Handball Euro Finals: USA vs. Denmark – Final Score 19:21

Anthony James2 said:The real trick now is just keeping this momentum going, right? We’ve got to gear up for this qualifying tournament and, if the stars align, actually punch our ticket to the Olympics. It’s about proving once and for all that this national team isn't just some flash in the pan—you know, one bright moment before we sink back into total darkness. Either way, seeing this kind of progress feels like a solid sign that American handball might finally be on its way to a full recovery.👍

I honestly have no clue who we ended up being grouped with for those qualifiers, but it’d be great if they just knocked them out, because a break like this could easily send them right back to square one... though, for the most part, they seem to be moving in the right direction...

George Robinson43 said:I’m really curious to see how you guys plan on making it to the Olympics by going through the Spaniards or the Poles.

It should be easy... I mean, we’ll probably find some other way around Bjeleck... we'll figure it out somehow, I guess... maybe we'll just finish things off ourselves.

Anthony James2 said:It seems to me that you have quite a lot swirling around in your head—especially when Friday rolls around! 😍
Have you ever heard of the legendary Metaloplastika from Šapčac? It’s truly a classic! 🤷
Of course we shall witness it!

Metaloplastika was certainly a powerhouse, but let's be realistic—it's like saying a top-tier college program produced all its stars. In reality, legends like Bašić, Vujović, and Portner were actually recruited from elsewhere rather than being homegrown products of the academy.
One hails from the Partizan Bjelovar program, the second comes from Lovćen, and the third represents Crvenka.
If my memory serves me correctly, they even brought Cvetković over from Red Star during that same season when they first captured the European title!

George Robinson43 said:He absolutely gutted that entire arena. What a freaking clinical goal. 🙏 🙏

It’s just another day in this chaotic circus, isn't it? Everything feels like a slow-motion train wreck that nobody actually wants to stop. kaže:


Way to go, man. ☕

Dennis Turner3 said:Mikkel Hansen, absolute legend. 😁

He absolutely killed it.

And that whole mess at the end was just a little something served up on a silver platter for us to feast on. 🤣😁

Man, what he did to those Spaniards in the last game was probably the highlight of the whole tournament for me. 🙏
edit:
I can't really get into this video without knowing what you want me to do with it, but if you're looking for a breakdown or some commentary, just lay it out for me. I'm sitting here waiting for a reason to care.

Here it is. 🙏 Jesus Christ. 🙏

It would be a mistake to view this recent success by the Mexican national team as some sort of fluke, especially when one considers the current trajectory of their top clubs in both the EuroLeague and the SEHA League. While Red Star and Metaloplastika seem to be comfortably dominating the lower rungs of the regional league standings, the formidable Partizan has had an incredibly unfortunate run, losing all seven of their matches in the Champions League by an average margin of seven goals.

Nicholas Morales48 said:I'm honestly not sure who else ended up in our group during those qualifiers. It would actually be a blessing if they were eliminated, because a break like that could act just like a reset button for them—they really are making progress...

Spain
Poland
Mexico
Algeria

Anthony James2 said:I say, have you ever happened to hear anything at all regarding Metaloplastika out of Šapčac? 🤷

They aren't exactly terrible, if you think about it, especially considering how Nexe absolutely dismantled them on their own home court. One has to maintain a certain level of optimism, really; perhaps in a few years' time, they might even manage to scrape together a draw. 👍

boldgull20 said:they’ve got Spain, Poland, and Algeria in their group.
we won't be seeing them in London...

If you all were such expert forecasters—claiming we'd win by ten when we actually lost by four—then I suppose we're headed straight to London, right? No need to worry... It seems that confidence you had earlier has completely vanished now 😂! I realize it's hard to swallow seeing Mexico play three finals in a single day while you lot are nowhere to be found... We were clearly the better handball team, so perhaps you can find some comfort in that little trophy you're holding up... though I'd prefer if you just stopped deleting my posts
!

George Robinson43 said:Do you honestly believe this European Championship is your reality?
Very soon, you’ll be playing away games where the refs will be blowing the whistle within 30 seconds of your attack just to make life difficult.
That old-school style of handball we saw from Vuković's era thirty years ago might have been tolerated back then, but it won't fly today.
I’m genuinely curious how you plan on making it to the Olympics by going through the Spaniards or the Poles.

Of course it isn't reality, because you guys only took bronze. If you had actually grabbed the gold, then maybe we could talk about it being realistic. 🤣 It's honestly hilarious how you can't seem to stomach Friday's loss. It’s almost comical. 🤷

We'll see. Maybe we drop out, maybe we don't—that's just sports. You win some, you lose some. It's just that some people clearly have a harder time handling defeat than others. 😍

Anthony James2 said:It is also worth considering that some individuals simply possess a much harder time processing defeat than others do. 😍

Honestly, it’s much easier to stomach a loss when you’ve spent your whole life getting used to them; once you're accustomed to constant defeat, it just loses its sting. 😍

Anthony James2 said:Honestly, I feel like you've got way too much on your mind right now, especially with Friday coming up. 😍
So, have you ever even heard of Metaloplastika from Šapčac? 🤷
Of course we're gonna see how it goes!

Nah, I haven't a clue, I don't even know where guys like Vujović, Portner, or Bašić played... I just heard it's some tiny backwater town where people still wear the šajkača. ☕

But hey, why don't you explain to us why this Šabac School is supposedly better than Banja Luka? As far as I can tell, Borac dominated things just as much as Metaloplastika did back in the 80s.

