2010 Handball Euro: Group C & D -> Group II: Spain, Poland, France, Canada, Germany, Czech Republi

People were talking about Balic, and honestly, they weren't wrong. I remember back on this very forum last year, people were absolutely tearing him apart—saying he was washed up, that he needed to be benched, and all that nonsense.

I don't feel like digging through old threads to find those specific posts, if they even still exist, but I know for a fact I got into heated arguments with plenty of people over this. The consensus back then seemed to be that Balic was finished as a player, and things like that.

Sean Gonzalez95 said:you people are pathetic. you've managed to ruin every single topic by arguing over who's more to blame.🙄instead of having an actual debate, you just mock Noka, who is a legitimate expert, over some irrelevant nonsense about being down 8 points in the second half when the game was already decided—while the refs were clearly playing favorites for the other side.
just pathetic..

I'll second that. Honestly, the moderator should start deleting these posts.

Chris Lopez59 said:Look, I know the situation—they aren't exactly superstars—not Jicha (who I absolutely adore, he's in a league of his own) and they aren't some overnight sensations either. I remember when they played us, and honestly, the Czechs aren't bad at all. They gave us quite a run for our money once, and they actually know how to put together a solid defense. But let’s be real: handball is a team sport. A roster isn't just a math equation where you add up individual talent. That’s exactly why the Austrians moved on to the next round—even an average national team can play great handball if they pull together. That’s the coach's job, right? Taking a bunch of players and turning them into a cohesive unit. Plus, it's way easier to shut down a few key players if you just focus your energy on them—and looking at the stats, it seems like Jicha was just wandering around out there... you can't win like that...

It's the same story as facing Igropulo, Starykh, or even Onufryienko against us...

Yet, I see some people here claiming that Linek is basically the Dean of the Academy for Nok...

Based on your logic, I have no idea where this "Academy" is supposedly being showcased...

And just so we're clear, I'm on board with most of what you laid out...

Handball has devolved into nothing more than a comedy act...

....and this is how they mock the Americans—as if I hadn't even heard of Ukrainians until a few days ago, and we could have easily lost...

Sean Gonzalez95 said:you guys are honestly pathetic... you've managed to completely derail every single topic just by arguing over whose fault it is. 🙄and if you actually had any sense of a real debate, instead of just mocking Noka—who is clearly a top-tier expert—rather than pointing out something actually relevant, like how we're sitting at -8, basically a tie before the final whistle when everything is already decided, while the refs are busy overcompensating for the Janes...
it's just sad..

for God's sake, you aren't even reading anything 😠

I'm not mocking Noka, I'm commenting on (and criticizing) his performance tonight. What I'm actually mocking are the people who were treating him like some kind of deity

Chris Lopez59 said:Being a national team selector and a club coach are two completely different animals. Honestly, being a club coach is usually the tougher gig, but just because you're an elite tactical mind doesn't mean you'll automatically crush it leading a national squad. I never said Noka wasn't a top-tier coach—he’s a damn good coach, period.

I just said he blew it against the Czechs. Did he blow it? Yeah, he did.

I don't even know what specifically he messed up. Losing is part of the game; someone has to take the hit.

I actually really like how Canada plays. I never dreamed they could look that cohesive. You can clearly see the coach's fingerprints all over their style, and that's all there is to it.

I’d love to see the American national team play with a clear, unified system rather than just relying on individual brilliance to bail us out. Last year, we finally started playing like a unit where we didn't have to rely solely on Balic, but then we slipped right back into that "one-man show" mentality. As long as we're winning, I guess people don't care, but that’s the reality of how the American team plays under this coaching—just a bunch of individuals hoping for magic.🤦

Adam Collins4 said:It’s like facing off against Igropulo, Starykh, or even Onufryienko...

Honestly, I’m right there with you on that one.

frozentiger6 said:Look, people were talking about Balic—and yeah, I remember this specific corner of the internet back then—saying he was washed up, that he needed to be benched, and all that nonsense.

I’m not going to go digging through old threads to find those exact posts if they even still exist, but I know for a fact I spent my fair share of time arguing with people over it. The usual stuff—claims that Balic had lost his edge, that his prime was long gone, etc.

I mean, anyone throwing that kind of shade at a player who's currently dealing with injuries isn't exactly being objective, is it?...

