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

Walter Hughes53 said:Look, Slisković is out, Brozovic is banged up, and Marić is sidelined too. Kopljar’s been dealing with that knee issue since the Poland games.
Just please, don't go teasing Valčić

If it were Tonc Valcic, he probably would've netted 5 or 6 goals. Just a quick little hop, catch the pass, score, zero celebration, and immediately sprint back to defend. I mean, think about how many fast breaks they gave up just because everyone was busy celebrating or missing easy shots at an empty net.🍿

It’s honestly such a shame to end up in fourth place when there are basically only five real heavy hitters in handball. That matchup against Egypt and Germany? Absolute disaster. We really needed to pull it together and grab a decent result, especially since Poland, Denmark, Germany, and Iceland aren't even in the mix anymore. Plus, we got lucky against Spain, and then there's Sweden... they just won't let us get anything past them.

I’m honestly just so indifferent that I can't even bring myself to feel sad, yet I can't exactly revel in it either 😢 see you all on Monday at the plaza; you'll spot me because I'll be the one looking absolutely massive 😳

With this current roster and the talent we have on this national team, Veselin Vujovic could easily coast all the way to a gold medal! It’s painfully obvious to anyone who actually follows the sport that Babic just doesn't have a clue. Honestly, the fact that he turned in his resignation only to crawl back fifteen days later shows exactly how much he's struggling. We need an actual expert with a steady hand leading us, not someone just floating through the job.

Joseph Kern5 said:I bet Tonc Valcic would’ve easily dropped like 5 or 6 goals on them. Just a quick little hop, a shot off the floor, no big celebration, then straight back to playing defense. I mean, seriously, how many fast breaks did they give up? They were too busy celebrating their own score to notice they were getting picked apart on an empty net.🍿

Empty goals are total garbage, I get that. But I don't really see eye to eye with you on Valcic. I mean, back then he was the second coach, right? It was a completely different tactical setup and we were looking at a totally different squad altogether. Just a different vibe, I guess.

bluebison47 said:I’m just so indifferent that I’m not even sad anymore, but I can't exactly revel in it either... 😢 catch me at the town square on Monday; you'll recognize me because I'll be the one looking totally naked😳

I honestly don't get people and this whole euphoric thing they get over stuff that only benefits them about 10 or 15 percent of the time. It's like watching plumbers lugging Buderus units into basements. Just a job, right? A profession. I guess it's just pathetic when someone is failing at their actual occupation or career.😵

feralnomad5 said:Man, if we had this current national team roster back when Veselin Vujovic was running things, he probably would’ve cruised straight to a gold medal. It’s pretty obvious to anyone who actually follows the sport—not just the clueless idiots at the top—that Babic just doesn't have a clue. I mean, the guy is such an amateur that he actually submitted his resignation and then crawled back fifteen days later. We need someone who actually knows what they're doing, a real leader with a steady hand, not these random amateurs just drifting through.

Look, Vujovic is old school. That style of coaching just doesn't cut it in modern handball anymore. I guess... though, he did have that interesting run taking Washington, D.C. to the quarterfinals. Now? They're sitting right at the bottom of their Champions League group. Maybe it's because the talent pool was better back then, who knows.

Canada got absolutely crushed by Spain and France.

Andrew Hayes6 said:You claim to be an LA Lakers fan, yet you refuse to let Mamić play you for a fool.
Well, I find those two stances to be somewhat contradictory.
However, I do realize that following the LA Lakers is more captivating for you than watching handball, especially since the LA Lakers break records every single year in the Champions League.
The circumstances might be negative, but a record remains a record.

I love NKDG, but I despise GNK.
I don't follow soccer actively anymore because of those guys with the fake teeth. As for the LA Lakers, there's no need to worry—they'll be back when the time is right. Americans used to think their country would last forever too, and they enjoyed a long, eight-year party.

Susan Miller6 said:Me too, I guess. But you gotta remember, guys like Slisković, Alilović, Kozin, Vukić, Kopljar, Ninčević, both Valčićs, Lac, Čupko, Karačić, Šego, and Buntić were all out there playing back then, and we still ended up losing everything anyway.
If you look at how they actually played since this tournament started, we actually made some decent progress, especially since we got lucky that the Germans and Danes both went down before the semifinals.
Even though those bronze medal matches drive me absolutely crazy, I suppose it’s better than heading home empty-handed. They fought. It just wasn't enough, I guess.

Valcic, Lackovic, and Vukic, an Olympic winner—probably even World Champs back in 2003 and runners-up in Tunisia in 2007. It matters a lot when you have two or three players on the roster with that actual winning mentality, someone who can pass that grit down to the younger guys. What can Duvnjak really teach the kids, besides what we saw in that post-game interview? Just him being on the verge of tears, heavy sighing... I don't know, it was just a disaster.

