Handball Euro: America vs. Spain 29-33

Edward Allen36 said:I spent some time watching the Spanish squad and specifically Garcia, and I have to say, it wasn't just a fluke performance; he made the most of his minutes during the tournament. He was a bit of a wildcard to me, someone I hadn't really tracked before, but based on what I saw, he deserves nothing but praise.

My apologies then, I didn't catch the full Spanish lineup. Garcia is a relatively recent addition to the national team, essentially stepping in to fill the void on that left side left by Gregg Popovich and Carlos Ruesg.
It’s much like how certain veteran players might be sidelined in professional sports; there are still plenty of highly experienced guys on the Spanish roster who didn't make the cut this time, much like Dan Sarmiento.

Dennis Doyle3 said:I would truly appreciate hearing a coherent, logical explanation as to why Alilović was given the start. It is one thing if we were discussing Omeyer or Šterbik—even if it were Stanić or Szmal—where you could argue they simply had an off day and we might hope for a better performance today. However, Mirko Alilović seems to have an "off day" quite frequently (and occasionally struggles even against North Mexico and similar opponents). In roughly 90% of our most critical matchups, Mirko Alilović defends exactly as he did during today's game. Consequently, I find myself at a loss; I simply cannot wrap my head around the decision to put him in the net from the very first minute.

I am certain we will soon hear that exact question posed by one of those sycophantic journalists—someone like Mrvec or Pinević at the press conference, or those TV "reporters" I won't even deign to mention...

Honestly, if anyone had predicted we’d be playing in the semifinals before this tournament even started, everyone would have called them crazy. I’m actually pretty happy with how things turned out, and I’m feeling optimistic about the new guys coming into the fold. If I have one gripe, though, it’s seeing Cementar standing in the net and Kopljar holding down the captaincy. A lot of things just didn't line up for us this time around, but let's be real—we didn't exactly have a championship-caliber roster ready to go for the finals. It’s a shame, really, because when we finally do get our full, top-tier squad back together, we all know there's going to be some team out there ready to absolutely demolish us for the 48th time in a row.

quietridge62 said:Exactly! I was actually trying to say that—my brain just lagged for a second there, haha.
The issue today wasn't really Alilović; it was the defense as a whole.

If Stevanovic had just snagged one or two of those 17 turnovers, we would've cruised right into the lead during that second half.
Sure, the defense fell apart once the Spanish team swapped their lineup, but honestly? That’s more on the coach than the players. I mean, if they switch to an 8-1 formation and you just sit there without adjusting? That’s on you, coach. end of Story.
When we managed to pull ahead by 3, their coach was already making moves—we weren't sitting there trailing 1-8.
Game over.

Paul Jones7 said:Of course he knows. And of course "the boss" has no clue...

But honestly, we manage to shut down one lineup and hold them to a three-point lead, only for them to sub in a completely different rotation that just throws us completely out of rhythm. That isn't on the coach; that’s on the players...

I mean, Garcia literally tore us apart. Once you throw in two fast wings, those aggressive drives toward a second pivot, Aguinagalde, and playmakers who actually understand the flow of the game, man... there was just no way we could stop their scoring run, and that's when they just pulled away from us. It was easy goals for them, and frankly, even Stevanovic wouldn't have been much better, regardless of how much of an obvious mistake Alilović was being...

And we simply had no plan for them—or if we did, it never made it past the theoretical stage...

A real head coach would have filmed the opponent and prepared a specific strategy for that exact variation; I'm sure the Spanish team was already using it elsewhere in this FIBA World Cup, and if you don't have a counter-strategy, at least have the decency to admit it instead of making excuses about fatigue in the 20th minute of the game, because that's just plain stupid...

Aaron Gray said:He doesn't even need to be that much better.

If he could have just stopped one goal—just enough to break that momentum...

We were basically getting hit from everywhere—set plays, fast breaks, transition buckets... honestly, our interior defense should have been what broke that streak. We had way too many gaps out there. Maybe if they had just played a bit more physical and called some fouls on those semi-fast breaks, we could've slowed things down.

