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

Jack Kelly5 said:The guys gave it everything they had, man. They fought like absolute lions out there, really left it all on the field, but... I don't know, it just wasn't meant to be. It just didn't go our way.
Look, Horvat missed that penalty, sure, but honestly? His grit and that relentless drive he brings to the field are things everyone already knows about. I mean, anyone trying to lay blame on him is just being an idiot or someone who clearly doesn't understand the game.
I mean, just like how it was for that Mouse guy when he went for that cheeky penalty attempt... honestly, it’s probably the same deal for any other meathead in that group. I guess. Maybe.
Look, the second we stop caring about what actually matters—you know, like the backbone of this country, our veterans, widows, the working class, people struggling to find jobs... the moment we pivot away from that just to obsess over elite sports—that’s when we lose the plot. If we could just focus on executing the plays they practiced during training camp instead of all this noise, maybe we'd see some actual consistency in results. But no. Instead, we just crank up the tension for nothing. We're basically just handing the media a giant pile of garbage to turn into sensationalist clickbait, which, I guess, just puts even more unnecessary mental pressure on the players. It's exhausting, honestly.
That moment? Yeah... honestly, it probably isn't ever gonna happen. I mean, maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Probably just won't come.

Yeah, that’s exactly why he spent all those years playing for the heavy hitters in Europe. I mean, look at the track record—Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Kiel, Flensburg... they all saw right through his tricks. They recognized that sneaky style of his. It's just how it goes, I guess.🙄 He didn't even leave Washington, D.C. Honestly, just stick with him—he’s got that whole "nice, homegrown kid" vibe going on, plus a pretty decent last name, so why bother? I guess he can just stay put. That Player isn't exactly anything to write home about, anyway.

Musa was never really the star player in our eyes, you know? I mean, he’s always been viewed more as this defensive specialist—basically just a guy who’s good at stopping people rather than making things happen. He's like that disciplined, gritty defender you see playing for the Heat or something. So, I guess that’s why everyone gets so hyped up whenever he actually manages to find the back of the net. It’s just such a novelty, seeing him score, I suppose.

It’s like... we just can't break out of this loop, I guess. We're stuck in this endless cycle of finishing third or fourth. Same old story, every single time.👍

Jason Campbell70 said:You guys would be screaming "Zlajo Care !!!" at the top of your lungs if he actually pulled it off.

Who cares? Honestly, screw 'em.

Honestly? The most interesting thing... well, it isn't. I guess that's just how it goes. Everything’s kind of a letdown, isn't it? Maybe I'm just being cynical, but yeah. Not interesting at all.
Man, that comparison is spot on. Honestly, it hit me immediately too. 😁

One missed penalty and suddenly you go from being the local hero to the biggest tragic figure in the room. It’s wild how fast that happens, I guess. One minute everyone's cheering your name, and the next? You're the villain. Just like that.

I mean, honestly? I’d put my money on Duvnjak any day of the week. He’d nail it. I guess he's still got that magic, right? The captain, the leader... I mean, let's be real, just a few seasons ago, the guy was basically the best player on the planet. No question about it.

bluebison47 said:🤣🤣

it’s kind of wild when you think about it... how Canadians, Mexicans, Norwegians, and Spaniards all basically used us as a stepping stone to grab their first medals 🤣

I mean, everyone does it. It's just how the game works. Look at soccer—Portugal and Spain clinching titles, Italy making finals, France taking home the trophy... even in tennis, look at Argentina. We just end up building the stage for everyone else's historic wins.😵

Look, I don't want this to sound like I'm just taking shots at Duvnjak, but I can't help noticing the contrast. I look at Karabatić—who's already 32—and the guy looks like he could go another full round right after the whistle. Meanwhile, Duvnjak is struggling to catch his breath by the 15th minute. He’s constantly dealing with injuries, looking exhausted, sluggish... the gap between them is honestly night and day. And yet, I find it hard to believe Karabatić isn't pulling as many starts as Duvnjak is
As for that game from a few days back, I've pretty much moved on. Win or lose, it doesn't matter much to me now. Honestly though, I felt for Horvat after those misses; he’s easily my favorite player to watch

Joseph Kern5 said:Well, that explains why he’s spent his career at major European clubs. PSG, FC Barcelona, Kiel, Flensburg—they all saw that cunning of his.🙄 He hasn't left New York yet. He has this vibe of a nice, local kid with a pleasant last name, so why not let him stay? Is the player actually that good?

