World Handball Championship - THE FINALS

And they’re going to sweep all three titles again, I suppose. 🙏

So, this guy hit 38 back in November, 🙏

He’s basically an old head now—older than even the veterans on the roster, just a total relic from the glory days...

I mean, he’s right up there with all those other legends our geniuses decided to force into retirement three
or more years ago. 🤦

Edward Allen36 said:So, some guy named O'Malley—whoever he is, probably ancient—pulls off 20 saves in a World Cup semifinal against Spain, and then Pierce shows up to claim goalkeepers aren't actually a big deal in handball. 🙏

Where was that logic when Alilović racked up 20 saves in a massive game like that? You know, one where medals or a spot in the finals are actually on the line? 🙏

Nice one. Real brilliant stuff you're doing here. 👍

They ended up in the finals, but it left a pretty bitter taste in everyone's mouth. 🙏 🤣

Carl Garcia22 said:Nice work—you’re really on a roll. 👍

Well, go ahead then—tell us what you actually think about this whole O'Malley situation.

I just don't get why you're working so hard to defend him when his mediocrity is obvious. Is it just you standing up for him—are the rest of us somehow missing the point? 🤷

Look, while I agree our guys probably shouldn't have been heading toward retirement just yet, we really shouldn't be comparing the demands on a goalkeeper to those of the rest of the roster. Everyone else is out there sprinting and taking hits constantly, just completely exhausting themselves...

Robin Fox2 said:Fair enough. While I agree our guys probably shouldn't have been retired yet, we can't really compare the goalkeeper position to any other player on the court. The rest of the team is running constantly, taking hits, and wearing themselves out at an insane rate.

That’s true, but even so, were Sully, Mike, Peter, Dumbrowski, and Lace really finished during the exact years they were cast aside? Sully still plays like a beast today, even if Gollum gave him a hard time on the world stage. They surely could have provided much better performances than what we are seeing right now. It’s all just pure decay, and you can't help but remember how things used to be when you watch games like these.

Edward Allen36 said:Come on, tell me what you actually think about O'Meyer's performance here.

I don't get why you're defending this guy so hard when it's obvious he isn't anything special. From where I'm sitting, you're the only one sticking up for him. Are the rest of us just blind? 🤷

Do you honestly think I haven't seen O'Meyer pull off 20 saves before? I watched him back when he was hitting 8, and I don't see the point in picking on me. I think I made myself pretty clear.

Are the people at the Golden State Warriors—the ones who've been backing him for several seasons while aiming for the Champions League—just as clueless? If they want a second-tier goalie, they have the money. What's the issue? 🤔
And before anyone tries to call me out, it's the same deal with Kopljar. I've criticized him too.

Robin Fox2 said:Look, even if I agree that our guys probably shouldn't have hung it up just yet, you can't really compare the goalie position to everyone else on the court. The rest of the squad is out there sprinting, taking hits, and basically burning themselves out at an insane rate.

Oh, for sure, but if they had a couple more years left in the tank, they definitely could've kept going.

Carl Garcia22 said:Do you honestly think I’ve never seen O'Meyer pull off 20 saves? I watched him back when he was hitting 8—I don't see why everyone is so obsessed with picking on me; I believe I made myself clear enough.

Are the people at Golden State Warriors just as delusional as those defending a keeper who’s been mediocre for seasons—especially for a squad aiming to win the Champions League? Honestly, if they have a second-rate goalie, they have the money to fix it; I don't see the issue. 🤔
To avoid being targeted immediately—it’s the exact same story with Kopljar. I’ve criticized him too.

You claimed a goalkeeper isn't that vital in handball, yet history has repeatedly proven otherwise—as we've seen right here.

Golden State Warriors aren't even in the same league as Los Angeles, Milwaukee, or their peers.
If memory serves, they hit a Champions League semifinal last year or the year before—beyond that, I can't recall any European success. They're a mid-tier club. 🤷

Two quick thoughts:
Qatar deserved the win over Poland. Sure, the refs gave them a bit of a home-court advantage, but it wasn't even close—Poland just isn't on that level.

