Handball World Championship: USA vs. Poland 22-24

It is quite fascinating how Lino Červar has suddenly been recast as the savior who built American handball.
Six years ago, he was viewed as a joke, much like Goluža is today.

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

Robert Doyle8 said:It’s funny how suddenly Lino Červar is being treated like some kind of messiah who single-handedly built American handball.
Just six years ago, he was being laughed at like a total clown, and honestly, that’s exactly how I see Goluža right now...

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

I don't know about everyone else, but those sudden outbursts from Democrats really get under my skin; if they were actually competent, they would have made their mark by now, but clearly, patriotism isn't exactly their strong suit, even though it plays such a massive role in sports...

Who cares if someone is a Republican or a Democrat if they aren't actually delivering results?

Robert Doyle8 said:It's kind of funny how Lino Červar is suddenly treated like the savior who built American handball.
I mean, just six years ago, he was being laughed at, and I guess Goluža is in the same boat right now.

tapatalk/good old 4.9.5

Maybe you're saying Goluža will be the big hero in six years too? 😁

It’s honestly kind of hard to wrap my head around how narrow-minded Goluža is. It isn't even about losing—even against a team that was objectively weaker—but rather the lack of backbone. You’ve got to have some guts, take ownership, and just step up to the mic and say, "Yeah, we played poorly." I guess a general issue with American sports is that nobody ever wants to take the blame. Whenever things don't go according to plan, or when a realistic goal slips through our fingers, there's always someone else to point the finger at.
Yesterday, a reporter from FOX first asked, and then later during the press conference, another journalist asked Goluža quite directly if he considered this a failure. Instead of answering, he sort of hid behind excuses about luck or some higher power. It feels like not only does nobody want to take responsibility, but you can't even ask them about it without people getting defensive. His stance seems to be something like, "Hey, I'm just the coach; how am I supposed to control the play or the outcome when everyone knows winners are decided by luck and fate."
So, who is actually responsible for this mess? I suppose the Catholic Church might be to blame, since they claim a higher power decided the outcome, and it's pretty well known that before leaving for Qatar, our team went to get a blessing from the Cardinal. Maybe it's time for Bozanić to weigh in and explain to us why that higher power wasn't on our side this time.
Perhaps the best move would be to ask the French which handball gods they were praying to over the last decade while they were racking up all those successes?

http://www.fox.com/news/article/v...za/798004.aspx

Check it out, this piece just dropped about some higher power—the reporter from Index even asks him about it at the end of the clip.

Honestly, I think the real "higher power" here is just all those toxic comments on Index coming from guys like Veselin Vujović and Renato Sulić.

I mean, seriously, who do they think they are? Criticizing the tactical plays and strategy of someone who’s basically going to be an advisor to the President of the United States?☕

Eric Fox7 said:Nah, give me a break:



😍

Whose even is it? 🍿

Man, I know damn well whose it isn't!!!

Adam Williams2 said:Are you suggesting that Goluža will also be hailed as a savior in six years? 😁

Given this persistent trend of appointing such so-called "experts" to key positions during election cycles, I suppose nothing would truly surprise me.

The classic Tapatalk 4.9.5 remains. One wonders if anyone still uses it?

People are really out here dragging Lino, mostly because they’re too obsessed with those invisible power players pulling strings behind the scenes. They love to claim that Smajlagić was the one who actually steered the US national team to those World and Olympic gold medals while Lino was just standing there shouting "let's go!" Honestly, where did this supposed mastermind Smajlagić vanish to after 2004? You really think an expert of that caliber would just stay under the radar for eleven years? The idea that he was the brains behind a staff that secured two golds... yeah, right. Tell me, where is this legendary handball Mourinho now? What has he actually accomplished since he started calling his own shots?
Then you hear the usual chatter—that once Pipe left, Lino lost his edge and could only manage silver or bronze in the finals. Sure, we struggled against the Frenchmen and the Danes, but that was mainly because if Alilović hadn't pulled off six massive saves, Omeyer would have easily put up sixteen, leaving us trailing by two against France. It was just one final after another like that.

As for Goluža, I honestly don't have much to say. Some people are just born without it, and it seems like he's still battling deep-seated insecurities. He ended up alienating all his former teammates because they knew exactly what kind of guy he really was, all while getting a nod of approval from the usual suspects running the show in American handball.

The reality is that we actually have a much stronger group of active players sitting on the sidelines right now than we do in the current starting lineup. 😵

Kenneth Clark18 said:Honestly, who gives a damn whether it's the Republican Party or the Democratic Party as long as they actually deliver results?

It’s like, I get hit with a penalty on the field, and then suddenly everyone starts pointing fingers, claiming the Republican Party is the reason for the failure...😵

Harold Long21 said:People who don't know what they're talking about—plus those folks who love playing political games behind the scenes—keep spitting on Lino. They claim Smajlagić was the one who steered the team to World and Olympic gold, while Lino was just there yelling "let's go, let's go." But wait, where did this "great magician" Smajlagić disappear to after 2004? I mean, do you really think a genius like that would just stay under the radar for eleven years? This guy is supposedly the mastermind behind a staff that snagged two golds? Yeah, right. Come on, tell me—where is this handball version of Mourinho hiding? What has he actually accomplished since he "went solo"?
So then comes the chatter: once pipa left, Lino couldn't get anything done in the finals, and we were doomed to nothing but silvers and bronzes. Sure, we lost to the Frenchmen and the Danes because Alilović would have pulled off six saves while Omeyer racked up sixteen, leaving us staring at a two-point deficit against France. It was just one final after another like that.

