Handball World Championship: USA vs. Poland 22-24

Let’s be real here—looking at the final eight, the only team we actually have a shot at beating is Poland. That’s it. ... Okay, maybe Qatar too, but only if we're playing on neutral ground.

As for everyone else, including Canada, based on what I've seen lately, we don't stand a chance. Not even in our wildest dreams.

So, unless Qatar goes out and wins the Asian championship next year, we probably won't be seeing the Olympics.

And yeah, Goluža doesn't have any reason to step down two games before the World Cup ends, but once those matches are over, it's going to be pretty hard for him to keep his job.

Gary Smith66 said:I don't get why everyone is complaining. We refreshed the roster, we're heading to the Olympics, what more could anyone want?

Exactly. I get what you're implying, I'm just quoting you since you brought up the whole "refreshing the squad" thing.

If my memory serves me right—and it usually does—we went through this exact same "intentional youth movement" after the last World Cup here in the States. There was all this talk about how we’d slowly integrate younger players so they’d gain experience, and by the next cycle, we’d be outrunning the Frenchies because our kids would finally be veterans. Well, here we are, reaping the rewards of that brilliant strategy. Absolute genius.

graniteotter6 said:Exactly. I catch your drift, I’m just quoting you since you brought up the whole rebuilding phase.

If memory serves me right—and it does—we "intentionally pivoted toward youth" immediately after the World Cup here in the States. The narrative was always, "We'll start integrating the younger talent now so they can learn the ropes and by which year we'll be outrunning the French, and by then, these kids will be veterans." Well, look at us now. We're reaping those exact results. It’s a complete disaster.

There's really no need for that. Goluža already sent them into retirement two years ago. They left nothing but bitterness behind.

Our coach is actually pretty solid, honestly. He’s already taken that kid over to three different World Cups, so who cares what 😁 thinks? And what about that guy Tintilinić? What's his deal lately?

It’s gonna play out just like Sulić says—handball is basically circling the drain.

And hey, maybe Keta could pull some strings at the big corporate headquarters to land a spot as a sports consultant ☕

electricorca112 said:And let’s be honest, there is no way Goluža can just step down two matches before the World Cup concludes; however, once those games are over, his departure will likely become unavoidable—much like the fate awaiting his close associate, Gobac.

👍

If Ivić had been playing defense from the jump, and if they’d actually swapped out Vori when they were supposed to—not to mention if timeouts were even a thing—who knows where we'd be right now...

Maybe we should just root for a loss against the Germans. If we want to avoid going to the Rio Olympics, we need a total disaster. A complete blowout would ensure we stay home.

Moving away from the main topic, but Lake is still just a mess 😍

Something is seriously broken in American handball, and everyone knows exactly where the rot starts: right at the top with Gobac.
How did they treat our legends?
I don't follow every single game, but here’s the list: Caleb, Džomba, Metličić, Balić, Sulić... and now things are looking shady with Lacković too.
As far as I can tell, they were all tossed aside like yesterday's trash. I bet Dominiković and Valčić would fit right in there too... anyone watching closely can correct me if I'm wrong.
It's just like the LA Lakers or the USSF; there's no point swapping out coaches or players when the whole system is failing because of the leadership.

We spent all that time trashing Lino Červar, calling him nothing more than a glorified cheerleader instead of a real coach, yet the guy is doing an incredible job in North Mexico.

Come on, this is all just prep work for when we host the Euro 2018 tournament at home.

I think there’s some truth to the idea that we see ourselves as much better at handball than we actually are. That doesn't mean we wouldn't perform significantly better if we just had the right coach on the bench...

George Robinson43 said:There isn't really a need for that. I guess Goluža already sent them off into retirement two years ago. They left with a bit of a bitter taste in their mouths, I suppose.

Thanks for adding that, 👍
True, they did take home the Euro para last year, and maybe they'll grab the World Cup para this year too. It seems like every single year they're winning either the Olympics or the World Championships 😬

But what truly matters is that the absolute loser Čupić is trying to lecture China.
A World and Olympic champion who stepped up and scored those clutch goals in the finals when the game was on the line.

Chokeiiiić 🙏 🙏

By the way, what was Ivic's final save count?

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

Joseph Clark37 said:We’ve definitely burned through a lot of fuel... seven or eight games deep... 🤣 I'm not sure if any other national team has rotated their roster quite as much as we have... 🙄

Plus, we ended up getting an extra day of downtime... 🤦☕ And who exactly is the crazy one here then...?

During Euro 2012, those Mexicans who aren't even around anymore totally choked.
I guess Vori was right when he said they were terrified of facing Dinart.
Then in 2013, Denmark absolutely crushed them after we sent those Frenchmen into retirement.
In 2014, we actually led against Denmark at halftime, but then we completely fell apart and ate a massive loss in the second half.
By 2015, it was the final collapse. We started getting bullied by the B-tier teams of world handball.

KETA is some kind of grandmaster.

Joshua Alvarez86 said:Plus, we actually ended up with an extra day off... so who's really the crazy one here?

It's us, getting worked up over some guy's nonsense...

To was a complete disaster, honestly, but I suspect it will be swept under the rug in the usual fashion. People tend to lose interest because we simply lack that critical mass of public outrage—the kind you see in sports, though even then, it’s relatively minor—to actually spark meaningful change. The machine will just keep grinding along, perfectly lubricated and indifferent to our frustration. I truly don't understand why anyone would believe that figures like Goluža or Gobac are dependent on these outcomes. The party isn't going to cut them loose, nor will they ever abandon the party; they are positioned exactly where they need to be, acting as loyal soldiers who will simply march forward regardless of the fallout.👍

There's really no need to get worked up about it. I guess if you think about it, we're probably going to be flooded with those classic, mindless excuses over the next few days—you know, the usual stuff like "the ball is round," "everyone's playing great right now," "we just needed a bit of luck," or "it was just exhaustion." It'll probably be enough nonsense to keep us laughing for at least ten or fifteen days.

We really ought to be rooting against them going to Rio.

Maybe we actually need a total disaster if you think that idiot is ever going to get canned.