2010 Handball Euro: Group I - America, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Australia, Russia

vividbadger182 said:Forget all those math equations and projections. We just need to focus on Iceland.

I just gotta say, things have opened up for us big time, and it’d be a massive waste if we don't seize this chance... But yeah, obviously all those calculations go straight out the window if we screw up against Iceland or heaven forbid lose two games in a row...

Anyway, when you mentioned that France-Poland matchup, man, I wouldn't even give it a second thought, regardless of how much Poland is crushing it lately... I watched them play Spain today and they absolutely destroyed them. Mind you, Spain might not be the perfect benchmark since they're struggling to keep pace with Portugal😁 but hey, they aren't nothing to write off. As for France... I don't know, they basically have the cheat code for our style of play. They mess us up the exact same way every single time. It's like what we do to Russia... always the same pattern... So if it were up to me, I'd dodge them in a heartbeat.

rapidbison42 said:Hehe. That's just Hus's little cousin from Paran Valjak. 😂

Are you being serious? 😂

boldhound8 said:Buntić is the perfect example of a guy who just doesn't have the guts to take a shot when things get intense—actually, it’s worse than that, he doesn't have the guts to play any real offense at all; everything just boils down to dumping the ball to Balić and praying he pulls some kind of magic trick out of his hat this time.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not even expecting much from Buntić since he's still a total rookie, which is why I say Balić is really our only option—and I'm not even counting the wings because, honestly, they can't play solo—simply because we don't have Metla or Laco, though even Lac... well, he'll probably just stay quiet while he's on the court, and once he misses two shots, there's no way in hell he's shooting again, which is such a waste because the guy has an incredible vertical and a leap that could give any goalkeeper nightmares and score ten goals a game if he actually tried...

I guess we see things differently. To me, it feels like he actually had plenty of nerve—maybe even too much—because he kept charging in for those forced shots. He plays with this reckless, zero-respect sort of attitude. But maybe there's a grain of truth in what was said toward the end of the game; I'll make sure to keep a closer eye on him next time.

Anyway, nobody really respects him right now, but given how he's playing, it's probably smart that he finally slowed down and held onto the ball a bit; unfortunately, this first game was the wake-up call he needed... so, yeah, whatever.

But then again, if it wasn't for Ivan, someone would have had to step up eventually. That reliance on Balić used to be a massive bottleneck for us. I think we just don't have that luxury anymore; you can tell Balić isn't that unstoppable force who can drop ten points and carry the whole perimeter by himself like he used to. Sadly, age has caught up with him. He'll still pull off something brilliant every now and then, but it's clearly not enough to single-handedly win games like he did back in the day, and everyone sees that now, so they're learning to take some responsibility, which is actually a good thing.

4:00 PM USA - ISL ESPN, CBS, FOX
6:00 PM Norway - Austria ABC, CBS, NBC
8:00 PM Russia - Denmark ABC

- TV

Stream: balkaninfo, stream2watch, atdhe, myp2p, roja

Chris Lopez59 said:We clearly aren't watching the same game. Honestly, the guy has balls—maybe too many balls—because he keeps taking these totally forced shots. He plays with this reckless, zero-respect kind of energy. But hey, maybe there's some truth to what happened at the end of the match. I'll try to keep my eyes peeled next time so I can catch him on film better.

Anyway, I don't have much respect for him either, but when you're playing this well, it’s actually smart that he started slowing down and controlling the ball. This first game was a total wake-up call for him... so, whatever.

On the flip side, if we didn't have Ivan, someone would HAVE to step up. We used to rely way too much on our star player, but we don't have that luxury anymore. It's obvious he isn't that unstoppable force who could just drop 10 points and run the perimeter by himself like he used to. Sadly, his back is catching up to him. He'll still pull off something occasionally, but he can't just carry the whole damn team on his back alone anymore. Everyone sees it, so people are finally learning to take some responsibility, and honestly, that's a good thing.

No matter how you slice it, the fact remains: whenever our star sits on the bench, we lose all momentum. When he's sitting out, it feels like a completely different team is out there on the floor.

And about the back issues, I told you once and I'm telling you again... his back has been killing him since he started training in high school.😉 So I don't get why we keep bringing it up during every tournament, especially since he looks more prepared than he did in the last two or three. You could even say he's looking better than he did back in Athens; the only issue is, damn it, he's getting older. If Ivan were in the same shape he was last year, things would be a lot easier. Right now, we're totally dependent on him, whether we want to admit it or not...

rapidbison42 said:Hehe. That’s just some cousin from the local crew over in Chicago. 😂

but whose brother even is he at this point... everyone from New York to LA and all over the Midwest claims him as their own🤣

boldhound8 said:No matter how you slice it, the reality is that whenever he’s sitting on the bench, we look completely lost... when he's out of the rotation, it feels like we're playing with an entirely different team altogether.

