Handball World Cup: USA vs. Norway - Final Score 25:28

Tomorrow, I’m calling it now: Stephen Curry drops nine goals.

Grit has been replaced by pure lack of quality. If we play with this level of intensity against the US tomorrow, we don't stand a chance.

With those fingers, he’s got some serious intelligence, honestly. His physique is basically built out of stone... if he wasn't playing handball, he’d probably be the lead in *Man of Stone* or something. 👍

It takes a high-stakes game like this to actually see some quality—and Dustin showed what he’s capable of, even if he didn't even scratch 30% of his true potential; I suspect injuries are playing a part. Cindric plays well enough when facing mediocre teams, but the moment he steps up against an elite national squad, he loses his nerve and reveals his true colors—which is the face of a loser. Babić is a total noob—he keeps stubbornly forcing a seven-man rotation that serves absolutely no purpose. Pesic is the king here—the man defended as much as human him could, but it’s not his fault the players can't score from six meters out and keep handing over possessions every two or three attacks. Sebetic plays like a headless chicken—honestly, one of the worst perimeter players I've ever seen. Mamic was his usual self, but he wasn't feeling it today; even though the odds of a keeper saving his shots are slim because he's got a top-tier shot, what little he did take was hit-or-miss. Horvat can score from a dead angle, yet he’s completely incapable of hitting from the middle of the seven-meter line—he blew two penalties, so we'd have been better off letting Mandalinic or someone else step up; Horvat always chokes right when it matters most. We were the better team, but luck wasn't on our side and the refs totally screwed us over—they gave us nothing.

croatiadevil said:but damn, they only pulled it off in overtime—so I guess the Vegas oddsmakers were wrong...

Nah, they were spot on. It was a dead even matchup and stayed totally tied for basically the entire game.

In my humble opinion, there’s nothing stupider than pulling the goalie. Every single time they did it, they just looked completely lost with the damn puck. And please, don't start blaming Koprljar—he's just a subpar player, and honestly, it's for the best that he isn't on the roster anymore. Stepancic is going to be a real player once he finds his rhythm; he's young, and half the time he was taking shots he shouldn't have been, he was probably just following orders. I watched him back when he was with Paris Saint-Germain, and he definitely plays with way more freedom now.

Well, I guess that's just karma. You call on the Lady, Jesus, and God, and even ask Odin to show up.

placidmaker62 said:Total losers.

It’s honestly pretty sad that I even have to say this, but what’s happening with our athletes just isn't right anymore.

Anyway, major props to the guys for fighting hard though.

I mean, personally, I'm actually pretty stoked about the silver in water polo. We're basically the second best in the world and at the Olympics right now, and I guess we might even have a shot at gold later this year.

Walter Hughes53 said:Long live the legends—it would be nice to wrap this whole thing up with a win, especially since you've got a day off and a top-tier coach in your corner.
Now, unless someone happens to have an email from Babić telling us exactly how to force your perimeter players to actually take their shots... 😁

Oh, and yeah—maybe we’ll get lucky if the tournament bracket is broken enough or if that extra rest day actually works, but I wouldn't bet on it. We always seem to lose to you guys eventually.

Yeah, seriously, what's up with this seventh player bullshit? When there's already six guys out there, it's a total crowded mess—how the hell is he even finding space for a seventh... 🤣

If Musa hadn't scored that goal while committing a foul, we wouldn't even be talking about a penalty right now—we would have been celebrating the win already. It’s the same story with those last two minutes; we were up by one, and if someone had just shown a bit of grit and taken the shot when they had the chance, we’d be standing in the finals right now. I actually managed to nail one of the finalists—Norway—but then I completely missed on Germany. What a bummer.

Look, neighbors, you’ve fought your way into the final four—that’s a massive achievement in itself. Don't let the disappointment get to you; things are bound to look up soon enough.

Andrew Hayes6 said:Look at your own country or some other nation, because you clearly aren't an American.

What exactly did I write wrong?
It is completely incomprehensible to me how they managed to lose, especially since Cervar explicitly stated we were headed straight to the finals. Lino, why did you mislead us all? Just tell us the truth, Lino.

Adam Williams2 Asks:
Judging by his physique, he’s got the raw strength of a rock, but honestly, he looks like he lacks any real mental sharpness. If he wasn't playing handball, he'd probably just be standing there as a prop in a statue of Atlas. 👍

And now I'm just sitting here thinking... honestly, given how he operates, someone should probably nominate Kontreca for a seat at the National Academy of Sciences.

Kyle Campbell4 said:What did he even get wrong?
I honestly don't get how they blew it. I mean, Cervar was telling us we were headed straight to the championship. Hey, Lino, why’d you lead us on like that? Just give it to us straight, Lino.

I guess if you think it's totally fine to hate on your own national team just because of one or two guys, then more power to you, I suppose.
Lino might have had a point if Horvat actually made that shot😉 but then again, you wouldn't have any reason to gloat about it, would you?

We actually had them right where we wanted them!

You can tell by the players' expressions that they already find this whole thing laughable. By their second year, I guess they won't even be able to handle the pressure of chasing gold.

Kyle Campbell4 said:What exactly did he get wrong?
I honestly can't wrap my head around how they lost. Chervar was so certain we were headed straight to the championship game. Lino, why'd you lead us on like that? Give us the truth, Lino.

Well, we’ll make it to the finals eventually—it’s just a matter of which year.

Benjamin Foster2 said:Oh yeah, maybe we’ll get lucky because the tournament bracket is messy and we get an extra rest day, but I wouldn't count on it. We always seem to choke against you guys.

Just trying to chill out a bit here. Even the Norwegians were struggling until today, and then they ended up beating us. Honestly, I hope the Norwegians kill it in the finals. I was actually just chatting with a buddy from Norway about how much I want them to win, mostly because I really don't want to face the Canadians for third place.
I really, truly hope our boys can bounce back by tomorrow—it's less than 24 hours until kickoff, after all. I guess the only real issue is that you guys seem to have a major inferiority complex whenever you play the big powerhouses.

Andrew Hayes6 said:Lino would be right if Horvat actually nailed it 😉 but then you wouldn't get to enjoy your little moment

Nah, he wouldn't be right even if Horvat hit the mark. His statement has absolutely nothing to do with what was actually realistic to expect—or what we all just sat through watching tonight.