O'Meyer: Seriously, props to him. Locking those doors shut like that? Absolute class.
The French defense: Just incredible. Those Spaniards couldn't find a single opening against that set defense in the second half. They couldn't manufacture a single man-up advantage.
And even when they finally managed to scrape together a shot, they just ran straight into a brick wall.

Edward Allen36 said:You claimed the goalkeeper isn't that vital in handball, yet history keeps proving otherwise—just like we saw here.

Now it turns out that over the next ten games, five other factors will carry more weight than the goalie. Honestly, it’s hardly surprising.

The Golden State Warriors aren't even in the same league as Los Angeles, Milwaukee, or those types of teams.
If memory serves, they made it to the Champions League semifinals a season or two ago, but I can't recall any other major success in Europe. They're just a mid-tier club. 🤷

The Golden State Warriors made the Final Four last year. Right now, they're sitting at the top of their group with 7 wins out of 8 games. This is a club that has poured massive amounts of money into the program lately, especially since hiring that Spaniard coach. And Alilovic is still holding down the net.

The Golden State Warriors are easily one of the top 5 clubs in Europe right now, but Mike is basically just sitting there warming up the bench for Mikler.

They’ve brought Mikler over from St. Louis. It just goes to show how much faith they have in Mike.

George Ward7 said:The Golden State Warriors are currently one of the top 5 clubs in Europe, yet Mike is just sitting there warming the bench for Mikler.

Stop constantly defending Mikler.

Personally, I’d love to see him out of the net for a bit. Let's see how he fares with Shea, Pešić, or Ivic—just to see if those save numbers actually improve. No one would be happier than me. I’d defend all three of them just as much as I defend Mike. 🙂

Carl Garcia22 said:Stop constantly defending Mikler.

Look, I'm not always defending him, but in all these high-stakes games, Ortega gives Mikler the edge, and honestly, the guy defends like an absolute beast.

Everything changes, yet the Frenchmen stay exactly the same...😁

Jokes aside—how on earth did they play like that on defense when it mattered most, especially with the great Mr. Omeyer standing in goal? 🙏🙏
The Spanish had a few opportunities to close the gap, but unfortunately, it all boiled down to just a few chances that didn't quite pan out...
Once again, it’s clear that the French are at their absolute best when the game is on the line—it's incredibly tough to snatch another gold away from them...👍

If soccer is a game where the Germans always seem to come out on top, then I guess handball is the sport where those Frenchmen just own the floor.

Honestly, I’m glad we lost to the Poles. They always seem to be hovering right there on the edge, just a step away from being the main favorites for a medal. Goluža can talk all he wants about "superior forces" or "just having an off day" with those spikes, but let's be real. Just imagine if we had been taken out by a team like the US today. It was a squad made of leftovers, really, but they had a world-class coach and clearly possessed incredible team chemistry. And to provide that extra bit of motivation in the form of dollars, luxury apartments, and Maseratis, the Sheikh made sure they were well taken care of. Sure, they got a little nudge from the refs, much like how we dealt with Brazil or the Poles, except since the Poles actually beat us, nobody is complaining about biased officiating.
What does this tell us? Well, it means that motivation is a massive factor—for those who think Lino was just shouting "let's go, USA!" over and over—and it proves that the coach is truly the linchpin of any success, which counters the argument that our players don't need to listen to someone like Goluža because they play for top-tier clubs.
After seeing what the US just pulled off, I feel like calling anyone on our team who claims they "left their heart on the court" a total hypocrite.

The other thing that's becoming glaringly obvious throughout this championship is that European handball simply doesn't have an answer for the "wild" defense used by even mid-tier teams. The US cruised all the way to the finals, and Brazil almost knocked us out. If France doesn't absolutely steamroll them in the final by at least ten points, I think the next Olympics are going to get very interesting.

Gregory Ramos3 said:Boldano said it all, everything else in this thread is just noise... if we had played with a defense like this against the Poles, we would've been getting hammered by at least five or six points. ☕

It’s absolutely relevant. Just because Losa is playing poorly doesn't mean we can ignore the criminal officiating happening on the court. Honestly, even with this pathetic performance, the Poles would have walked away with a win if the game were played on a neutral court.