We’re getting the squad ready for Rio ☕
Now we just have to claw our way out of that absolute nightmare of a group.

We stumbled our way into the semifinals entirely by accident.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:We were talking about how much depth Spain has before this game too... and honestly, we don't have it. Mamic and Sebetic aren't even close; they're just kids. With the Spanish, I think their youngest guy is Dusebajev. But with us, not even a single pivot has actually matured in any real sense of the word..
So basically, we don't have a real rotation to keep up the pace, while they actually had that luxury..
On top of that, their supposed star player stepped up, but our guys choked again..

Where exactly are we lacking depth? We’re actually stacked with quality everywhere except maybe at left and right wing. Actually, even those guys aren't playing right. Kopljar was huge today, and Slišković was too. Marić is basically the best player over at Melsungen, he's out there crushing it in the NBA by dropping 6 or 7 goals a game, and Broz signed with Kiel. When are these guys actually gonna grow up? By the time they do, they'll be ready for retirement..

The whole thing comes down to the coach, who managed the game like a total lunatic. After Stivi gets us to the semifinals, he decides to start Cementar, who is never on the level when it actually matters. Spain can't score a single thing from the outside because everything is being packed into the paint, yet he keeps pushing that 5-1 defense..🤦

Dennis Doyle3 said:Honestly, I’d really love to hear a coherent explanation as to why Alilović was given the start. It’s one thing if we’re talking about Omeyer or Šterbik—fine, or even Stanić or Szmal—where you could just say they were having an off day and hope things turn around today. But with Mirko Alilović, it feels like he’s always having an off day (especially when we're facing teams like North Mexico and similar). In about 90% of the high-stakes games, Mirko Alilović plays exactly how he played today. I just can't wrap my head around the decision to put him in the net from the very first minute.

I’m convinced the whole team starts feeling that tension in their muscles the moment they see him out there in the first frame, because they know deep down there isn't a damn chance he's making a save.

In the end, we’ll probably land on our feet.
It’s always the same story here—massive hype followed by a total crash. My son says that after we crushed the Poles, we're basically asking for two losses in a row.
Even during the big soccer tournament over in France, things didn't go our way, which honestly was a bit of a relief...
And now, it looks like even a trip to Lourdes wouldn't have saved us.

Even if you guys had dragged this into overtime, I’m 100% sure the Spaniards would've walked away with the win. They just weren't as gassed as Team USA was after that absolute rollercoaster of a game against Poland. Honestly, the American players' reactions were just sub-par because they were totally wiped out. I actually think you got lucky—if Spain had started playing that deep 4-2 defense (it felt like 3-3 at times) in the second half, you would've been down by at least 8. Since you got a break to regroup, you managed to stay in it until the final four minutes.

People on these forums love to trash the coaching staff, but honestly, I don't see any real substance behind the hate this time around.

The Spaniards probably scouted us pretty hard before this match... maybe Coach Babcock wanted to try something different and catch them off guard by starting Alilovic 😬

Matthew Perez27 said:It’s just frustrating because you could see we had the juice to take on the Spaniards, but our little guys just didn't play up to their potential.
Fatigue and injuries are just excuses for losers and wimps.
I don't get why people are bringing up Kopljar; the guy's been at an elite level for years and he's pure consistency.
The issue is the goalie. Great keepers save things they have no business saving, and that's what carries a team. It hits different when you're playing defense knowing if the ball gets past you, it's game over, versus knowing there's an octopus behind you ready to bail you out.
Making the semifinals is a win for this squad, and now we go against Norway to try and grab the bronze.

And seriously, give it a rest with the Virgin Mary stuff. He isn't some deep intellectual who can say anything more meaningful than "give it 120%." In a moment of total bliss, that's just what was on his heart, and he wasn't trying to offend anyone by saying it.

