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

Joseph Kern5 said:I'm not really sure why Mandalinic was called up, or why they picked Strlek, Jotich, Mihic, or Matulic either.

🙏

Jack Miller6 said:🙏

Haha, looks like quite a few of us have wandered into this corner of the internet today.

Look, if I'm being politically correct here—we're all just free-falling... some people are just jumping out of planes without even bothering to grab a parachute.

Andrew Hayes6 said:We’ve all seen how much our offense struggles when Duvnjak is stuck on the bench. He's really the only one giving us some actual structure and ideas in the paint. Without him, the whole attack feels like a total grind. I have a lot of respect for Vujović, though, and I'm honestly rooting for him to eventually step up and take over for Babica. That said, let's be real—it's hard to imagine any coach actually leaving Duvnjak out of a major tournament lineup.

[basketball2015]We've seen what happens to our rhythm when Tomić isn't out there; he's basically our only source of offensive creativity... it’s tough to see any coach pass on him for a big tournament... I don't know... maybe they'd go with that useless washout Planinić???
[/basketball2015]

Sam Thomas3 said:It’s all true. Gobić, Mamić, Šuker, the Democrats, the Republicans—it’s all the same garbage. They centralized and privatized handball; there is honestly no point in even trying to explain it anymore.

But none of that changes the fact that these players on the court are doing everything right. Take Duvnjak, for instance; he fights for every single ball, and the rest of them follow suit. On top of that, they are incredibly humble and respectful of the support they receive. Not to mention the fact that not one of them is acting as a bagman for the mob while they launder money, unlike that absolute trash, that sniveling informant and his cronies. You probably even remember that Duvnjak spent some time riding the bench in a major US city because he stood up to Gobac and signed a preliminary contract with HSV without blinking an eye. He refuses to be anyone's personal ATM, and I truly respect him for that.

And let’s be clear: I completely understand those people who have grown totally disgusted with this "national team." I am one of them. Even though I genuinely wanted them to win and supported them, I feel deep down that the atmosphere is nowhere near the passionate cheering it really should be, but that’s just how it is.

I was simply providing a brief explanation of where the issue lies because the man asked what the problem was.
Personally, I couldn't care less about handball. To me, watching this is no different than watching a movie. It makes zero difference to me whether I'm watching a handball semifinal or some random film. The exact same applies to every other sport. The only thing that matters in my life is Dinamo; everything else is just a hobby or a way to kill time. I actually take a little pleasure in these losses solely because of those narrow-minded jerks who think you’re unpatriotic if you refuse to let idiots like Gobac, Mamić, and the rest of those white-collar criminals play you for a fool. Those people who, during the game against Spain, immediately started comparing this kid Mamić to another Mamić. It honestly makes me happy to see how much this loss bothers them and how they've lost their ability to write anything coherent. All they need to do now is start whining about the officiating to reach the peak of stupidity, especially since they were the ones mocking the Spaniards for complaining about the refs. I guess karma is a bitch.

Seriously, where the hell are guys like Sliskovic, Alilovic, Sulic, Spoljaric—who spent seven years over at Fuchs Berlin, by the way—plus Kresimir kozin, Drago Vukovic, Vukic, Ivan Horvat (over in Flensburg), Kopljar, Ivan Nincevic, Tonc Valcic, Brozovic, Lackovic, Cupic, Karacic, Sego, Blazevic, Obranovic, and Buntic?

It feels like half of Canada plays for Veszprem, just like half of America does. Except, you know, those Canadian players from Veszprem are actually out there fighting for a bronze medal tomorrow.👍

Maybe they should have just called up the legends from that movie about winning the gold medal at the '96 Olympics in Atlanta. You know, the ones who actually had the mindset, the talent, the grit, and the actual hunger to win.

I’ve probably been following handball for maybe twenty years now, starting right around '96, and I gotta say, the offense has never looked this pathetic. There's zero chemistry with the wings, the pivot's role is totally lost, and the left and right shooters? Total wash. Even the playmaker is struggling.

electricorca112 said:[US Basketball 2015] We all saw how much our game falls apart without Tomić. He's pretty much the only one giving us any actual offensive structure... I mean, I find it hard to believe any coach would actually take someone else to a tournament instead of him. I don't know... maybe instead of that useless guy Planinić?

[/US Basketball 2015]

Honestly, the best player we have is Bogdanović, not Tomić. It makes me wonder, if someone actually had the guts to leave Tomić out, would they even dare? Like, if the coach decided not to call up Modrić, the media and the whole country would just tear them apart instantly.

Joseph Kern5 said:Where are Sliskovic, Alilovic, Sulic, Spoljaric—who spent 7 years with Fuchs Berlin—Kresimir kozin, Drago Vukovic, Vukic, Ivan Horvat (playing for Flensburg), Kopljar, Ivan Nincevic, Tonc Valcic, Brozovic, Lackovic, Cupic, Karacic, Sego, Blazevic, Obranovic, Buntic.