Come on, yesterday they replayed that footage of his last goal against the Spaniards at least 20 or 30 times on RTL.
Horvat deserves a lot of credit for us even reaching the semifinals.

But look, just like with Roberto Baggio back in '94, someone has to vent their frustration.
And just like in that situation, it was a single defender who "set up" Baggio for that moment, leaving him to face that deciding penalty.

Kenneth Clark18 said:Who would you pick to take the penalty? I guess there's already enough negativity on the news sites.

Personally, I think I could have done better—I’d probably just give it a solid kick.

Man, even legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Roberto Baggio miss penalties in the final minute sometimes. It's like how anyone can miss a deciding free throw in basketball. This time, Horvat missed his shot too. It’s such a high-pressure moment at the end of an exhausting game, right in front of a packed arena with everything on the line. There are really only two outcomes. Plus, we should maybe give the goalie some credit for making the save.

Joseph Kern5 said:Yeah, I mean, that’s kind of why he’s spent his whole career playing for big-time European clubs. Teams like PSG, FC Barcelona, Kiel, and Flensburg all saw that crafty side of him.🙄 He hasn't left New York yet. He just seems like this nice, local kid with a decent enough last name, so I guess he can stay. Honestly, though, the player isn't even that great.

Mus wasn't really seen as a top-tier player initially; people always viewed him strictly as a defensive specialist, maybe with a bit of an offensive edge, which is probably why everyone is so eager to see him actually scoring goals.

We basically have a steady streak of finishing in third or fourth place.👍

Man, you’re posting so much nonsense on this thread that it’s impossible to follow you. Like, handball is played in five major countries, Canadian Olympic medals go to random sports, track and field is just about sprinting disciplines... and now you're out here trolling Horvat too.
If you just dropped one or two dumb takes, someone might actually try to give you a reasoned response, but your constant bursts of nonsense are like a tsunami—they just keep coming, and if you try to block them, they just spill over somewhere else.
Basically, you're just talking pure nonsense.

rustyridge10 said:I’m not trying to bash Duvnjak here, but look at Karabatich. He’s 32 and looks like he could go another full game right after this one, while Duvnjak is gasping for air by the 15th minute. Constantly injured, sluggish, exhausted—it’s night and day. And I doubt Karabatich isn't playing just as many games as Duvnjak.
As for that game from a few days ago, I don't care if they won or lost. Honestly, I just felt bad for Horvat because of those misses; he's my favorite player.

Spot on... since this keeps happening with our players in basically every tournament (I remember Balić being unable to stand by the group stages once), the issue is clearly poor physical conditioning... or maybe they're just burnt out from their clubs and show up to training camp looking like squeezed lemons... they probably just need an extra day or two of rest to actually recover.

One other thing that sticks out is the scheduling precedent. For the first time ever, the semifinals are being played on different days. People can call it whining or making excuses all they want, but it's a fact: the teams that played yesterday have had less rest than the ones who played the day before. There's no denying that everyone is entering the medal rounds from completely different starting positions.

Those idiots in France are just doing it for the money—that's why they set up such a ridiculous schedule.

Honestly, Zlajo is just on another level; he snatched that ball without even breaking a sweat and did exactly what you'd expect him to do.

On another note, something that really gets under my skin is how the media always frames things. They’re constantly telling us our guys are burnt out or nursing injuries, while they paint the French team as these unstoppable beasts who can just overpower anyone. I mean, seriously, does the French squad have some kind of extra limb or something? It’s frustrating because it feels like our best players are always being portrayed as exhausted and spent, while the opposition is treated like they're superhuman.