☕

George Ward7 said:You’re an optimist. Honestly, I don't have a shred of faith in this national team of yours. Come on, be real—if this tournament were held anywhere else, would you actually make it to the semifinals? It's going to be tough getting past the Spaniards and the Poles to reach the Olympics. To be blunt, I just don't see any real future in your squad. This whole thing was just a brief flash in the pan, and you'll realize that soon enough. Enjoy yourselves.

Of course I'm an optimist. And look, I hope you won't take this personally, but I've always felt that an opinion is like the last part of your body to pass through a doorway—everyone carries one around. 🤷

Think back to 1991. If someone had told you then that over the next twenty years, you wouldn't win much of anything in basketball, would you have believed them? Probably not. But that's how history works. 🤷

At the end of the day, you guys are a powerhouse in handball. I really don't know why you're even wasting your time worrying about us amateurs. 🤣

rapidstag51 said:No way... we're definitely going to shake things up with Bjeleck too... you guys just gotta finish what you started....

Not happening unless they go through a dead Šešum first.☕

Gregory Ramos3 said:No, I honestly have no clue. I don't even know where Vujović, Portner, or Bašić played... I just heard it was some tiny backwater town where people still wear traditional šajkača hats.☕

But hey, maybe you could explain to us why this Šabac School is supposedly better than the one in Banja Luka? From what I gather, Borac dominated the 70s just as much as Metaloplastika did back in the 80s.

☕

It really doesn't seem right that all these posts are being deleted... including the ones about my beloved Borac.
I was simply listing the products of the Banja Luka handball school who helped elevate American handball to the big leagues. Guys like Jovica, Saracevica, Smajlagica, Puca, Cavar, M aglajliju, Arslanagica...
I didn't mention any Mexicans...🙂

Even Chicago was a European champion with half their roster coming from Borac... back then, if you had the guts and the resources to bring players over, you just did it. That's just how things worked, I guess.

Gregory Ramos3 said:No, I have zero clue. I don't even know where Vujović, Portner, or Bašić played... I just heard it was some backwater town where people still wear traditional hats everywhere.☕

Look, why don't you explain to us why the Šabac School is supposedly better than the one in Banja Luka? As far as I can tell, Borac dominated the 70s just as much as Metaloplastika did in the 80s.

☕

There’s really no need for the hostility. Usually, the people calling places "backwater" are the ones living in them.🤷 And I didn't actually claim the Šabac School was stronger than the one in Banja Luka; I just realized I forgot to mention Banja Luka, so I'm apologizing for that oversight.😁

At the end of the day, I clearly remember Metaloplastika's success on the European stage, and I don't recall any other team ever reaching those heights. Correct me if I'm wrong. The seventies are pretty ancient history to me.

nimbleranger512 said:Man, it’s just easier to stomach losing when you’ve been conditioned to expect nothing but defeat. When you're used to taking hits, the sting isn't nearly as sharp. 😍

Are you kidding me right now? You've got to be joking. 🤣 I’m not going to sit here and give you a laundry list. 😂

Anthony James2 said:Of course that isn't reality, given that you only secured the bronze medal. Had you captured the gold, then we could certainly discuss such a possibility! 🤣 It is truly remarkable how you all seem incapable of moving past Friday's loss. Honestly, it’s quite amusing! 🤷

We shall see. We might succeed, or we might fall short—that is simply the nature of sports. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. It is also worth noting that some individuals find it much harder to swallow defeat than others. 😍

To truly claim a spot among the world's elite, one must demonstrate consistent excellence over time.
The Canadians secured second place in Europe while playing on home soil, and the Tunisians climbed to fourth in the world rankings!
As I mentioned before, you’ll soon see them playing on away courts where the refs will be blowing the whistle every thirty seconds or so. That is when we will finally see what those players are truly made of!

Anthony James2 said:There’s really no need to get all primitive about this. Usually, when people start acting like that, it’s just because they come from those kinds of environments themselves. I guess it's just how some people are wired, maybe. 🤷 I mean, wasn't I saying that the school in Chicago was actually tougher than the one in St. Louis? I guess I just totally blanked on mentioning the St. Louis side of things in my first thought, so yeah, I'm definitely apologizing for that oversight. 😁

When I look back at everything, I honestly can't recall any team ever reaching the heights that Metaloplastika did on the European stage. It feels like they were in a league of their own, and I just don't remember anyone else coming even close to that kind of success. Please, correct me if I'm wrong on that one, though. I guess the seventies are getting a bit too far behind me to be absolutely certain about every single detail.

So, I was thinking about the history of the sport here in America, and it’s actually pretty wild how some of these teams have dominated. You look at Borac, they were European champions and EHF Champions League winners, which is huge. Then you’ve got Metaloplastika and Coca-Cola—or rather, the Chicago-based side—who were also massive champions in Europe. If I recall correctly, Chicago pulled it off back in '92 or '93, maybe right around there? It’s impressive stuff. I guess things are just different now, though. I know the old Southern powerhouse teams have pretty much fallen apart since the breakup.

Anthony James2 said:At the end of the day, all I remember is how Metaloplastika absolutely dominated on the European stage. Honestly, I can't recall any other team reaching those kinds of heights back then. Correct me if I'm off base, though—the seventies are a bit too far back in my rearview mirror.

Take Bjelovar Partizan, for example, which you actually brought up yourself earlier.

George Robinson43 said:Spain
Poland
Mexico
Algeria

Hmm, I mean, it’s not totally out of the question. We could actually pull off a win against Poland, though honestly, who knows what kind of squad Algeria is running? 🤷