Half of Canada plays for Veszprem, just like half of America... except the Canadians at Veszprem are actually playing for a bronze medal tomorrow.👍

Here’s the rest of them, though Alilović 😂 I hope he's sleeping soundly back home...

Kyle Campbell4 said:I was just giving a quick breakdown of where things went wrong since someone actually asked what the issue was.
Honestly, I couldn't care less about handball. To me, watching this is no different than sitting down to watch a movie. Does it really matter if I'm watching a handball semifinal or some random film? It’s all the same! In my book, the only thing that truly matters is LA Galaxy; everything else is just a way to pass the time or kill some boredom. I actually find a little joy in seeing these losses, mostly because of those narrow-minded jerks who think you're unpatriotic just because you refuse to be played like a fool by various corporate suits and big-shot executives. Take the game against Spain—those people immediately started drawing comparisons between different guys with the same last name. It honestly makes me happy to see how much this loss bothers them, especially when you see they've completely lost their ability to write a coherent thought. All they need to do now is start whining about the officiating to complete the cycle, especially since they were the ones mocking the Spanish team for complaining about the refs earlier. You could say karma is a bitch!

👍

Nicole Wright said:Here's everyone else, but as for Alilović 😂 I just hope he’s sleeping soundly at home tonight..

I only brought him up because that reporter was always shouting, "But Looovic!" That's all. Just an unlikable guy, I guess. Honestly, aside from Mirko Basic and Valter Matosevic, we haven't seen any real, serious goalkeepers.

The last truly top-tier coach was Velimir Kljaic. I mean, I really didn't see anyone better or more professional sitting on the American bench. Lino Cervar just got lucky having such incredible players at his disposal. If things had been even slightly different, we probably would've seen him coaching PSG, Barcelona, or even the German national team, instead of that skilled Icelander.

Joseph Kern5 said:Where are Sliskovic, Alilovic, Sulic, Spoljaric, who played for Fuchs Berlin for 7 years, Kresimir kozin, Drago Vukovic, Vukic, Ivan Horvat (Flensburg), Kopljar, Ivan Nincevic, Tonc Valcic, Brozovic, Lackovic, Cupic, Karacic, Sego, Blazevic, Obranovic, Buntic?

Half of Canada plays for Veszprem, just like half of America. But those Canadians over at Veszprem are playing for a bronze medal tomorrow.👍

They really should've called up that crew from the movie about winning gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. You know, that mindset, the talent, the grit, and the pure hunger.

Well, Sliskovic is sick, Brozovic is injured, and Mamić is out hurt too. Kopljar has been dealing with knee issues since the Poland games.
Man, please don't mess with Valčić.

copperharbor59 said:You laid it out pretty well, except I think Babic is a complete idiot. With an attack this sluggish, we just can't compete... there aren't even any fast breaks because, naturally, the goalkeeper just rolls the ball right to himself and wanders off... then you've got three defenders just wandering aimlessly around. We didn't manage to move the ball quickly from wing to wing once during the whole match (especially with two pivots and our goal left wide open). Basically, the defense looked okay here and there, but the offense was a disaster.

It’s all still standing. I didn't even mention the wings because they barely touched the ball. Just a few years ago, we had one of the fastest transitions—counterattacks and semi-counters that actually won us games—but that’s gone now. Okay, maybe I'm being a bit too soft on Babic, but I still wouldn't go as far as saying he's a total moron of a coach. Perhaps he's more just ill-suited for it, since he hasn't been able to adapt to the ultra-fast style of play that's becoming the standard. From that perspective, he's a failure. But, with his decades-old style of play, we did beat the Spanish women and took the Norwegians into overtime. I suppose that's some kind of silver lining, even if it's a weak one. So, personally, I won't say he's a complete bust of a coach.

Robert Doyle8 said:Anyone talking trash about Duvnjak needs to actually watch how the team functions when he's sitting on the bench. It’s total chaos—no structure at all. And obviously, we experience "choke" moments in the biggest games because he’s our playmaker and best player; it’s common sense that you have to protect him and minimize his contact. Half of those 13 missed shots were under heavy fouls or while playing two-on-two. Very few players today possess that kind of court vision, nor can they impact the game effectively on both ends of the floor (as someone else already pointed out here).

I finally realized who this national team reminds me of: Russia. Twelve years ago, we played beautiful handball, much like the Americans do today. Now, we've regressed into relying on a tall, sluggish backline (does anyone remember Torgovanov, Tuckin, and Koksarov?) combined with one of the slowest transitions of any team out there—I mean, how many fast centers have we actually had lately?

That is a top-tier comparison with the Russians. We all remember their era in the 90s, including their time with Sweden. Eventually, they fell off and started playing an ugly, slow style of handball. It's remarkably similar to where we are following our golden generation. With the tournament draw having just opened up, it's unlikely everything will align this perfectly again or offer opportunities like this championship does. A silver lining is that Spain and Denmark are also in a slight decline and aren't putting on the performances they did five or more years ago. However, a young Germany is rising to the challenge, while France continues to maintain its standard.