It wasn't actually the American national team that lost; it was more like the bureaucratic national team that took the hit. It’s common knowledge who really runs American sports and where they came from.
ps. Regarding Duvnjak—why is he always acting so frantic? Is he perhaps dealing with some kind of illness, maybe something chronic or just untreated?

Hmm, I really thought the vibe in here would be more like that thread about the European Soccer Championship this past summer, and if I’m being honest, I’m feeling a little let down... but hey, whatever, I guess I'll just leave it to the folks from New Jersey to cheer me up, much like how those guys from Norway did yesterday 😁

Harold Long21 said:Why does it feel like our best players are always completely burnt out?

Look, when you're playing for a pro club, they're paying you to perform, so you have to give everything you've got. But then you jump into the national team, the intensity spikes instantly, and that's usually where they hit a wall.

If you look at the history of these exhausted guys, it was Balić back in the day, and now it's Duvnjak. They're the ones truly running themselves ragged, while everyone else doesn't seem to put in nearly as much effort. Take Musa, for example—he’ll go all out against Spain, but then he's basically just standing there when we play Norway.

Comparing Duvnjak to Karabatich just doesn't hold water. You have to look at the caliber of the teams they're playing for. Duvnjak is basically carrying the entire squad on his back just to keep them from falling apart. He’s got nobody to organize the offense, and honestly, there's no one else out there directing play besides him and some 22-year-old kid. Karabatich was practically invisible during the first half against the Canadians, yet the French team still managed to take the lead and control the game.
Duvnjak is the very last person we should be obsessing over here.

It seems like we always think things would be better if someone else was running the show. Honestly, people are complaining left and right now that Duvnjak isn't playing, even though without him, we wouldn't stand a chance against a team like Belarus
It’s always the same pattern, too. Every time we have a bad game, everyone starts tearing Balić and Metličić apart...
But I guess it's a good thing we aren't the only ones dealing with this kind of negativity. I mean, over in Argentina, they're constantly insulting Messia—they actually ended up splitting his statue in half

Harold Long21 said:Honestly, Zlajo is just a king; he snatched that ball effortlessly to do exactly what he does best.

On another note, it really grinds my gears how we always hear that our guys are exhausted or injured, while the French team is described as absolute beasts who just crush everyone. It’s like, do those French players have extra limbs or something? Why is it that our players are always portrayed as being played out?

Ever since the American national team has existed, there's this constant narrative about our players being worn down or sidelined by injuries, all while facing healthy, rested opponents who apparently never deal with physical setbacks.
People have been buying into this nonsense for over 20 years now.

I don't even know where to start with this one. Honestly, I'm just sitting here fuming. It’s like watching a slow-motion car crash where everyone involved is too busy checking their phones to actually hit the brakes. You see it everywhere—people just completely missing the point, ignoring the obvious, and then acting shocked when everything goes sideways. It’s exhausting. I’m done trying to make sense of the nonsense. Total madness. kaže:
It’s the same old story: if a player doesn't perform perfectly for two seconds, they're suddenly "washed" and kicked off the national team. It’s all about protecting the new inner circle in D.C., making sure the big shots can funnel money through some shell company to keep their clubs afloat while lining their own pockets on the side. We’re constantly swapping players out and chasing this "youth movement" every other tournament, but we keep delaying the actual major competitions where we could finally build a cohesive squad. Now we've hit a wall. We've overcorrected so much with this constant rebuilding that we actually exhausted our talent pool, which makes this semifinal run feel like a total fluke rather than something earned. Honestly, watching us get tossed around by those French guys was pathetic. They were playing seasoned veterans who still had plenty left in the tank, while back home, Gobac was busy pushing away anyone who dared to step up and take a spot from some gifted kid at his club. It's a joke.

