World Cup Handball: The Final Stretch

A total class act 🙏 🙏 🙏 hands down.

Mark Howard7 said:So, France basically swept 4 out of the last 5 World Cups. They’re totally dominant, though I guess having home-court advantage probably gave them an extra 20 or 30 percent boost... but I don't see them being this unstoppable in future tournaments. Their main rivals just choked, so they basically strolled right into the title.

Look, Karabatic isn't going to retire just yet. He'll probably show up for two or three big games. And yeah, they'll still dominate because, honestly, they have like three elite players for every single position.

LB - Nyokas, N'Guessan, Accambray

RB - Dipanda, Porta, Remili

They still haven't found a top-tier CB who can actually step up and replace Karabatic and Narcisse, though.

That's awesome, I can already see him standing in the middle of Madison Square Garden with 25 blocks against us by this time next year...

The news networks are claiming:
There is absolutely no way Karabatic is stepping aside just yet. He’ll probably still suit up for two or three massive games. And honestly, they're going to dominate because their depth is insane—they basically have three elite players for every single spot on the roster.

LB - Nyokas, N'Guessan, Accambray

RB - Dipanda, porta, Remili Jos

The real issue is they still don't have a top-tier CB who can actually step up and fill the void left by Karabatic and Narcisse.

mah will be playing😉

The news networks are claiming:
Karabatic isn't going to just pack up and leave. He'll probably suit up for two or three big games. And honestly, they’re going to dominate because they have three top-tier players for every single spot on the roster.

LB - Nyokas, N'Guessan, Accambray

RB - Dipanda, Porta, Remili Jos

The real issue is they still lack a world-class CB who can actually step in and fill the void left by Karabatic and Narcisse.

I wasn't even talking about anyone retiring; I was just suggesting they won't be nearly as unstoppable as they were playing at home. This specific tournament was just a perfect storm for them. 👍

Mark Howard7 said:I wasn't even talking about them pulling out or anything, just thinking they probably won't be quite as dominant away from home as they were on their own turf. I mean, this specific tournament was just... something else for them. I guess. 👍

Maybe some teams from Spain might drop out: Entrerrios, Sarmiento, Aguinagalde, Canellas, Morros, Guardiola. It really comes down to how they rebuild, I suppose. Like, how many actual new players have they actually produced lately?

The second Aguinagalde got shut down in the quarterfinals, man, you could just see it—he's slow, he's getting old, it's pretty obvious. 😁

Germany, France, Norway, Sweden... those are the ones that should be running the show. Denmark relies way too much on Hansen. Back in the day, there were more guys stepping up to take charge. It’s never good when everything rests on one player's shoulders, you know? Having to create everything and then finish the plays themselves... it's a lot. 😁

driftingotter47 said:Mah mah is playing 😉

Look, Mah mah is basically an LW type, whereas Narcisse and Karabatic play more like CBs. In their system, I guess anyone can step into those roles if they have to. But man, Abalo really seemed to struggle during this World Cup. That explosive burst he used to have... that quick two-meter step and those lightning-fast fast breaks? It’s just not there anymore. Maybe he's just getting older, who knows.

Joseph Kern5 said:Well, mah mah plays LW, while Narcisse and Karabatic handle things at CB. It’s kind of like how they operate—anyone can step into those roles if needed. Honestly, Abalo seems a bit sluggish during this World Cup. He just doesn't have that explosive burst or those lightning-fast fast breaks he used to pull off.

It hasn't been like that for quite a while now... Back when he was tearing it up at Ciudad Real, the guy was an absolute assassin. He’d just invent shots out of thin air, dropping ten or more goals in a single game like it was nothing...

Now he’s just collecting a massive paycheck over at PSG, probably just coasting through his career and waiting for retirement to kick in... 🙂

Steven Reed30 said:Man, we haven't seen anything like that in ages... I mean, back when he was tearing it up at Ciudad Real, the guy was a straight-up assassin. Just clinical. He’d be out there inventing shots out of thin air, just absolute madness... Honestly, I think he was dropping ten or more goals a game like it was nothing. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but still.