But hey, nobody here was actually claiming that Karabatic was some sort of figment of his imagination...

Unless you count the trolls...😍

frozentiger6 said:I mean, I honestly have no clue what he actually screwed up here,

I'm guessing you're still pretty young... you'll learn 😉

Chris Lopez59 said:I’m guessing you’re pretty young... you'll learn 😉

Yeah, I'm about as fresh as a morning dewdrop at noon.

Sean Gonzalez95 said:you people are honestly pathetic... you’ve managed to ruin every single topic by just arguing over whose fault it is.🙄..and if you actually had a decent debate instead of just mocking Noka—who is clearly an expert here—it wouldn't be so bad. But no, we're stuck talking about how they reached -8, which is basically center stage before things are even decided, while everyone else is just wondering what kind of mess they'll make tonight, and the refs are obviously biased toward the big names..
just sad..

- they almost hit 10...

And looking at the report, it's obvious the Canadians completely burned out... we'll have to see how they handle things moving forward, though maybe they'll manage to snatch a point from someone else down the road.

Chris Lopez59 said:I’m assuming you’re young... you’ll learn 😉

Look, there’s actually some truth to what frozentiger6 is saying here...

Just remember how Dule hyped everything up last year—and again this year—as if it were the greatest thing since sliced bread...

Even before this EP, people were claiming the game didn't depend on Balic because we had Duvnjak...

And now, Lino is basically hinting through the grapevine that Dule is just a temporary fix over at HSV...

They’re just spinning the narrative however it suits them at the moment...

Perry is having an off day today, but hey—mark my words, he'll be back in our lineup next year... I’d honestly put money on it, just based on how constantly they flip-flop their stories...

Adam Collins4 said:- They almost hit 10...

Looking at the report, it’s obvious the Canadians just ran out of gas. We'll see what happens next—maybe they can snatch a point from someone else down the road.

Mc A
The refs were pushing them hard, and then the Czechs jumped from +3 to +6 with five minutes left on the clock. That was the nail in the coffin.
For the rest of the game, the Czechs were basically just standing there watching the clock run out.

I honestly have no clue what’s going on with Duvnjak lately... Is he actually just sitting on the bench at HSV, or does anyone have the inside scoop on how things are really going for him there?

Adam Collins4 said:Of course defense falls on the coach,not that I actually watched the game—so I can't really judge individual performances...

But if you drop by 10 points, the whole system just collapses in an instant...

At that point, all you can do is call a timeout and try to salvage whatever is left of the mess...

Look, I'm not trolling. Some things just crossed the line for me. You’re acting like some handball expert here, which—honestly—that bolded part pretty much proves isn't the case. I mean, do you really need to watch the full game to know how everyone played when the final score was 37-35? As a total amateur who barely knows anything about this sport, I watched for 20 minutes and that was plenty. Those first 20 minutes told me everything. The best way to describe the Canadian team's play was that they were running around like headless chickens. And those die-hard fans, obviously, let them get away with it.

It jumped out at me immediately—and frankly, it's weird to me how an experienced pro like Noka didn't step in sooner to stop his players from buzzing around like that after three consecutive blunders. Instead, he just took a minute's breather while they were already deep in a hole. Even then, he couldn't settle them down or point out their mistakes. He didn't have a "Plan B," so to speak. They just kept doing the same thing.

And you're claiming that cutting a 10-point lead down to 2 is his doing? There are way more factors at play there than just him. The opponent gets complacent, the refs show a little sympathy, and the losing side realizes they've lost so they start playing aggressively because they have nothing left to lose anyway.

Anyway, I don't have much else to say about this match since there wasn't much worth seeing. It's not that I'm rooting for the Canadians, but it's also not my problem if they finally come back down to earth.

They had a great fast break at the start, though. For the first five minutes, at least. That's it. As for the defense—it was so bad that even a supposedly great player like Skof couldn't even touch the ball during the time I watched. He was getting hit by everything because his own defense basically left him out to dry.

Even if I hadn't watched those 20 minutes, looking at the score alone, I would've assumed I was watching basketball rather than handball.

rapidbison42 said:Adam Collins4
The refs were basically shoving them toward the win, but then the Czechs surged from being down 3 to up 6 just five minutes before the buzzer—and honestly, that was it. Game over.
After that, they were barely even playing; it was just the Czechs standing there watching the clock run out.

