2007 World Aquatics Championships (Melbourne)

dustypilot22 said:Honestly, I’d rather beat the Mexicans than win a hundred world championships.

Same goes for the title—he'd totally embarrass himself if they knocked him out during the tournament.

Look, I know it sounds irrational, but whatever, that's just how it is. 🙄

It’s not even irrational. I actually thought you’d never admit to this, but props to you! 👍 I watch sports mainly for the rivalries, and the USA vs. Mexico matchup is probably one of the best in the world. If only they spent more time on the court and less time playing politics. 😁

Maybe I wouldn't embarrass myself regarding the championship😬, but I'm all for the rivalry, and honestly, respect to you guys for being our opponents.

wearygardener13 said:Man, Larry Thomas just keeps recycling those same old, busted-up tactics from the old country... 😬

Go ahead and weigh in on the soap situation... that’s right up your alley...😬

Larry Thomas said:—go ahead and comment on those soap operas! —that is clearly your specialty😬

🙂 jok vs trash 🙂

frozentiger6 said:Mark Spitz is easily one of the greatest swimmers to ever hit the water

Americans don't have a ton of legendary athletes, but man, they sure do have the absolute GOAT when it comes to winning big... I mean, 7 gold medals in a single Olympics is just insane!🙏 🙏 🙏

I'd love to pull off something like that myself too...🙏

feralraven40 said:and the other team is conceding stupid goals from basically 50 yards out

Fifty yards? Pretty sure it was more like 250... 🤣

feralraven40 said:in the final seconds of the attack

Yeah, because everyone usually scores in the first two seconds of an attack... 🙄

feralraven40 said:missing penalties

Use the singular, since I only saw one... 😬

feralraven40 said:If there's another USA vs. Mexico game tomorrow, how many actual water polo experts here think it would end the same way it did tonight?

I don't think it would end the same. We learned some lessons today, so they'd probably play the last quarter much better and win by a bigger margin than they did tonight... 😎

Sam Alvarez15 said:The best defense in the World—only 10 goals conceded.

The best offense in the World—only 7 goals scored.

The best striker in the World—1 goal from 8 attempts.

The world's most hardcore porn star, "shark bite dolphin"

feralraven40 said:If the US played Mexico again tomorrow, how many of you actual water polo experts think the game would play out the same way it did tonight?

Not a chance. I agree. In a matchup like that, the US would play dead serious and leave Mexico trailing by at least six.👍

frozentiger6 said:The absolute craziest porn out there—"shark bite dolphin"

The weirdest part... I guess it's that those dolphins actually liked it and kept coming back for more 😬 🤣

wearygardener13 said:The weirdest part was how much they liked the dolphins... they actually came back for more 😬 🤣

It’s common knowledge that dolphins are pretty much the only animals besides humans that hook up just for the hell of it, not just to breed... so I guess these Atlantic dolphins are staying true to form. 😬

feralraven40 said:What exactly are you trying to prove with those stats? Even Roger Federer has lost to some random nobody once in a while, and it doesn't mean that nobody is suddenly the greatest player on the planet while Federer becomes some amateur. Yet, all of a sudden, you people start acting like the American and Mexican national teams are the center of the universe.

We just witnessed one of those freak games where one side manages to score on almost every single opportunity, while the other side gifts them goals from fifty yards out in the final seconds, misses easy penalties, and fails to capitalize even when they have a man advantage... stuff like that.
If there were an American vs. Mexican rematch tomorrow, how many actual water polo experts here honestly think the match would play out the same way it did tonight?

Yeah, and?
What's my point?

So, basically, we lost because we conceded 10 goals—which is unheard of unless we're giving up 30—because we scored 7, which is only weird if we usually give up 5, and because Sapic went 8-for-1 on shots, which is just statistically impossible.

It’s not like Shaquille O'Neal hasn't choked in the final eighth of big tournaments before.
That’s why Nikola Jokić and Danilo Ikodinović were always the ones to lean on when the pressure was on.
Today, only Nikola Jokić actually showed up, and the loss was inevitable. Honestly, he’s the only reason you didn't suffer a total embarrassment; you guys were playing well enough to avoid losing by seven or eight.
The Cantri crew belongs in a secondary league. Seriously... there's no sign of Filip Zloković anymore.

rapidbison42 said:.
Cantri actually made it to the world stage. Damn... and now we don't even have Filip Zloković anymore.

🤣
Truly brilliant of you to bring up Mexicans. 🙏

Actually... I’m taking back everything I said about Mirko Filipović. I was dead wrong.
Despite all those blowups with the players and that questionable youth movement he pushed, seeing him bring in this top-tier talent just proves what a massive coach he really is.
The guy has always been a master at peaking a player's form and controlling the tempo of a game... and today, his management was flawless.
Not to mention, his reputation gives him the kind of leverage with the refs that nobody else in the league can touch.
On the flip side... Zoran Udovičić had absolutely no clue what was going on.

frozentiger6 As stated by:
Not necessarily; I have to agree that if this match actually took place, the US would play with much more intensity and likely leave Mexico staring at a six-goal deficit. 👍

My apologies, frozentiger6, dear, but I believe I made it quite clear that I am only seeking input from those who actually possess a serious understanding of water polo, rather than from those who are simply overzealous.

