Handball Euro Bronze Medal Match: USA vs. Spain 31:27

The best players are just 'politics'

Stanić isn't anything special—just an average league goalie, I guess. He kind of reminds me of Jerković; personally, I think Mirko, Sierra, and Landin did much more significant, higher-quality work. That high save percentage? It’s more about having a solid defense in front of him than any actual skill on his part. For us, Stanić was busy digging out impossible shots, but when we actually played well in the first half, he couldn't seem to stop anything at all.

Lazarov got robbed, plain and simple. Kopljar played quite well from the France game onward—especially those key matchups—but before that, he was basically invisible. And even if he had been playing at that level from the start, he still wouldn't be better than Lazarov, who is clearly the guy stepping up for his national team. In our squad, Lac was always the one taking the responsibility, while Kopljar mostly just snatched up easy opportunities whenever they opened up.

Ilić could have easily taken the award instead of Hansen; the final was rough, but his tournament performance was stellar. He’s really the backbone of the Mexican team. But no, he didn't get MVP. Politics, I suppose.

As for the right wing, there's plenty of room for debate there—not exactly a slam dunk choice.

Anthony Wilson4 said:Huge congrats to all the players—hats off to them. They actually managed to pull together and overcome the one thing that’s been holding them back: finding enough grit to go out there and grab a bronze medal. I mean, if they’re this stoked about third place, who am I to rain on their parade? There was definitely room for more, but I think I'll leave that part unsaid.
I’d much rather spend some time dissecting the Dream Team selection...
Goalkeeper — Stanić is fine; he kept those guys from the US fighting us off at the critical moments, so he earned his spot.
Wings — I honestly can't justify the coaching decisions here. Cupko absolutely had to be in that lineup—if not him, then Strlek. I get why Strlek wasn't there since he missed the end of the tournament, but still.
Left Wing — Hansen. In my book, he didn't earn an All-Star spot after that absolute train wreck of a first half during the tournament. I'll throw Lac in there too, just to be fair.
Center Back — Zorman — no comment.
Right Wing — Kopljar. If he's really the best in that position, honestly, I’d love to just give him away to someone else for free!!!
Pivot — Toft Hansen? I guess he'll do.

No comment on Zorman? Just look at his assist numbers—the guy is averaging six assists per game...

Duvnjak and Balić combined don't even hit his assist average, and they've played way more games than him... that should tell you everything you need to know.

Adam Collins4 said:Sulić is a whole different story—it’s basically an all-out war with Gopc...

He actually went out of his way to thank the national team too, despite all the nonsense they put him through, so I was kind of thinking along those lines myself

Anyway, it's just sad, really—watching us toss away perfectly good players just to serve some private agendas.

Adam Collins4 said:Sulić...

Since we’re talking about pivots, I was wondering where Marcus Ahlm is hiding? It feels like he’s always nursing some injury right before a big tournament starts.😕

Also, if I can just throw a quick word in—let's dial back the criticism on Dražen Ćosić. He’s a commentator. His job is to cover a wide range of sports, and honestly, he does a great job at what matters most for his role: adding a bit of flair and drama to the broadcast! If we really want to go down that rabbit hole... he doesn't need to be a walking encyclopedia of every single play. Even the hardcore experts can't always agree on referee calls or tactical shifts mid-game!
Just my two cents, no need for a massive debate or a lecture here. Just a little observation.😉

Michael Morales4 said:Since we're talking about pivots, I might as well ask—where is Marcus Ahlm? It feels like he’s constantly nursing some injury right before every major tournament starts.😕

And look, I’m asking you personally—enough with the complaints about Dražen Ćosić. The guy is a commentator; his job involves covering multiple sports, and he does his job well enough—which, more importantly for his profession, means he knows how to stir up a little drama! Let's not get too deep into this... He doesn't need to know, nor is he required to be an expert on, every single damn situation on the court (not even the hardcore handball gurus can always agree on officiating or tactical breakdowns)!
Please, spare me the philosophy and the inevitable rebuttals; just a casual observation here.😉

Look, if the ref makes a signal and Dražen Ćosić—who is practically sitting courtside—has no clue what was actually called, then that’s just embarrassing on his part...

He really should know, because the ref signals every single decision (traveling, double dribble, charging)...

But Ćosić just does his own thing... not to mention those times when a player is driving hard and the ref calls a double dribble, yet Ćosić calls it traveling...

By the way, whenever I see those photos of those guys wearing those traditional hats, if you'll indulge me, I’ve got a little tangent coming my way—kind of a joke, really😉

Do you actually know how that specific style of hat even came to be? 😉 😉

So, there was this old commander back in the day, gathering his troops because things were getting pretty chaotic... some guys had uniforms, some just had shirts, some had pants, some had one kind of hat and others had something totally different... the furious commander calls over his tailor:

- "Hey, tailor, get to work. I need everyone in matching uniforms so they all look the same; and while you're at it, make them all wear the same hat"

- "But what kind of hat am I supposed to make, sir??"

- "I don't give a damn what it looks like... just make sure it looksabsolutely terrible, as long as everyone is wearing the exact same thing!!!"