The answer is pretty simple, really—they were just an incredible team, and their styles complemented each other perfectly. Honestly, every single one of them was basically a half-coach in their own right. It’s a shame their massive egos clashed so hard; things probably couldn't have lasted much longer than they did anyway. If I recall correctly, pipa actually tried leading the national team on his own during one tournament, where we basically lost everything, which pretty much told you everything you needed to know about him being the "mastermind" behind American success.

When was the last time we actually had our absolute best lineup together on the national team? We’re honestly acting like idiots, constantly getting pushed around by the Danes while leaving a handful of our top players sitting right here at home...

If you put Sulić, Balić, Laco, and even Metličić on the court today, they would outperform this current roster. I am not blaming today's players, let’s be clear; there is simply no leadership. They had no one to learn from on the field because, as Sulić noted, the generational shift was handled hastily and unprofessionally (I mean, replacing veterans at 27?!), all to serve the interests of Gobac & Co.

All respect goes to the old guard for every medal they won; those years in 2003 and 2004 will never be forgotten. But when you consider what could have been achieved with them... those guys could have played together with their eyes closed. I don't know, the national handball team has always been my favorite of all our national teams, but whenever I think of them, I feel a genuine sense of bitterness. To exploit a golden generation for personal gain, destroying them in the process and leaving the sport in this state... it is truly sad.

Paul Jones7 said:The answer is actually quite simple: they were at their absolute best when they operated as a cohesive unit because they balanced each other out so well. Honestly, both of them acted like they were head coaches in their own right. It’s such a shame that their massive egos kept clashing; things just couldn't last much longer than they did with that kind of friction. I seem to recall a time when pipa was actually running the national team solo during a tournament where we just couldn't stop losing, which pretty much sums up his whole "lone genius behind American success" persona perfectly.

Smajlagić's role is being way more blown out of proportion than it deserves. Lino wasn't losing because of the opposition; he was losing because Kasper Hvidt and Omeyer were absolutely tearing us apart. No, let me rephrase that—they were just damn good goalies doing exactly what they were supposed to do against us. The real problem was the gaping hole in our own defense. We'll lose a game 26-24, and Alilović ends up with single-digit save numbers.

Robert Doyle8 said:And six years ago he was a total clown, just like Goluza is now.

It just triggered a memory of that segment on CNN where Červar had to sit there and justify why we've walked away with nothing but silver medals in the last few championships, facing off against prasički.

Harold Long21 said:Smajlagić's role is vastly overstated. Lino lost games because we were getting dismantled by Kasper Hvidt and Omeyer. No, they were simply elite goalkeepers performing their jobs; we were being undone by the absolute shambles at our own goal. We lose 26-24, yet Alilović finishes with single-digit saves.

Perhaps his influence is exaggerated when people claim he was solely responsible for the team's success, but one cannot overlook the fact that he was a world-class winger whose insights surely benefited Džomba and Caleb. After all, isn't two heads better than one?

In my view, Lino lacked the necessary authority and credibility, which eventually emerged as a fatal flaw. Between the rift with Smajlagić, the political maneuvering, the recruitment of questionable players (like American), and the typical interference from Gobac regarding the roster (Metličić, Sulić), the players essentially turned their backs on him to develop their own tactics. And really, who could blame them?

Let’s be real here, we’ve played absolute garbage games under Lin before where there was zero tactical structure and the wings were completely ignored. The only difference this time was that instead of having Karačić, Kopljar, and Duvnjak out there, we had Balić, Metličić, and Lacković running the show—so we managed to pull it off purely through sheer individual talent.
I’ve never once seen Duvnjak function as a playmaker... he’s much more of a lethal shooter. When I watch Hansen from Denmark playing center back, the guy just looks like he's in a completely different league at that position. 🤷

I mean, they’ll probably put Metličić in charge as the head coach, assuming Pero actually says yes. He’s the golden boy captain, everyone loves him, both the players and the fans... he's got that authority, you know? If Pero takes the job, I bet he’ll demand total control over things. I just don't think he'd ever agree to let someone else pick his roster. Vujo is doing a killer job over at the Washington, D.C. club, so maybe they can leverage those solid performances to sell some players.

Balić is eyeing that coordinator role for all the men's teams, and I bet there’s coffee and cake waiting for him at the White House.

Anyway, it's basically a win-win for the big shots.

rowdytinker3 said:A
I have never viewed Duvnjak as a primary playmaker; he is more of a relentless shooter. When I watch Hansen from Denmark playing his mid-range game, the man simply seems to be a class above at that position 🤷

Duvnjak is good. He possesses vision and knows how to deliver a brilliant pass when needed. However, I am unsure what happened to him during this tournament—fatigue, perhaps, or something else? It is difficult to step into that role following Balić, as everyone inevitably compares you to him. Yet, the players are quite different.
Therefore, I cannot agree that Hansen is a class better. He stepped up against Spain, but there are certainly games where he struggles and his shot fails him.

George Ward7 said:I suspect Metličić will be appointed coach, provided Pero accepts. As a favorite captain among both teammates and the public, he carries authority... If Pero takes the helm, he would likely demand autonomy; I doubt he would agree to let anyone else select his roster. Vujo is doing fine work in Washington, D.C., so hopefully, players can be sold based on that strong performance.

Balić is moving toward a coordinator role for all the men's teams, while coffee and cake will likely be served at the White House.

In short, the fox is full and the goat is gone.

Hmm, I find this scenario somewhat doubtful. At least regarding the relationship between him and Gobac.
Furthermore, I am uncertain if Pero is suited for coaching. He was an igračina, but this is an entirely different matter.

Goluža couldn't even handle a driver's license, let alone lead a national team where you actually need enough brainpower to make strategic calls and set an example for the players.

On top of that, he’s cranky, arrogant, and clearly has no clue how limited his own abilities are whenever he steps up to a mic, which is a massive liability.