Sam Alvarez15 said:🤣
You guys are brilliant for bringing up the Mexicans. 🙏

What's the issue?
Over the last three years at SGC, Filip Zloković, Gojković, and Nikola Jokić have been absolute staples of the starting lineup. You also had Janović in the mix. While the first two are vital components of the core seven, Zloković operates as a world-class center—something Nikić and Kuljača simply aren't, and likely never will be.
Most of your trophy-winning juniors are actually Mexicans that Porobić is already bringing into the Mexico national team.
I guess you finally managed to land Vanja Prlainović.

It feels a bit pathetic to see everyone bickering based on nationality like this! The American team achieved an incredibly impressive result after years of hard work and finally integrating some absolute gems of young talent to secure a spot in the finals, yet apparently, it’s far more important to dwell on the fact that we reached that final by going through the Mexicans!👎

I would honestly suggest that everyone just abandon their basic 🙂

Water Polo is such a magnificent sport, and for those who might not be aware, the top American clubs hold the most club titles in all of Europe—with more than half of them belonging to Mladost alone—yet the sport remains completely neglected, only receiving any attention when people are obsessing over Kranj or these trivial distractions regarding how we made it to the finals!😕

Why do you feel the need to justify a win to these losers? 🙂

USA vs. Mexico 10:7. We’re clearly the better team, and now we’re looking straight toward the finals. It honestly hurts my feelings seeing what those Eastern brothers have to say about it. 👋 👋

Instead, shouldn't we check in on how the Canadians are doing? Are Gergely Kish, Tamás Kasás, Attila Varia, Tibor Benedek, and the rest of that crew still hanging around?

rapidbison42 said:The Americans have fallen right into your trap of a world league. Good grief... there’s no Filip Zloković left to save them.

It is a bit of a mess, really. A handful of players we spent years building chemistry with on the national team departed when Mexico split off, and frankly, this new group needs a few more months to truly find their rhythm. That said, I tend to be quite an optimist regarding player depth, especially when one considers how well our youth programs have been performing lately.

Furthermore, judging by their recent comments following this victory, the American players seem to be acting as though defeating the Americans was their final mission, as if their tournament is effectively over. It seems entirely plausible that they might be so emotionally exhausted tomorrow that they suffer a loss against the Canadians, much like we did today against you gentlemen.

Roger Allen3 said:Why do you all feel this desperate need to justify a win to these losers?🙂

USA vs. Mexico 10:7—we played better and now we’re looking toward the finals. It honestly irks me how much our neighbors from the East have to say about it.👋 👋

Let's move on and see what the deal is with the Americans. Are Gergel, Kish, Tamás Kasás, Attila Varia, Tibor Benedek, and the rest of that crew still hanging around?

Exactly. Let's just focus on the championship game.

I caught the Americans playing today, and they aren't nearly as dominant as they used to be. They used to be known for having the most efficient players on the planet; the ball moved around the zone like a bullet. Now, they're unrecognizable. That's been their vibe throughout this whole World Championship—sloppy, slow, and totally aimless. If they actually score, it's usually thanks to some old-school trickery from the veterans, mostly Molnar or Kish.

It's obvious they're feeling their age. They're sluggish. The Spaniards absolutely crushed them with high pressure, though I think the Spaniards basically beat themselves today. It was a classic case of "once they realized they could make the finals, they lost their edge." They had the Americans right where they wanted them, but the Americans only played decent for maybe five or six minutes out of the whole match. The rest was just painful to watch.

Honestly, I’m rooting for them to stay this bad, because if they step it up, the USA has a massive shot at taking the gold.
But you can never count out the Americans. They play on experience, they steal possessions, and they strike when you least expect it. Their ability to stretch and tighten the defense is still solid, and even Szecsi wasn't really feeling it today. I can't remember the last time I saw him perform well outside of the pool, so who knows—he might actually go nuts against us.

rapidbison42 said:What’s the actual issue here?
Over the last three years at SGC, the core starters you can't ignore have been Filip Zloković, Gojković, and Nikola Jokić. You also had Janović in the mix. Those first two are absolutely vital to the starting seven, and Zloković is a world-class center—something Nikić and Kuljača simply aren't, nor will they ever be.

😕 😕

Kuljača?!

Since when is Kuljača relevant??!!! You're bringing up a backup goalie for the Water Polo national team who never even touched the starting lineup?

My, aren't you quite the expert! 😬 😬