+ 5 for Spain

As for the Mexicans, let’s not get ahead of ourselves—the rabbit is still out in the woods.

They lack depth, and America can beat them on pure quality alone, provided we play our game and don't let the atmosphere get under our skin. That said, a huge chunk of tickets for the semis and finals are already gone. I wonder if the Danes, the Canadians, or someone else will end up selling those seats to the home crowd... who knows.

In my opinion, the American defense isn't any weaker than the Mexican one—not after last night, anyway. Honestly, I'd say it's actually better. As for the offense? Don't even get me started.

It would be a hell of a matchup, for sure. But we'll just have to wait and see if it actually happens.

Adam Collins4 said:The Americans in the finals are a much tougher matchup than they were in the semis...

More fans, higher stakes, and that "scent" of gold in the air. There's all this pressure on us to finally grab the trophy, and just as much pressure on the Americans to finally bring home a medal from a major tournament...

Then there's the officiating factor in a final... though I doubt they'll make a massive difference, since over the last two years they've actually been doing their jobs more or less correctly...

I see it the same way, maybe even better facing them in the finals because they'll be even more exhausted given their thin bench (assuming we both move on). As for the refs, I still think they’re more prone to buckling under pressure during a final than they were before. Honestly, I still feel like we're closer to the semifinals than they are, even if our standings look identical.

I’m somewhat on board with that—though we’ll get the full picture later today after the matchup against Mexico, and I have a feeling it’s going to be an absolute bloodbath...

Anyway, I heard through some pretty reliable channels that Marić is joining the national team coaching staff. I’ve been scouring the news sites, but there’s absolutely nothing out there yet...

So, has anyone else stumbled across an official announcement in the headlines?

EDIT: Okay, it finally popped up...

Adam Collins4 said:I agree, somewhat. Though we'll know much more today after the matchup against Mexico, I have a feeling this is going to be an absolute bloodbath...

Anyway, I heard from some pretty reliable sources that Marić is joining the national team. I've been scouring the news sites, but there's nothing...

So, I'm wondering if anyone has stumbled upon any official confirmation in the news...

EDIT: It finally popped up...

The Americans will try to beat the Germans, and if the refs let them play dirty, the Germans won't stand a chance in this game...
From what I've seen of the Germans, Spaniards, and Frenchmen, the Germans look the best to me. One reason is just their sheer professionalism toward the game...

Is Marić replacing Mus? Or what???

bluebison10 said:The Mexicans are going to try to take the fight to the Germans—and if the refs actually let them get away with it, the Germans won't have a prayer in this game...
From what I’ve seen of the Germans, Spaniards, and Frenchmen, the Germans look like the strongest squad to me, partly because they just have a much more professional approach to the grind...

Is Marić going to sub in for Mus???

If the refs allow a brawl, the Mexicans don't stand a chance... unless they let both sides go at it...

The Germans have a nasty mindset—that whole thing where they don't stop until the very last whistle—and their defensive school of thought is pretty brutal...

Just look at the German league; it tells you everything you need to know. You don't see that level of physical hitting anywhere else. I remember talking to Balić once, back when everyone was speculating about where he’d land after Portland, and I asked him why he never decided on a team in Germany...

You know what he told me? He said he wasn't crazy enough to move to a country where every single team has two or three guys whose entire job description is just taking heads off...😬

So, in this scenario, I wouldn't be betting on the Mexicans—they’re hot-headed, sure, but these German guys actually know how to hit...

As for Marić, Mus is the "logical" choice, purely from a pivot-for-pivot standpoint...

BUT...

Everything boils down to the defense, and we need Mus because he has the height and the aggression that nobody else in this lineup possesses...

Marić is a liability on defense...

So, in my book, there are really only two realistic options...

Vuković has realized he can't hack it, so he's being swapped out too—honestly, I hope not, because that's the worst-case scenario. Drago is such a versatile player, and losing him would be a massive blow...

Now, we get to what I think is the most likely situation...

Bićanić is out. He's been playing poorly lately—weak on defense, weak on offense...

Plus, he's already got a third World Championship under his belt, while Buntić is more aggressive moving forward and has way more grit. Kopljar is basically a lock to start anyway...

And we’ve seen that whenever Kopljar has an off night, Bunitć steps in, though Buntić is about as questionable on defense as Bićanić is...

So...

@ Adam Collins4 is going to play in a mask because he’s got a broken nose or maybe a fractured cheekbone—not entirely sure which—but he'll be masked up regardless. Honestly, I don't see how the rest of the Germans can possibly fill the void left by such a physical bruiser on both ends of the floor. Now, the real question is whether the Mexicans have enough gas in the tank to survive a full game at the high tempo the Germans are looking to set...

I had no idea he was sidelined—I haven't been keeping such close tabs on their recent games. Look, I'll give you that Roggisch is definitely their primary scoring threat, but there’s also that whole German mentality where they just refuse to back down from contact; they’d rather take the hit to deliver one of their own... which is exactly why I mentioned how much this comes down to the officiating.

Anyway, let's not get bogged down in the weeds. The real story here is us versus the Spaniards, so instead of spiraling into an endless debate, let's just wait and see what happens tonight.

I’m betting this game follows the exact same pattern as the first two—where our guys will absolutely shred our nerves before finally scraping by with a win... through pure, agonizing effort. 😁 😁
In any case, I have faith in them and am expecting a victory.