I mean, it’s not like Leo Kalin has gone crazy at the EHF...

It's that specific ingredient we're missing if we want to stop getting robbed blind...

Anonymous said:I don't really know what's going on with Duvnjak... is he actually just a benchwarmer at HSV? Does anyone actually know the deal over there, like, what his situation is firsthand?

Even if he is riding the bench, so what?🤷I mean, the kid is young, and this is his first season playing in Germany. I guess you could say his struggles probably come down to just getting used to the American style of handball.

It seems pretty obvious to me that he's put on some muscle mass, which I suppose made him lose a bit of that quickness. But, hey, if he keeps up with his individual training, he'll be back to his old self in a few months—actually, he might even end up being better than before.

Before the EU tournament, Linus said—in his own words, more or less—that only idiots would expect him to bring home a medal, given that his entire roster is basically just benchwarmers

Honestly, someone should start archiving all these quotes of his. If you lined them up chronologically, you’d have a pretty damn entertaining book on your hands.

Out of the whole national squad, the only guys who feel like backups are the Cop and Goyen, and maybe Duvnjak if you're being generous.

Robert Cruz5 said:Look, I’m not trolling here. Some things just crossed a line for me. You’re acting all high and mighty like you’re some kind of handball guru—which, honestly, is best proven by the part I bolded. I mean, do you really need to watch a whole game to know how people played if the final score is 37 to 35? As a complete amateur and someone who knows nothing about this sport, I watched twenty minutes and that was plenty. Those first twenty minutes told me everything I needed to know. The best way to describe the Canadian playstyle? They were playing like headless chickens. And those die-hard Czech fans, naturally, took full advantage of it.

The first thing that jumped out at me—and frankly, it’s weird to me—was how an experienced coach like Nora didn't step in sooner to stop that mindless buzzing from his players after they blew three plays in a row. Instead, he just called a timeout once they were already deep in the hole. And even then, he couldn't calm them down or point out where they went wrong. He had zero Plan B. They just kept doing the same thing they'd been doing.

And as for them cutting a 10-point lead down to 2? You're trying to give him credit for that, but there’s way more to it than his coaching. The opponent gets complacent, the refs start feeling sympathetic, and the losing side realizes they have nothing left to lose, so they just start playing aggressively. It happens.

Anyway, I don't have much else to say about this game because there wasn't much worth seeing. It’s not that I’m rooting for the Canadians, but it’s also not my problem if they finally get knocked back down to earth.

I will say their fast break was great at the start. For the first five minutes, anyway. That’s it. But the defense—man, the defense—was such a disaster that even a legendary player like Scott couldn't even touch the ball during the time I was watching. Every single shot got through because he was basically left standing there alone against their entire formation.

And even if I hadn't watched those twenty minutes, looking at the score alone, I would’ve assumed we were watching a basketball game rather than handball.

You mentioned that time we gave up 40 points while being led by the University team...

Funny how you "forgot" to mention that...☕

Yeah, sure, I "need to watch the game to know who played how"... and that's exactly the point. Because if you only look at one or two positions while everyone else is essentially asleep, you might end up conceding only one goal less than your entire team scored...

Besides, the only way to actually see where they were breaking through is to actually watch the damn game.☕

Joshua Gomez54 said:Even if he's just a bench warmer right now,🤷 so what? He's a young guy, and this is his first season playing in the German league. You have to look at his struggles as him just adjusting to the pace and style of German handball.

In my view, it’s obvious he put on some muscle mass, which naturally cost him some of his speed. If he sticks to a solid individual training program, he’ll be back to his old self in a few months—honestly, he'll probably end up even better than before.

Yeah, from what I heard, they actually told him not to expect much from him over the next two seasons (this one and the next) while they focus entirely on getting his conditioning up to par.

He hasn't forgotten how to play; he just needs to adapt to a different level of competition. But let's be real: it's not like he suddenly packed on 40 pounds of muscle and can't hit the net anymore—he's just out of shape. I saw it during the game in Wuppertal, and I really thought they were going to address his fitness issues, but clearly, that wasn't the plan.