He’s just raking in that massive PSG paycheck now, I guess. Probably hit his limit with all the drama and he's just coasting until retirement hits. 🙂

Some kind of weird philosophy, I guess... just spinning their wheels in mid-air. Those jumps from the right wing? They’re practically landing right in front of the goalie, like they’re playing center. It's honestly ridiculous. Honestly, they probably have enough money stashed away to retire tomorrow anyway, so why bother? But hey, if you look at guys like Karabatic, Narcisse, or Abalo, they could probably keep playing for their clubs until they're 40. Maybe. I don't know.
Ten minutes on the pitch and then straight back to the bench. I mean, look, PSG pretty much runs the show in their domestic league, and they're just as dominant in most Champions League matches too, so maybe it makes sense? But honestly, it feels weird. It’s bizarre that you don't see any buzz around Bertrand Gilles regarding the national team. He’s an absolute beast at pivot. In some countries—not naming names, but we all know which ones—even the mediocre players get handed top spots. It's just how it goes sometimes, I guess.😁

It’s just weird, isn't it? That whole situation with Ciudad Real... they just vanished. I mean, talk about a total collapse. They were actually successful, too, which makes it even more bizarre. I guess it all comes down to the money, though. It feels like someone just swooped in and cleaned out the coffers while nobody was looking. Maybe that's just how it goes lately. Everything's a mess.

Joseph Kern5 said:Look, Mah mah plays LW, while Narcisse and Karabatic are holding down the CB spots. With the way they run things over there, anyone can step into those roles if they have to. Abalo just seemed a bit sluggish during this SP. That explosive two-meter burst and those lightning-fast fast breaks? Yeah, they're gone.

That Mah mah guy is a total mystery—he can play LW, but he can also run the whole playmaking setup. He’s easily one of the most versatile players out there right now.🙏

quietbison86 said:That guy mah mah is just such a riddle, you know? He plays LW, but then he can switch over to playmaker mode... he’s definitely one of those most versatile players out there, I guess. 🙏

And look, the French—they were stuck in this semi-final deadlock for three straight championships, just hitting third and fourth place over and over. Then suddenly, in 2009, they’re champions. They pivoted way faster than anyone expected. Meanwhile, the US has ended up with five fourth-place finishes. 🙄 Our record against France is 8-1-13. That doesn't really count as a classic rivalry or a derby, does it? Now, against Denmark, yeah, that's a thing since it's 9-0-9. And Germany actually beat the US for the first time at the World Cup just now.

It’s gonna be rough at the Euro, honestly. Every generation of players is probably still haunted by all those old traumas. ☕

If you're just looking at the numbers, the only real derby the French have is against the Swedes:

vs Danes 15-0-9
vs Spaniards 19-3-8
vs us 15-1-9
vs Germans 16-4-9
vs Swedes 12-2-11

Based on how they've been playing lately, nobody can even touch them except maybe the Danes or some Germans—everyone else is just out of luck. The Swedes might stand a chance, but only if they actually play out of their minds... and even then, only if the game isn't being played in France.

Joseph Kern5 said:Mahe plays left wing, whereas Narcisse and Karabatić are playing Center Back. The way they run things over there, anyone can step into those roles. Abalo has really slowed down during this World Championship. He just doesn't have that explosive two-meter burst or those lightning-fast fast breaks anymore.

Maybe try actually watching some handball outside of these two specific weeks every year, and then maybe you won't look so ridiculous.
Mahe plays center at Flensburg; though, to be fair, they were forced to slot him in there after Lauge got injured, leaving Mogensen as the only viable option (until our young talent Ivan Horvat was brought in). He played center there, and he’s doing it now at the tournament—I can't recall the exact game, but I think it was against Brazil. He can handle the center position; sure, he isn't performing at a world-class level like Karabatić, but let's be honest, who on the planet actually can? 🤷

As for Abalo, back when he was running wild, everyone was saying he was doing more harm than good for the squad, and that was absolutely the truth. Now that he's finally calmed down, suddenly it's like he's not good enough either. 🤣 🤣
They had to smiriti him, because he used to single-handedly wreck games just by trying to be too clever for his own good, and the team simply doesn't need that nonsense.

driftingotter47 said:Maybe try actually watching some handball instead of just focusing on these two weeks of the year, then you won't look so ridiculous.
I mean, Mah is playing center over at Flensburg... though, I guess they were basically forced to slot him in there after Lauge got hurt, so Mogensen was the only real call left—not that they haven't brought in our young kid Ivan Horvat in the meantime. He’s been playing center, even in the tournament lately—can't remember the exact match, maybe against Brazil?—but he can handle it. Sure, he isn't playing at a legendary level like Karabatić, but honestly, who is? Not many people on this planet, I suppose. 🤷

As for Abalo, while he was running wild, everyone was saying he was doing more harm than good for the team, which... yeah, that was pretty much the truth. Now that he's stopped, suddenly everything is bad again. 🤣🤣
They finally managed to smiriti him. He used to just wreck a whole game by making stuff up in his head, and they really don't need that.

