Handball World Cup: America vs. Norway 25:28

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Andrew Hayes6 said:Cervar
The US is the absolute favorite here! The guys look super confident, but they aren't getting ahead of themselves, which I think is good. They know the real work starts now and they have this huge chance to prove that the US is an American handball powerhouse

When I first said we were the favorites, a few people around here laughed at me, but hey, even Cervar is saying it now

I'm asking you again, should we be pulling up articles after Prčija's win against Spain, and then after that one against Portugal?

A forum is kind of like alcohol—people say stuff here that they’d never dare say in public.
If everyone actually spoke their minds, a group like yours would probably call them out like a bunch of rowdy fans, but nobody would ever invite them onto a TV show. Anyway, when you're deep in sports, you always have to stay optimistic. I mean specifically about my own sport, and when my old team plays, in this case, my former squad.

Robert Doyle8 said:Look, if Cervar said it, then there's nothing left to argue about. Close the thread!

Good grief...

🤣

The forum always goes up in flames the second a major tournament rolls around.

hollowviper7 said:Do you truly believe we stand no chance?

Of course we have a chance. In my estimation, it is a fifty-fifty split.
We even have a shot against the French if we manage to advance. Honestly, those odds are roughly 25%. 😁

Walter Hughes53 said:.
If everyone spoke their mind so bluntly, people like you would be mobbed by the hooligans, yet no one would invite you onto television. Besides, when one is actively involved in sports, is it not necessary to remain optimistic—both for one's own discipline and when one's former team is playing?

It is futile; there is little point in explaining things to certain individuals. I fail to see why I even engaged in this debate.

Walter Hughes53 said:and

I'm asking you again... should we be pulling these articles out of thin air now that we've beaten Spain and then taken down Portugal?

The forum is basically like alcohol—people say things here they’d never dare whisper in public.

If everyone actually spoke their minds, people like you would probably rally them up like a bunch of rowdy fans at a stadium, but nobody would ever invite them on TV. I guess when you're deep in the sports world, you're always expected to stay optimistic, especially regarding your own team... or in this case, a former one.

People post all sorts of nonsense on forums, it's not just stuff the public is afraid to say.
Just look at the posts before and after the game against the Americans.
Before the match, the majority were claiming the Americans were huge favorites (and honestly, I guess they were slight favorites), saying we had no real shot. Then, right after the win, suddenly everyone's saying the Americans are super limited (which, okay, maybe they struggle with outside shooting, but every team has flaws), acting like they're a joke. It's funny how people conveniently forget they took silver at the Euros last year, not ten years ago.
The Americans are stronger than Norway, and if you check the betting odds, they were easily in the top four favorites for this tournament.
So yeah, once you knock out the Americans, you'd obviously expect a win against the Norwegians, who haven't come anywhere close to the success we and the Americans have seen. The Norwegians are great and young, but I guess they just don't have the experience in these massive games like we do, which is our main edge.

Robert Doyle8 said:Of course we have a shot. Honestly, I’d say it’s 50:50.
We could even take down the French if we make it through. For real, they’re maybe a 25% chance. 😁

Man, why do I even bother? Some people just don't get it. Not sure why I even jumped into this debate in the first place, I guess.

I remember back when I used to play, my folks would ask what I was expecting—well, a win, obviously. But then losses happen, you know? My old man could easily tell his buddies that I might lose, but everyone expected me to win, and honestly, I expected that too.

@devil Let them talk trash. I mean, the Spaniards really were the favorites, and our odds were like 3.50, but I don't think we're totally out of it. It's probably best to just bury your head in the sand and chant "USA USA," right? I mean, what's even the point of a chat if there isn't some subjective opinion flying around?
By that logic, you'd expect Qatar to lose to Canada or those Canadian Norwegians—which is kind of a similar vibe—but they absolutely crushed them.

Stevanović is out here saying the game is a coin toss. So who are we supposed to listen to—Cervar watching from the sidelines or the goalie who actually has to face those Norwegians? They need to get their stories straight. Either we're the heavy favorites or it's a 50/50 split... pick a side. ☕

Jokes aside, I haven't seen anyone outside our local media even mentioning us as favorites.