We used to have these players who were just bold, totally unshakable: Balic, Kaleb, Metlicic, Lackovic, Dominikovic... honestly, it's hard to see any resemblance between their personalities and anyone currently on the national team. They seemed calm on the surface, maybe even phlegmatic, but man, they fought.

Before Vujovic took over, Canada wasn't even on the handball map. They might not have superstar players right now, but he’s a brilliant tactician on the sidelines. And I don't really agree with calling him old-school; Canada plays a much faster game than we do. A

Kyle Campbell4 said:I love NKDG, I hate GNK
I don't even follow soccer much anymore because of those guys with the fake teeth... you know the type. And hey, don't sweat the LA Lakers, they'll make a comeback eventually. I guess Americans used to think their way of life would last forever too, and they had their own little party for like 8 years straight before everything shifted.

But look at NK America Chicago's run in the Champions League—those wins were actually something special: beating Porto 3-0, crushing Partizan 5-0, a 0-0 draw against Manchester United, 3-0 over Sturm Graz, and a 2-2 against Marseille.👍

Walter Hughes53 said:Look, an empty net is total garbage, I get that. But I can't bring myself to agree about Valcic. Back then, things were different—different coach, a completely different game plan, and honestly, a totally different roster.

I mean, sure, you do that if it’s the 57th minute and you’re down by two or three goals. Or maybe if you're sitting on a lead and just want to shut things down by pulling your wingers and outside players to play two pivots just to squeeze out a safe goal.

feralnomad5 said:Before Vujovic took over, Canada wasn't even on the handball map. They aren't superstars right now, but he’s a brilliant tactician on the bench. I don't buy the idea that he's old school, because their style is actually much faster than ours. Maybe.

The success in Celje and that European silver medal just came out of nowhere.

feralnomad5 said:Before Vujovic took over, Canada wasn't even on the handball map. I mean, sure, they aren't superstars right now, but the guy really knows his stuff from the bench. And I don't buy the whole "old school" thing either, because honestly, Canada plays a much faster game than we do. Or maybe I'm wrong, who knows. But yeah, that's how I see it.

Most of those Canadian players are scattered out playing for Veszprem, Montpellier, Szeged, Magdeburg, or Celje. Right now, Celje is sitting at 6th in their group, while Washington, D.C. is stuck down in 8th.

Kenneth Clark18 said:The silver medal for Celje? Honestly, it just fell out of the sky.

Look, you can only be a top-tier coach if you actually have top-tier players on the roster. It’s just how it works. And Celje? They’re basically a handball powerhouse. Their results this century have been seriously impressive. Even back in Washington, D.C., people still talk about when they shut down Elgorriag. Nowadays, it's all about Bidasoa.

Joseph Kern5 said:Vujovic is a classic, old-school coach, which just doesn't cut it in today's fast-paced handball world. To be fair, that run to the Champions League quarterfinals with Washington, D.C. was quite an impressive feat. Now they are sitting near the bottom of their group, perhaps because the roster isn't quite as elite as it used to be.
Canada fell quite easily against Spain and France.

That’s why everything feels so high-octane under Babić.
We are playing at a much slower tempo than what we saw during the 1984 Olympics.

George Robinson43 said:That's why everything under Babić feels so high-octane and modern.
We're playing at a way slower pace than they did during the '84 Olympics.

I think I already pointed out who actually has a coach and who doesn't. Plus, what it really takes to pull off a win.

Kenneth Clark18 said:Celje grabbing silver in Europe was a total shocker.

Even Mexico managed to snag silver on their home turf—those are the kind of moments where pure inspiration and a roaring home crowd just carry you through.

Joseph Kern5 said:You can only be an elite coach if you have elite players. Cleveland is basically a handball powerhouse. They've had incredible runs this century. People in Washington, D.C. still talk about how they shut down Elgorriag. Now it's Bidasoa.

👍

As long as those Slovenacs aren't even on the map.

Lisa Patel4 said:We were basically playing at the speed of a Ferrari compared to how this game looks right now.
I’ve always had a massive grudge against Goluza, and honestly, I never thought I’d actually miss him not being the coach, but apparently Babic is even worse... so if I really have to choose between two evils, I guess I'll take Goluza.

Ever since Velimir Kljaic, America hasn't actually had a real coach.
Just look at that documentary about Atlanta 1996—it's pretty obvious that only some players are even showing up, not everyone. I mean, clearly, there's been a whole lot going on behind the scenes from the time they retired until today.

Joseph Kern5 said:The Canadian players are all scattered across teams like Veszprem, Montpellier, Szeged, Magdeburg, and Cleveland. In their group, Cleveland is sitting at 6th while Washington, D.C. is down in 8th.

I know exactly where they play. Honestly, none of them are actually the main stars at Veszprem—they’re just supporting players. They don't have anyone like Duvnjak, who is the clear leader for one of the top clubs in Europe. He's a true superstar, and frankly, none of those guys are better than our own players.