America vs. France: Semifinals - Feb 4, 2006 @ 2:15 PM

Their goalie absolutely screwed us over. 🙂

But whatever... maybe the guys can still pull off a bronze medal. 👋

Sandra Hernandez13 said:By the way, what if we aren't actually blaming Vincent Vega for the loss? 😲

Vincent Vega and the coach 🙂.

Our game completely fell apart by the 15th minute, which really just comes down to our lack of physical conditioning and a thin bench.
With the World Cup coming up next year, I’m hopeful we can recreate that energy we saw in Athens, provided we finally take some actual lessons to heart from this EP.

Terry Rodriguez41 said:Bronze? Please. This is just the warm-up before the whole damn system collapses... I want to be wrong, really, but knowing how people think in this country, I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. Honestly, it looks more like a freight train heading straight for us...😁

We might actually stand a chance against Spain tomorrow, but let's be real—we're probably going up against Denmark. We'll likely surrender about 35 points, but the real question is whether we can even score a single basket.

Domy:
Such a shame... 😁
They were true legends! 😍

Coach lost the game. Šprem is out, Vori is in, and we’re up by three. Then the rhythm just falls apart—Vori totally rattled Omejer. Sorry kids, there's no coming back from this in a game like this. But whatever, we move on. We need to find some reinforcements for those positions held by Balić and Laci if we want to be number one again. As for Lino, he’s not playing anymore; it's all mental at this point. Too bad.

James Vaughn3 said:I’m gonna be so damn sore tomorrow, are we looking at 3rd or 4th place?

I'm with him on this one.🙂

Honestly, screw 4th place. Absolute garbage. F*** 4th place and whoever came up with this stupid format.😠
Just play the championship game and call it a day. That's all that matters.👍

This is their absolute ceiling, honestly. They didn't even deserve to make the semifinals. Who did they actually dominate? ...Nobody. It’s always the same thing—they just stumble and struggle through those final minutes. And then, when they actually have a chance to run away with it against a team like the user... well, part of me is kind of loving it.

They seriously need to learn how to actually blow a team out of the water... I mean, the French could give them a lesson, and the Spaniards too... they're just way too cocky. They don't fight hard enough, and the second an opponent goes up by three, they totally lose their minds.

Plus, it’s always the same old playbook... just toss the ball to Robin Hood and hope he pulls some magic trick out of nowhere... yeah, you can't do that forever.

Vujović hit the nail on the head when he said... playing against the US is like reading a book where you already know the ending...

They get a lead, like 9:6, and then they just fall apart against the user...🙄

Honestly, if their goalie hadn't been having the game of his life, we would have absolutely crushed them! We had so many chances—just pure opportunities—that we could have easily walked away with a blowout win

It’s certainly not exactly stellar... 😢

The only thing I’m actually happy about is that there won't be some obnoxious celebration in the middle of Times Square, complete with a garbage program filled with songs about hell and that whole "let whoever is bothered suffer" attitude, not to mention having to sit through politicians giving speeches.

Look, let’s be real—this isn't a tragedy. We didn't have a bench, which used to work for us back when we had an incredible starting lineup. But this time, Metlife and Lockheed played absolutely criminally. Our wingers were non-existent; honestly, Ball was the only reason we even made it to the semifinals. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have even cracked the top eight.

Let's be honest, people, given everything that happened, this is a MASSIVE success.

I'm pretty sure we're pulling it off tomorrow, and man, I really wish we were facing the Spaniards instead.

I am feeling quite heartbroken😍

I was really hoping for a shot at the finals, but honestly, once we started looking nervous about playing someone like Iceland...
My hope is that we can make up for this runner-up finish next year, and then go after the gold the year after that. 😉

Things will look up 🙂

And honestly? I’d probably ban more people from attending the ceremonies myself.

Michael Adams2 said:This is their ceiling. They didn't even deserve a semifinal spot. Who did they actually dominate? Nobody. They're always scrambling in the final minutes. And when they finally get a chance to pull away from an opponent... well, part of me is glad to see it happen.

They need to learn how to actually close out a game. The French could teach them a thing or two, as could the Spaniards. These guys are arrogant, they don't fight, and the moment an opponent gets up by three, they completely lose their composure.

Besides, it’s always the same old pattern... just hand the ball to Ball and hope he pulls a rabbit out of a hat. That isn't a sustainable strategy.

Vujovic hit the nail on the head when he said American playstyle is an open book.

They jump to a 9:6 lead and then immediately crumble.🙄

That’s the whole charm of our national team. As the legend said, if we enter the last five minutes tied, the victory is already ours.

Exactly. It's clear Vujovic has fully analyzed our style of play.

Sandra Hernandez13 said:No, I actually meant that I agree with you, but when I read it back, it sounded like I was being totally insulting toward you, so I just deleted it (you mentioned something about taking down those Frenchmen 😉 )
😁

fair enough then...🙂..😁

frozentiger6 said:Let's be real here—considering everything, this is a MASSIVE win.

exactly. 👍

Don't go overboard, Ink. If the game was read correctly, then why on earth wouldn't Vujovic have finished reading it?

Where is his whole crew?

Stop turning this into some massive tragedy; honestly, this is a win. You people just worship gold.

Kudos to Ball, and kudos to America.

Let's keep moving.

frozentiger6 said:Let’s be real here, everyone—considering everything we've been through, this is a MASSIVE win.

I honestly feel like we're just riding on the momentum of our past wins... we've got that winning mindset and this habit of scoring clutch goals in the final seconds... meanwhile, we're playing shorthanded the whole tournament while the French team had plenty of rest during their games against Ukraine, Poland, and Canada.