Chris Fisher3 said:Stevanović thinks this game is a total toss-up, a 50/50 split. So, I guess you have to wonder who to actually listen to—do we trust Cervar, who’s watching the match from home in front of the TV, or the goalie who's out there on the court facing off against the Norwegians? They really need to get on the same page. Either we're the heavy favorites, or it's a coin flip. ☕

Anyway, jokes aside, I haven't seen anyone outside of our local American media even mentioning us as favorites.

If Stevanović doesn't have a career night in goal, then honestly, chances look more like 30-70.

Maybe the guy just put his money on the Norwegians. 😁

Chris Fisher3 said:Stevanović claims this match is a toss-up. So, who are we supposed to believe? Should we trust Cervar watching the game from his living room, or the goalie tasked with stopping those Norwegians? They need to pick a side. Either we are heavy favorites, or it’s a 50/50 split. ☕

All jokes aside, I haven't seen anyone outside our local media even mention the US as a favorite.

Didn't Sarač and Brljkić keep blathering on about how they kept running into the Frenchies in Paris and that a final showdown was inevitable? 🤔

neonfalcon16 said:Didn't Sarač and Brljkić keep yapping about how they were constantly bumping into those French guys all over Paris—basically acting like a showdown in the finals was a done deal?... 🤔

Those Spaniards don't want to see the Americans in the finals—they just can't be bothered to run that hard for gold. My sources say their legs are still killing them from that group stage matchup...

velvetwalker8 said:We need to run a 6-0 defense, just shut down their backcourt completely, and if Stivi plays up to his level, we’ll walk away with this win easy.

Oh, so what, Sagosen is just gonna keep popping up and scoring on us whenever he feels like it?

Look, I'm no genius when it comes to picking the perfect defense against guys like them, but seriously?

With that seventh defender out there, our defense looks a bit shaky... I mean, who’s actually going to be stepping up in goal for us? 🤷

Let's go, Team USA!

quietbison86 said:So, what—is Sagosen just going to keep standing up and hammering us every single time?

Look, I’m certainly not smart enough to pinpoint the absolute perfect defense against them, but...

Honestly, it might actually be better for us if Sagosen pushes the pace—he tends to have some terrible shooting nights and way too many turnovers every other game. If the majority of their scoring comes from the penalty line, we're in business.

I said it once and I'll say it again: shut down those lanes to Myrhol, slow the tempo down as much as possible, and we won't have anything to worry about regarding a win..

We haven't been this strong, and we haven't had an opportunity this big, in the last five years!!

Easy peasy.

Robert Doyle8 said:I really need to draw this out...
Go ahead and find me a single expert from our American handball scene who actually admitted we were the underdogs or that we were going to fail.
Of course, everyone claims we’re great and that we can pull it off; it's just the same old mantra they all chant!

When has any coach ever stood on the brink of a final and shouted that they were outmatched?
Cervar didn't act that way when he was coaching, so I have no idea why he's doing it now. Perhaps he's eyeing a domestic coaching job, or maybe he's worried about the backlash if the favorite gets knocked out—and Babić might end up looking foolish if that happens. I don't follow how close the two of them actually are...

you're here 🙂

Omeyer’s gonna wreck us in the finals, just like he always does.

But hey, we’ll hold out until the guy finally retires—that day’s gotta come eventually, right? ☕

Honestly, this whole thing is totally superficial. Not even worth playing.

Judging by all the comments, tonight’s matchup is looking like the most dead even game of this whole world championship—if you don't count Chile vs. Bahrain, obviously :P. I honestly think we’re looking at a potential highlight reel for the tournament. The Americans are playing some seriously beautiful ball, but hey, our guys are our guys, right? Maybe I'm just being too much of a dreamer, but a romantic like me is gearing up for a total spectacle tonight regardless of who moves on... 🍿

It’s going to be a spectacle either way—but I’m a skeptic by nature, so we'll just have to wait and see... Of course, I want the Americans to win, but still. 😉

Chris Fisher3 said:Stevens claims this game is a total toss-up. So, who are we supposed to listen to? Chervar, who’s watching from the sidelines, or the goalie who actually has to face those Norwegians? They really need to get on the same page. Either we're heavy favorites or it's 50/50. ☕

According to the betting lines, we're underdogs. ☕

I mean, they're slight underdogs, but still. It caught me off guard, honestly; I was expecting us to be favored.

It would be a good idea if someone gave our players a reality check. I have a feeling they're being fed these soft, overly optimistic takes like Chervar's, which could actually backfire psychologically when things get intense. 🤷