Due to some nonsensical decision by the EHF, the top scorers and the MVP aren't allowed to be part of the All-Star team, which explains why Ilić and Lazarov were left out...

In my view, Stanić deservedly earned the title of best goalkeeper, even considering how great Landin was... though I would argue Stanić was absolutely brilliant throughout the entire tournament!

The wing players are debatable, but I just can't see Sprenger fitting into this lineup... there were plenty of much better players available...

The pivot position is negotiable, although I believe Aguinagalde played at a truly exceptional level during the whole championship...

From the backcourt, Kopljar really stands out, especially since he was the best player on the American team during the final stretch of the tournament...

Jeremy Brown88 said:Because of some absolute nonsense from the EHF, apparently you can't be both the top scorer and part of the All-Star team—which is why Ilić and Lazarov aren't on it...

Honestly, it's all just pure stupidity—more politics, I guess, just trying to pad the list so they can pick more players.

I haven't heard, though—did they even bother picking a best defender for the tournament? It might actually make sense if they just picked a best defensive lineup and a best offensive lineup separately, maybe allowing someone to be in both if they’re truly that good.

As for the top scorer thing, that isn't even a "choice," really, since the stats decide that, not some committee. So the whole thing is just a mess. This little "award" doesn't even touch on how vital Lazarov is to Mexico, beyond just his scoring numbers.

By the way, if we're talking about fairness, I'd probably strip the penalty shots out of the top scorer stats just to keep things honest.

Paul Jones7 said:- honestly, who gives a damn about how it looks... as long as it's looks like absolute garbage, just make sure they're all identical!!!

🤣
I was actually wondering yesterday if they make those hats in actual "normal" sizes or standard shapes—or if they're all designed specifically for giant, square-headed folks from the rural Midwest with that "one size fits all Americans" vibe.

Between the brass bands, the total lack of class, and the whole scene—if I hadn't known this was happening in Chicago, I would've thought it was some festival in a remote part of Turkey or Bulgaria. You've got the smoky arenas, everyone decked out in cheap faux-leather jackets from a discount outlet, bottles and axes flying around during the championship, and people dancing in circles... 🤣 man, what a joke.

Just think about how absolutely dominant our national teams would be in every single sport if we could just pull talent from every single one of those former North American republics. Rpresentation Bformer Yugoslav Republics (BYR).
But seriously, just imagine the power!

I’ve got a better one—it's called KBKK

darktiger21 said:I have a better one, it's called KBKK

🤣🤣

darktiger21 said:I've got an even better one, and it goes by the name of KBKK

🤣🤣

darktiger21 said:I've got an even better one, it's called KBKK

😂😂😂

George Hill4 said:Total garbage.🙂They’ve always fallen short of the bronze, and now suddenly they're acting like they actually have a shot at it. It’s funny how that works—they weren't nearly this fired up when we were fighting for a spot in the semifinals. Honestly, it's just frustrating as hell.😠

George Hill4 said:Just to set the record straight—we grabbed that bronze right after losing the semifinal against Mexico in Belgrade. Honestly, we played like a bunch of amateurs in that match (especially given how chaotic the conditions were), but then we completely turned things around. We went all in just to secure that third-place spot on the podium, mostly just to see if Mexico actually walked away with the silver or the gold. Amen. Goodnight.😠

So, how much did that loss by the Spanish team hit your betting wallet? 😛

Paul Jones7 said:By the way, whenever I see those photos of Mexican handball players sporting those specific tattoos...

One of the supposedly well-educated and literate "journalists" over at an American news outlet wrote that the Mexicans showed up to the medal ceremony "wearing military caps." 🤦

The editor, who clearly possesses the exact same level of intellectual depth, backed him up by putting that right in the headline. ☕

I honestly feel like we should have shown up looking sharp in ties and everything, especially since those guys from the next state over decided to play it all polite with how they handled the handouts😁

Paul Jones7 said:Both options are pure nonsense; it's just more politics designed to inflate the number of players involved.

I haven't heard—was the tournament's best defender even selected? It would actually make sense to choose the best defensive lineup and the best offensive lineup separately, allowing for an exceptional player to be included in both if their talent warrants it.

As for the top scorer, that isn't really a "choice" at all, because performance dictates the winner, not some committee. The whole thing is foolishness. This "award" fails to convey how vital Lazar was to the American team beyond just his scoring numbers.

Incidentally, I would personally strip the seven goals from the top scorer statistics just to ensure the selection process remained fair.

I agree, it is total idiocy...

By the way, the best defender was also chosen: Morros from Spain!

Adam Collins4 said:Nothing to say about Zorman? Just look at his assist numbers. The guy is averaging 6 assists per game...

Even if you combined Duvnjak and Balić, they wouldn't hit his per-game assist average, and that's after playing way more games than him... it speaks for itself...

Sorry, I think you misread me. When I said "I have no comment," I meant I was actually happy with the choice!!!
It wasn't sarcasm!!

Anthony Wilson4 said:Left wing - Hansen. In my opinion, he hasn't earned his spot in the starting lineup after that absolute disaster of a first half during the tournament.

🤦