World Handball Championship: USA vs. Spain 27-25

Patrick Bailey4 said:That’s just the truth.

exactly

Gregory Ramos3 said:What exactly do you mean by "bringing it home"...? 🤔

Just leave it at home... 😁

George Robinson43 said:The Spaniards make it to the finals like clockwork.
Meanwhile, our guys are just sitting there praying to God and hoping someone upstairs is actually paying attention.
And let’s be honest, God doesn't have much patience for fools.

👋

Exactly. 🤣

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy0MJgnW6v4

Sure, we’re big-time athletes—so much so that you could see us letting loose right from the plane window.

I have to admit, this Cop is starting to genuinely surprise me more and more
The first time I saw him in New York City, I was talking trash because he didn't seem to have the guts to pull the trigger, even though he's got the build and the reach to handle whatever comes his way

Maybe he’ll finally grow some backbone after all... 🤷
You really ought to see him when he isn't just playing games on the other side

I’m voting for a win right out of the gate; but I am strictly against any backroom deals, handshakes, or rigging stuff behind the scenes!!!

Integrity has to come first, period!

Let's just be straight with everyone!!!

Steven Reed30 said:I come here and see everyone trash-talking our own people and I just don't get it...

To all you losers claiming we're idiots or getting played: you're just a bunch of cowards terrified of the French. You'd rather hand them the win than watch us lose on purpose because you're scared of France. Should we have avoided them last year after we beat them?

Screw you guys.

Prika, the point isn't about letting them play.

The point is we could've rested the players today. We basically would've entered the second round totally fresh since the games against Australia and Algeria were just warm-ups, and we didn't grind through bloodbaths against Egypt and Canada either. Instead, we lost Strlek, Lackovic is out indefinitely, there's talk about the Cop being sidelined too, and Balic is stuck in the stands. Now we're left starting Lovro Šprem. Props to the kid, but he's not enough against France. If we had lost, we'd have saved our strength and kept Strlek for an easier schedule. Use your heads.

I’ve seriously never seen anything like this; it’s like both the home team and those total scrubs are actively trying to throw the game. Honestly, the best part of the whole mess was just watching Balicev’s reaction to that absolute masterclass from the underdog...

Truth be told, we didn't exactly match the level of effort the Spaniards put into screwing everyone over... if only we had simply kept pace with their rhythm...

Frank Turner72 said:How could we say we weren't calculating our moves?! Are you kidding yourselves? The game was only intense for about five minutes—we were playing strategically, yet we still managed to fail like absolute amateurs.

To top it all off, we actually ended up empty-handed in a match where the other team was practically handing us the win on a silver platter. 🙏 🙏

Honestly, maybe this outcome isn't such a bad thing after all. If we had been placed in a different bracket, who knows? We might have ended up facing the Poles in the round of 16 and just gotten absolutely crushed. Unlike some other groups, our athletes actually understand the concept of playing fair. The way our soccer players handled things against the Americans, and how our handball squad conducts themselves, is something we should truly be proud of. I mean, we aren't about to act like those Mexicans, right? If they actually possessed our level of talent in handball and were sitting in our shoes, they’d probably lose to the Spaniards by twenty points flat.

casualskipper8 said:Actually, this outcome might be a blessing in disguise! If we had ended up in a different group, we could have faced the Poles in the round of sixteen and been knocked right out. Unlike some other teams, our athletes truly understand the spirit of fair play. What our soccer players achieved against the English, and what our handball stars are doing now, is nothing short of inspiring. We certainly don't want to act like the Mexicans. Even if they possessed our level of talent in handball, if they were in our shoes, they would have lost to the Spaniards by twenty points.

Everything seems fine.
But honestly, can you imagine the absolute chaos that will break out here if we lose to the Frenchmen or the Danes?

You are logged in 🙂

And what’s truly ridiculous is watching some people here suddenly start preaching about "fair play" and integrity. Look, I get it—for some folks, playing by the rules and coming in last might be the moral choice, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But let’s be real: this wasn't even an issue of being dishonest. It was painfully obvious that both sides were practically begging to lose. The only difference is that in this tactical chess match, we got completely outmaneuvered. We were played. Outclassed. Honestly, just outsmarted.
Guys, let's stop pretending this was about ethics. We weren't being unfair; we were just being incompetent.

Daniel Cooper40 said:Prika, the issue isn't about whether we played them or not.

The whole point was that we had a chance to rest some players today, which would have let us go into the second round feeling totally fresh... especially since our games against Australia and Algeria were basically just warm-ups, and even those matches against Egypt and Canada weren't exactly bloodbaths. Instead, look at what happened. We lost Strlek, Lackovic is sidelined indefinitely, there's similar talk about the Cop, and Balic is stuck in the stands. Now we're left with one Lovro Šprem playing in the starting lineup. I mean, props to the kid, he's doing his best, but against France? It’s just not enough... If we had sat people out, we would have kept our strength, kept Strlek healthy, and had a much smoother schedule ahead. Just some food for thought...

Exactly. If there wasn't room for Stepančić, Mandalinić, or Marić to step in during a relatively low-stakes game today to give the starters a break, then the coach might as well pack his bags and head back to Washington, D.C. right now... because he won't be around for the rest of the tournament either.

sea donkey said:God apparently only favors cowards... which seems to be the group we belong to.

Just imagine a bunch of dead badgers... 🤣

Did any of you feel even a shred of shame? 🤣

Not at all.

If we still had Balic, Peru, Laco, or Dzomb from the old guard, I’d say go ahead and pack the stands with every fan in the country... because I know how much grit we actually have.

But with this current roster, as far as I'm concerned, we can limp past the badgers straight to the finals, where we'll likely run into someone like San Marino...

Ashley Carter95 said:We didn't, but we should have tried to protect our core lineup while we still could. If we even manage to make it to the game against the French, we won't have enough gas left to finish a single half...

Exactly that 😉

Frank Turner72 said:How could we possibly say we didn't calculate our moves? Are we really lying to ourselves like that? The game was intense for maybe five minutes before we completely fell apart, proving once again just how foolish we can be.

This is the cold, hard truth; it was almost as if we were too embarrassed to sink even lower than the Spanish team did. At this point, one can only pray that Coach Miller is actually ready for the quarterfinals.

Patrick Bailey4 said:And you know what the real kicker is? Now I’m seeing some geniuses in here starting to lecture us about "sportsmanship" and playing fair. Look, sure, maybe being honest and coming in last is a noble way to live, and hey, if that's your vibe, more power to you!
But let's get real for a second—it wasn't even a question of whether we were being "fair." It was painfully obvious that both sides were practically begging to lose! We just happened to be the ones caught on the wrong end of a massive tactical trap. We weren't outplayed fairly; we were outmaneuvered. Outsmarted. Totally dismantled. And honestly? We looked like amateurs.
Folks, we aren't talking about honor or integrity here. We were just plain outclassed.

Man, what exactly are you watching, old friend? 😁

First off, congrats to our guys on an incredible performance.

As for France—I honestly thought that gambling trash Karabatic would’ve been suspended from Montpellier and the national team by now, but apparently not. For God's sake, athletes from powerhouse nations can get away with anything; if someone like Balic had done the same, the EHF and IHF would have fast-tracked a lifetime ban before you could blink. It's unbelievable.