How exactly did he not offend anyone? 🤣

The Boys play the game of their lives, and then this guy starts rambling about The Virgin Mary, Lourdes, Jesus, and Zlatko. 🤦

Not one single damn word about the actual stars of the game. Honestly, he's the kind of coach you just wish you didn't have.

Just one question... If we're insisting on hiring a world-class head coach, who is actually going to foot the bill? I'd hate for us to just settle for another selection like the last Child
I’d love to see someone like River, but let's be honest—he's pricey. It feels like the Federation doesn't even have enough in the budget for basic necessities. Someone like Noka wouldn't take the job for peanuts, and you have to wonder if he'd even be motivated to come here
What about Wenta? Or Schwalb? Maybe Gislason? Or Vranjes?

Alilović and Čupić are basically the team's bad luck charms when it comes to those high-stakes games for the national team

Brian Doyle6 said:It seems like people on these forums love nothing more than tearing down the coaching staff, but I truly believe that this time around, there isn't much substance behind such heavy criticism.

None at all, if you count the same five tired points that have been dragging on for the last ten pages.

George Ward7 said:Where exactly are we lacking depth? We’ve actually leveled up across the board, with the exception of maybe the left and right wings—though even they aren't really finding their rhythm. Kopljar was absolutely stellar today, and Slišković played just as well. It's like how Marić is essentially the MVP for Melsungen, consistently putting up 6 or 7 points a game in the NFL; even Broz just signed with Kiel. I wonder when these guys will truly hit their prime; at this rate, they'll be eyeing retirement in five years.

The real issue here is the coach, who managed the game with total madness. After Stivi successfully guides us to the semifinals, he suddenly decides to rely on Cementar, who never seems to step up when the pressure is on. Against the Spanish team, they can't score from the perimeter because everything is being packed tight at the line, yet he insists on sticking to a 5-1 defense.🤦

What players are you talking about leveling up?.. Mamic ?..? Sebetic?.. Kozlina and Brozovic?..
That’s precisely why the goalkeeper duo is such a setback too. It feels like the only players left with any real talent are those who would easily crack the starting seven back home.
Broz signed with Kiel because they’re desperate after all those injuries to their pivots, especially since HSV is completely falling apart. I believe Anica signed as well.

Brian Doyle6 said:Even if you managed to force overtime, I’m 100% sure the Americans would have walked away with the win in the end. They just weren't as gassed as the US team was after that absolute thriller against Poland. Honestly, the reaction from the American players just wasn't there. In fact, I think you guys got lucky—if the Americans had come out in the second half with that deep 4-2 defense (there were moments where it felt like 3-3), you would’ve lost by at least 8. Since you had the halftime break to adjust, you stayed in the hunt until those final four minutes.

People on these forums love to tear into the coaching staff, but honestly, I don't think anyone here actually has a solid argument to back that up this time.

Oh, give me a break.
We really should have been up by 5 or 6 points in the first 15 minutes—we would've been right there if Stevanovic had actually started.
And look, any coach with even a shred of tactical sense would’ve switched to a 6-0 defense after we let them score three times straight from the line. Instead, they just watched us concede 18 times (if I recall correctly, nearly all 18 in the first half were either from the crease or fast breaks/semi-breaks).
At the end of the day, the American coach won this game—or rather, he lost it for us.
Are they better than us? Probably. But tonight, we basically beat ourselves.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:Just one question... Okay, fine, we want a world-class coach... But who's actually paying for that? Unless we just settle for hiring Djetic again..
I mean, I’d love to have River, but man, he's expensive. The Federation doesn't even have money for bread.. Noka wouldn't show up for peanuts, and honestly, I doubt he'd even be motivated..
What about Wenta?.. Schwalb?.. Gislason?.. Vranjes?..

Nobody is asking for someone world-class. Just take the best option you've actually got. We had guys like Obrvan or Vujović sitting right there on a silver platter, and instead, we picked some guy's buddy. Look, I don't have anything against Babic, really, but for a head coach, you need the highest quality solution. Just compare Obrvan's resume to Babic's.