European Championship 2010: Semifinal 1 | America vs. Poland 24:21 - Easy win!

frozentiger6 said:I've been calling it right so far, so I figured I'd chime in... 😁

We need to run a deeper defense against Poland. They’re a squad that absolutely falls apart when you shut down their backcourt. You saw it yesterday against France—they just have no clue how to function once their backline is cut off. It reminds me of our old days when everything revolved around the backcourt play; when we went up against teams like France, they played just like these Polish guys. We should be defending like the French do: just cut off those backs and half the job is done.

We’re playing some seriously garbage 3-2-1 defense in this tournament. My gut tells me Coach Červar has everyone set to a 6-0, and honestly, nobody has run a decent 3-2-1 in ages. At this point, 5-1 or 3-2-1 are just things he throws out to change the tempo when the 6-0 isn't working.

Look, 6-0 is fine if we actually execute it, but Poland is going to murder us from outside if we don't start stepping out to challenge their shots. There is zero point in sitting in a 6-0 defense, hunkered down at the 6-meter line like you're playing volleyball and the net is blocking you from moving forward.🙄 You have to step out on the shooter, especially against these 6'7" giants. Stepping out won't punish them with a drive like what Balić used to do—and let's face it, guys like him are one in a million.🙂
Yesterday, there were a few times where we stepped out perfectly, but then we spent way too much time letting them shoot uncontested from 7 or 8 meters. If that shot doesn't hit the block—and let's be real, a block might only touch 1 or 2 shots out of 10, especially against these tall guys with massive jump shots—that’s a 90% goal. Even with a goalie putting up 18 saves and a 45% stop rate, that's still a disaster...

It’s such a waste giving up cheap goals like that, especially since we don't have those heavy-hitting outside shooters we used to have. We have to fight tooth and nail for every single goal. It's a shame because all you really need to do is step up into their chest and hold them. Either you stop the goal, or you just piss them off with constant interceptions and fouls that wear them down and make them lose their cool. That’s exactly what France does to us every single year. Plus, the ref will blow the whistle way faster if you're aggressive, rather than letting them dance around the perimeter, crossing and combining while you're frantically jumping at some monkey trying to get a block.😁

boldhound8 said:We’re playing this 3-2-1 defense nonsense at this tournament—honestly, I suspect Červar just set everything to 6-0 mode, and we haven't actually run a real 3-2-1 in ages... so this 5-1 and 3-2-1 stuff is really just being used to shift the rhythm slightly whenever the 6-0 setup isn't working perfectly.

Look, 6-0 is fine if you actually pull it off correctly, but the Americans are going to tear us apart from the perimeter if we don't start stepping out to contest those shots. It makes zero sense to sit there in a 6-0 formation, hunkered down at the 6-meter line like you're playing volleyball and the net is somehow blocking your path forward.🙄 You have to step up to the shooter—especially against these 6'7" giants where your movement won't punish them with a drive like Balić would, and let's be honest, guys like him are rare enough as it is.🙂
Yesterday, we stepped out to challenge shooters a few times and did it well, but for most of the game, we just let them shoot uncontested from 7 or 8 meters. If that shot doesn't hit the block—and a block might only connect once or twice in ten attempts, especially against these tall players with high release points—that’s a 90% goal. Even when you have a goalie putting up 18 saves and a 45% stop rate, it doesn't matter.

It’s a shame we’re conceding such cheap goals, especially since we don't have those heavy-hitting long-range specialists we used to have back in the day. We're basically fighting tooth and nail for every single point. It’s a waste, mostly because all you really need to do is step right into their chest and hold them there—you either deny the goal, or you just frustrate the hell out of them with constant interceptions and tactical fouls that wear them down and make them twitchy (the kind of thing the French sell us every single year). Plus, the ref will blow the whistle way faster if you're aggressive than if you just let them dance around the perimeter, cross, and combo while you're jumping at some primate trying to get a block.😁

I don't recall us running a 3-2-1 at all during this championship... but hey, maybe I missed it.