And about that back issue, I told you once before, and I'm telling you again... his back has been acting up since he started playing professionally.😉 So I honestly don't get why we keep bringing it up during this tournament, especially because he looks better prepared than he did during the last couple of big events. You could almost argue he wasn't even this ready back during the Athens games; the only real thing is, well, damn, he's getting older... If our star player was in the same shape he was in last year, things would be a lot easier, but right now, whether we want to admit it or not, we're just totally dependent on him.

Yeah, I believe you, but man, back a few years ago—when he was barely even playing and only getting minutes thanks to some younger guys stepping up—he really took a hit, and he just hasn't been quite the same since.

Sean Gonzalez95 said:So, who does this guy actually belong to in the end? It feels like everyone—Americans, Mexicans, Canadians—is trying to claim him as their own.🤣

The guy was born in St. Louis, turned pro as a handball player, and then cut his teeth coaching at a top-tier club like the Chicago Bulls organization. You really have to ask him whose tactical philosophy he actually credits for his success.

If he were actually American, I wouldn't believe a word he says, based on his track record. I’ve read his hype pieces for various championships over the last few years, and he never once puts the US in the conversation for favorites. To hell with "experts" like him.

boldhound8 said:No matter how you look at it, the reality remains: whenever he’s sitting on the bench, we seem to run out of ideas... when he’s relegated to the sidelines, it feels like we're playing against an entirely different team.

And regarding his back—I’ve already mentioned this once, and I will say it again... his back has been bothering him since he started training handball.😉 So, I am quite puzzled as to why we constantly bring it up in relation to this tournament, especially since he actually seems more prepared than he was during the last two or three competitions. One might even dare to suggest he hasn't been as ready as he was back in Athens; the only issue, unfortunately, is that he's getting older... If our star player were in the same form as last year, things would be much easier for us, but right now, whether we want to admit it or not, we are heavily dependent on him.

And during those first thirty minutes against Iceland, this bold claim was once again proven true.

Chris Lopez59 said:Look, I believe him, but man, back a few years ago—or whenever it was when he could barely even get on the court without some serious help from the bench—he got absolutely crushed. He hasn't been the same player since.

Honestly, he isn't even that bad, he just got totally shaken up.😉 Every single team we face plays right in his face. They'll send two or even three guys out just to shut him down. That's fine because it opens up lanes for everyone else, but damn it, we aren't capitalizing on it. We’re lacking experience on the perimeter and basic chemistry...

If Russia pulls off a win today, we’re looking at a semifinal spot if we take care of business tomorrow. So, let's go, Russia.

We’re actually looking pretty good here since Iceland and Norway have that head-to-head advantage and they play before us in the final round.

If Denmark loses today to Russia or tomorrow to Norway, they're basically out of the running. That means if we end up needing points, we've got a massive leg up.

Let's just take it one step at a time. If Russia takes down Denmark today, it probably pushes us further along. Ideally, Norway and Iceland sweep their remaining games or settle for draws, while we lose to a Denmark side that's already checked out—that way, we aren't the bottom dwellers in that US-Denmark-Norway group. And since we already grabbed a win and a draw against them, we can't finish last.

Let's go, boys.

edit - exactly, we beat Austria, Russia beats Denmark today, and we're in.

Heh, nice one, Terry Fisher2.
You really waited until the very end to pull all those points together, didn't you? 🙂

LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Igroupulo 🙂

What outcome actually helps us most in the matchup between Norway and Austria? I need to figure out who to root for. A draw would probably be our best bet, but honestly, rooting for a tie feels pretty pathetic.😁

Adam Chase41 said:What outcome actually helps us most in the matchup between Norway and Austria? I need to decide who to pull for. A draw would probably be the best result, but is anyone actually rooting for a tie?😁

It doesn't matter.

It should be a pretty engaging matchup between Denmark and Russia today, though I can't help but wonder if things would be a bit more exciting if the Danes managed to walk away with two points tonight.

Where the hell are these idiots hiding? Even the Norwegians are having a hard time dealing with them.

frozentiger6 said:Where the hell are these idiots? Even the Norwegians are struggling with them.

I'm wondering the same thing—if they keep playing like this, we're totally screwed tomorrow.😕

Adam Chase41 said:What outcome works best for us in the Norway vs. Austria match? I'm trying to figure out who to pull for... A draw probably helps us most, but rooting for a tie feels a little cheap...😁

I think we definitely want a win for Norway here. There are a few reasons why... First, if the Austrians take it, they’ll gain even more momentum, especially if there’s a bit of home-court advantage involved—which, let’s be honest, is just how the game goes. That could make things difficult for us tomorrow. Second, it’s in our best interest to keep Norway in the running for the semifinals. We’ve already beaten them, so we don't have much to worry about, but they still think they have a shot. They'll likely go all out, which might cause some headaches for their neighbors. Third, if Norway gets knocked out early, I can already see the inevitable Nordic drama playing out... Hello Vienna, this is Oslo calling! And the jury's top prize goes to... DENMARK!!!

Norway 30:27...
The Austrians got close a couple of times, but I got the feeling the Norwegians were calling the shots the whole way through, just playing exactly as much as they needed to... If they felt like they needed a 5 or 6 point lead today, that’s exactly what they would have taken.