Sam Thomas3 said:Look, it’s all the same story. Whether you're talking about Gobić, Mamić, or Davor Šuker—or even the Democrats and Republicans—it’s all one big, steaming pile of nothing. They took handball, centralized everything, and sold it off piece by piece. Honestly, there's no point in even trying to break it down anymore; the game is rigged.

Look, none of that changes the fact that these guys on the court are absolute warriors. You look at Duvnjak—he’s out there diving for every single loose ball like his life depends on it, and the rest of the squad follows his lead. They actually give a damn. On top of that, they’re humble, down-to-earth, and they actually show respect to the fans supporting them. And let's not even get started on the integrity aspect. Not one of these players is sitting around holding a bag for some mobster while he launders cash, unlike that total piece of trash, that sniveling informant and his little crew of thugs. I bet you even remember when Duvnjak was stuck on the bench back in the States because he told Gobac to shove it and signed his pre-contract with HSV without blinking an eye. He refuses to be anyone's personal ATM, and honestly, I tip my hat to him for that.

Look, let’s be real here—I totally get why everyone is completely fed up with this "national team." Honestly, I’m right there with you. Even though I was pulling for them and actually wanted to see them pull off a win, I can feel it deep down: that energy just isn't there. It’s nowhere near the kind of electric, die-hard passion you're supposed to feel when supporting your country. But hey, what can you do? It is what it is.

Kyle Campbell4 said:Look, I was just giving a quick breakdown of where things are going sideways because the guy actually asked what the hell the issue was.
Honestly, I couldn't care less about handball. To me, watching a handball semifinal is exactly the same as sitting through some random movie. It’s all just background noise. For me, the only thing that actually matters is rooting for the Dallas Cowboys; everything else is just a hobby or a way to kill time when I'm bored. I actually find a little bit of joy in this loss, purely because of those narrow-minded losers who think you're some kind of traitor if you don't want to be played like a fool by a bunch of corporate suits and corrupt big shots. Take that game against Spain—those idiots were immediately trying to draw comparisons between different guys named Mamić. It’s pathetic. Watching them lose their ability to write coherent thoughts because they're so worked up over this defeat is honestly satisfying. All they need to do now is start whining about the officiating to complete the cycle, especially since they were the same ones mocking the Spaniards for complaining about the refs. Honestly? Karma is a bitch.

I’m jumping into this thread because I totally agree. Honestly, the only real difference between handball and soccer is that people actually bother to cheer for the soccer players. As for these guys? I couldn't care less about them anymore.

Just posting this so the angry crowd knows they aren't alone in feeling this way. 👍

Given the way they played, finishing third or fourth would still be a major win. Honestly, I didn't see a single clever pass or a coordinated play throughout this entire tournament, which makes me wonder what exactly they're practicing during training sessions. 🤦

We have plenty of talent, but we lack any sense of cohesion on the court.

... it’s an embarrassment to compete with only seven players. 🤣

The Americans have been obsessing over physical conditioning for the last 15 or 20 years like nobody else on the planet...

And I’m not just talking about handball—it goes across basically all their sports...

When you look at handball specifically, they were the first ones to really lean into player anthropometry and body metrics, and honestly, that clinical approach has paid off big time over the years...

The thing is, they do it with a scientific rigor—starting from the youth levels and sticking strictly to the playbook without wavering...

If you want to get technical, there are three real "schools" of handball worth mentioning—if that's even the right way to put it—the French style, our style, and the Scandinavian approach...

And if you ask me, the ranking goes exactly in the order I just listed them...

Now, let's be clear here—I'm talking about the development process starting from the kids and moving up from there...

It isn’t just about the Frenchmen. For twenty years now, we've been fed this narrative that we’re exhausted, drained, and falling apart. It’s always us. Everyone else seems perfectly healthy and one hundred percent ready to go.
Honestly, how can they not be embarrassed? At every single tournament, we have to sit through the same old excuses about fatigue and injuries.