A 5-1 could definitely mess with the Americans, provided the front man is more mobile than Vori...

In my book, Šprem played absolutely brilliantly...

Small, fast, and he’s got that look in his eyes like he’s lost his mind... plus, God help you if he catches you, because he'll drive you absolutely insane with how much he moves.

plus pet 🙂

The US has put on an incredible defensive display during this tournament, maintaining a rock-solid 6-0 zone that has worked perfectly so far, though we have to consider that most of our opponents have been from Scandinavia, where that high-intensity jump shot culture isn't really a thing

I honestly don't think this defense will be truly tested against Poland if they stick to that Scandinavian-style 6-0 setup, but if we end up facing France, things could get a lot more complicated depending on how that matchup plays out

On January 30, 2009, we faced off against Poland and walked away with a win. Now, almost exactly one year later, we find ourselves facing them again tomorrow, January 30, 2010.

History has a funny way of repeating itself. 🙏

I just hope we didn't burn too much energy against Denmark. If we did, I have a feeling the Americans will definitely make us pay for it...in spe

+8 for us! We're heading straight to the finals against Iceland☕.

We're using the exact same playbook to get Poland winning 🙂 😁

A little bit of fan support to keep us going

If we can manage to pull off a win against Poland, I suppose we might find ourselves facing a sort of "El Clasico" matchup against the French in the finals, 🙂

yeah, sure... keep celebrating while you can...

Our guys really put in the work during those opening games, just grinding it out exactly how they needed to... which basically means they completely trashed that first dance, and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they go after Poland tomorrow too...😍

Seriously, how can they just flip-flop on the schedule like that? 🙄
I mean, I prefer this one, but why publish anything before they've actually nailed down the details?

casualfox112 said:We’re going to scrape by with this one, barely making it through, only to hit the finals completely exhausted and end up losing to the Icelanders.😁

Oh my god... that was exactly what I said. 😲 😲

I honestly believe that if we play smart and make the right tactical adjustments at exactly the right moments, we can definitely hold our own all the way to the finals. We’ve got the talent on this roster—players like LeBron, AD, Tatum, and even guys like Kawhi and Butler—so if we execute, it's well within our reach. 🤮 If you play this smart, there’s enough depth here to handle any lineup shifts while keeping our core strength intact. It would even allow us to bench the center—which is honestly my biggest wish. Look, I don't have anything against the kid, but he just can't seem to coordinate with the ball when it counts. We actually have some high-quality options to rotate through all those perimeter positions that take such a massive physical toll on the players. The only real hole in the roster is finding a solid backup for Voriy, someone along the lines of Sulic, but that young kid Marić mus has some incredible traits that suggest he could develop into an elite playmaker. Mus is definitely one to watch. 🙂

Mus is a solid center—not quite on Sulic's level, but honestly, he's got more going for him than Marić mus...

Especially when you look at his defense...

I didn't actually say he was, just that he shows some real potential—though when I say "good," I should clarify I wasn't certain about his exact name. To be honest, I wasn't exactly blown away by Mus, but maybe that's just because my standards are set pretty high when I'm scouting other players. 😢

Daniel Cooper40 said:Man, it’s wild how they can just flip the schedule whenever they feel like it. 🙄
Don't get me wrong, I actually prefer this new time slot better, but it’s just frustrating when they announce dates before they've even nailed down the details.

So, what time are we actually playing?

slybadger99 said:Look, I didn't explicitly say he *was* great—just that he shows some good potential (and by "good," I mean if we’re talking about talent, since I wasn't even sure of his name to begin with). Personally, Mus didn't really blow me away, but maybe that's just because my standards for these young players are way too high... who knows. 😢

Oh, and Marino is dealing with an injury, so I doubt he'll be hitting the field...

Abrahamsen / Kristiansen, Norwegians

The officiating in our games... honestly, I have to admit, they're still a total mystery to me...

Hmm... I can't quite place that couple either... but honestly, as long as it isn't Pedersen, I don't really care. 🤮

Get it together, boys😁