Joseph Kern5 said:Where are Sliskovic, Alilovic, Sulic, Spoljaric, who played for Fuchs Berlin for 7 years, Kresimir kozin, Drago Vukovic, Vukic, Ivan Horvat (Flensburg), Kopljar, Ivan Nincevic, Tonc Valcic, Brozovic, Lackovic, Cupic, Karacic, Sego, Blazevic, Obranovic, Buntic?

Half of Canada plays for Veszprem, just like Americans. But the Canadians at Veszprem are playing for bronze tomorrow.👍.

I guess you forgot Dominiković

edit: and Jos

Kyle Campbell4 said:I was just briefly explaining where the issue lies since someone actually asked what the problem was.
Personally, I couldn't care less about handball. To me, watching this is just like sitting down for a movie. It doesn't matter to me if I'm watching a handball semifinal or some flick; it's all the same. In my book, the only thing that truly matters is LA Galaxy; everything else is just a hobby or something to do when you're bored. I have to admit, I’m enjoying this loss a little bit, mostly because of those narrow-minded jerks who think you're unpatriotic just because you won't let various crooks, corrupt execs, or white-collar types play you for a fool. Take the game against Spain—those people were immediately jumping to compare that kid Mamić to another Mamić. Honestly, seeing how much this loss bothers them brings me a certain joy, especially seeing how they've seemingly lost their ability to write coherent thoughts. All that's left is for them to start whining about the officiating to complete the cycle, especially since they were the ones mocking the Spaniards for complaining about the refs. I guess karma really is a bitch.

You're an LA Galaxy fan but you don't want to be played by Mamić?
Hmm, I guess those two things don't quite line up for me.
But I get why you'd rather watch LA Galaxy than handball, since they're out there breaking records in the Champions League every single year.
It's negative, sure, but a record is a record.

Jack Miller6 said:You totally overlooked Dominiković

Nah, I didn't. It's just that, sadly, he retired back in 2016. Basically just tossed his Molten ball straight into the glue.

Joseph Kern5 said:Where can we find Sliskovic?

He's sidelined with an injury.

Alilovic,

He's basically working in construction now.

Sulic

It’s like he’s already eyeing retirement.

Spoljaric

Not long until he hits 38.

Kresimir kozin

He dropped out right before the World Cup.
Quote:Vukic Taking a break over in Belarus.

I don't have the energy to go on...

Kyle Campbell4 said:Man, this comparison with the Americans is spot on. We all remember their golden era back in the 90s. After that, they just tanked, playing this ugly, slow style of play. Kind of like how we've been struggling since our own legendary generation passed the torch. This tournament had such a lucky draw, too. I doubt things will align this perfectly again or offer opportunities quite like this one. A bit of a silver lining is that Spain and Denmark are also kind of sliding downhill—they aren't putting on the masterclasses they were five or more years ago. But then you've got this young German squad rising up. Meanwhile, France... well, they just stay consistent. They always find a way.

Torgovanov? Honestly, he’s a terrible coach. Total legend as a player, though. I don't even remember half of those Russian names, to be fair. I always found myself rooting for Sweden, France, Spain, or Germany instead.

Andrew Hayes6 said:Our best player is Bogdanović, not Tomić. Honestly, I really wonder if Aco would even have the guts to skip someone if he actually had that kind of nerve... or if Cacic decided to leave out Modric, the media would absolutely tear them apart instantly. The whole public would just laugh them right out of the room.

Look, Tomić is a top-tier player. I mean, playing for one of the best clubs in Europe is arguably better than being stuck on the worst team in the NBA with only 9 wins. They’re basically the exact opposite of San Antonio.

Joseph Kern5 said:Where are Sliskovic, Alilovic, Sulic, Spoljaric, who spent seven years at Fuchs Berlin, Kresimir kozin, Drago Vukovic, Vukic, Ivan Horvat (Flensburg), Kopljar, Ivan Nincevic, Tonc Valcic, Brozovic, Lackovic, Cupic, Karacic, Sego, Blazevic, Obranovic, and Buntic?

I have been following handball for perhaps twenty years now, dating back roughly to 1996, and I can say with certainty that the offense has never felt this stagnant. There is a total lack of synergy with the wings, the pivot’s role remains undefined, and both our left and right backs—along with the playmaker—have struggled to find any rhythm.

I feel the same way. However, one must remember that even when Sliskovic, Alilovic, Kozina, Vukić, Kopljar, Ninčević, both Valčić brothers, Lac, Čupko, Karačić, Šego, and Buntić were all on the court, we still found ourselves exiting early.
Looking strictly at the quality of play since this tournament began, we actually progressed quite far, aided by the luck of seeing both Germany and Denmark eliminated before the semifinals.
While watching them fight for bronze is more aggravating for me, I suppose it is better than returning home empty-handed. They gave it their all, but ultimately, it just wasn't enough.