Handball World Cup: USA vs. Argentina (36-18)

We finally started taking Argentina seriously and man, look at how that turned out... I bet there was a ton of arguing and back-and-forth in the locker room yesterday, but they eventually realized that the Cop isn't even getting on the court unless we're up by at least 13. 😁
We actually caught them off guard in the first half, and if you look at the numbers, a +5 lead in the second half is a pretty realistic reflection of how we played... It’s super obvious that these Argentine guys are a legit squad and didn't just stumble their way into the second round. Today was all about locking down on defense, while the offense basically just handled business, though the real secret sauce for the win was definitely that defensive grit combined with those fast breaks and the killer assists to Balić Buntić and Laco...

Anthony Moore6 said:We finally started taking Argentina seriously, and man, look at the fallout... Probably spent half of yesterday arguing and negotiating, but they eventually landed on the idea that a Cop isn't getting involved unless there's at least a +13 spread. 😁
We actually caught them off guard in the first half, and honestly, that +5 lead we pulled in the second half felt pretty legit. It’s obvious the Argentines are a decent squad—they didn't just stumble their way into the second round by accident. We played some gritty defense today. The offense basically just threw everything in the hoop, though the real keys were that defensive stand, hitting the fast breaks early on, and those slick assists to Balić Buntić and Laco...

So, yeah... I’m not really buying it. Judging by how they looked out there today, the Argentines are a total joke. God only knows how they managed to give anyone trouble before this.

Frank Turner72 said:Look, I’m gonna have to disagree with you there because honestly, judging by how they played today, that Argentine squad is a total joke. God only knows if they've ever actually given anyone a real run for their money.

Hey, that's your call, but you really shouldn't use today's game or yesterday's as a benchmark...
Our guys basically cruised through a match where there was zero suspense since we pulled away so fast, and the refs didn't even have a chance to mess with the outcome...
The first half felt just like that game against Australia, with the Argentines looking completely lost tactically...
By the second half, you could see they were finally putting some pressure on us... though obviously, it's tough to play serious ball when you're down a man with 13 players on the court...
They gave it a shot, but it just wasn't happening... at the end of the day, we're talking about a team that's just now discovering what handball is all about and starting to grow, whereas up until now, they've basically been just filling a slot in the World Cup like Australia did...

Look, besides the fact that we played noticeably better—though it’s hard to put an exact number on just how much better—I honestly feel like the Argentines got spooked. They saw us as a legitimate handball powerhouse and realized they were facing a whole new level of competition in this second round. So, yeah, the truth is we were the superior side, but let's be real: more serious teams aren't going to just sit there and let us dominate like that. They won't be impressed by a fluke performance, so this isn't the actual baseline for us. Like I said before, we'll find out where we truly stand tomorrow.

Anthony Moore6 said:That’s certainly your perspective, but I wouldn't use today's match as a benchmark just yet...
Our squad played a game where there was zero suspense; we pulled away quickly, and the officials simply couldn't influence the outcome...
The first half felt just like our matchup against Australia—Argentina was tactically out of sync and completely lost...
In the second half, you could see they started applying some pressure... though, naturally, it's hard to maintain high-level intensity when you're playing down a man with 13 players...
They made an effort, but it wasn't enough. We are looking at a team that is just beginning to find its rhythm in handball and truly evolve; up until now, they were basically just filler teams like Australia, merely occupying spots in the World Cup bracket...

Argentina is miles ahead of Australia. During the last World Cup, they beat them by 20 points.
Back then, they were playing even matches against the Slovaks and Romanians. Now, they have clearly surpassed them.

Anthony Moore6 said:Look, we are talking about a squad that is just now finally discovering the true magic of handball and actually starting to evolve. Up until this point, they’ve basically been nothing more than a filler team, much like Australia just taking up space in the World Championship bracket...

They took down the world champions back in 2003 and held their own in a draw against a powerhouse Russian side...

lock this down ☕

Hey, can anyone dig up the stats on Alilovic from last night's game?
If we come out swinging against Sweden just like we did against the Argentines, and somehow manage to jump out to a 3 or 5 goal lead early on... well, even the refs won't be able to do much about it. Sure, they might try to pull some shady calls when it's a dead heat, but if you're already up by 3 or 4, they usually back off a bit... once you show them you've got the momentum, they tend to realize they can't mess with the scoreboard too much...

Forget all that talk about four differences. It’s absolute garbage. They kick one of our guys out for two minutes, the Swedes immediately score, then ten seconds later our offense just goes totally limp, and the refs hand the Swedes a penalty and toss another one of our players out for two minutes...

12/27 44pct

http://www.ihf.info/IHFCompetitions/...5/Default.aspx

It’s all just talk, honestly. There won't be any opportunities left for us if they end up tearing Mirko apart...