I don't exactly have time to catch every single game, you know? I try to keep up with the UEFA Champions League. It's tough to track everything happening across three different European leagues, plus the NBA.

Do you guys even follow the NBA? I mean, generally speaking, for anyone reading this thread.

Someone mentioned earlier how arrogant American athletes and fans can be. Well, I saw an ad for Stockholm - The Capital of Scandinavia while skiing in Stockholm today. They completely ignored Oslo, Helsinki, and Copenhagen—even though Copenhagen isn't even on the peninsula, but hey, that's just how those folks are, kind of like the people in Iceland or the Faroe Islands.
A lot of nations in Europe are full of themselves, if you ask me.

Chris Fisher3 said:If we’re strictly looking at the numbers, the only real powerhouse derby the French squad has is against the Swedishwomen:

vs Danes 15-0-9
vs Spaniards 19-3-8
vs us 15-1-9
vs Germans 16-4-9
vs Swedishwomen 12-2-11

Based on how they've been playing lately, honestly, nobody can even touch them except maybe the Danes or potentially the Germans, and even then, the Swedes might stand a chance if they just happen to have one of those legendary perfect days. And even then, only if they aren't playing on French soil!

But wait, when was the last time a Swedishwoman actually pulled off a win against the French? For the last 15 years, they've been basically regular customers for the French team, just like so many others out there! Besides, the Russians also have a pretty solid track record against the French because they used to absolutely wreck them back in the 80s and 90s, right?

Joseph Kern5 said:I can't catch every single game. I try to tune into the UEFA Champions League, but man, keeping up with three different major leagues across the continent plus the NBA is just too much to track.

Are you following the NBA? I mean, generally speaking, for everyone reading this thread here.

Someone mentioned earlier how arrogant American athletes and fans can be. But today, while skiing in Stockholm, I saw an ad for "Stockholm - The Capital of Scandinavia." It completely ignores Oslo, Helsinki, and Copenhagen—even though Copenhagen isn't technically on the peninsula, it’s the same vibe as the people in those places, or even Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
Honestly, plenty of nations across the globe have that same sense of arrogance.

I follow it. Why wouldn't I?

driftingotter47 said:I'm watching, but... why exactly?

It’s all about popularity rankings, I guess. If we go by that logic, should the NBA be considered one of the top four leagues in the world? Like, right behind the NFL, the French league, and the Spanish league? I mean, it just doesn't make sense because it's not even getting that kind of media coverage on a global scale.

Joseph Kern5 said:It's all about popularity rankings, I guess. Does that mean the NBA should be ranked as the fourth strongest league in the world? Right behind the NFL, the French leagues, and the Spanish ones? But honestly, it doesn't get nearly as much media coverage on a global scale.

Wait, isn't the NBA actually one of the top two strongest leagues in the world? Maybe even number one?

Joseph Kern5 said:It all comes down to popularity metrics. If we go by that logic, should the NBA be considered the fourth strongest league in the world? Right behind the NFL, France, and Spain? It just doesn't hold up because the media coverage isn't on a global scale like that.

Look, the NFL is clearly number one, but in my book, the NBA follows right on its heels, then France is a step below the NBA, and Spain is way, way down the list.

driftingotter47 said:The NFL is easily number one, I’d say the NBA is right behind it, maybe France is slightly below the NBA, and Spain is way down the list.

Wait, why isn't Pick Szeged playing in the NBA? I only see Veszprem on the roster.
I mean, do you honestly think anyone in the NBA could go home and beat PSG or FC Barcelona both at home and away? Probably not. The NBA just has more high-level talent, and Veszprem is lightyears ahead of the rest.
If Lino Cervar takes the reins as coach, we might actually see Cupica and Karacica show up for the national team.

If Stojanac Stoilov ever played for the US, he'd completely change the lineup. He's an incredible player.🙂 Now I finally get why Alex Dujshebaev was speaking American in that interview.🤔 Dujshebaev kind of reminds me of DushanBaevic.😁