Handball Euro: America vs. Spain 29-33

George Robinson43 said:The fact that this was even a contest is an absolute embarrassment for our guys, considering they were up against:
Aguinagalde at 33, Garcia at 31, Entrerrios at 34, Thomas at 30, Rivera at 30, Morros at 31, Guardiola at 31, and Canellas at 29.

So you're telling me a squad of old-timers and a national team where 90% of the starters are over 30 is somehow "fresher" than a group of kids ten years younger who only played two games all week?

Man, I should be used to this by now since we're only a nation of 330 million.
In smaller countries, talent scouting just doesn't work like it does in the big leagues. Around here, someone can have killer handles or a decent three-pointer, but if they lack the natural conditioning, they still make the cut. In places like Spain, Germany, or France, a player like that wouldn't even get a look.

driftingfox66 said:I can only stomach those "we're exhausted, we've got nothing left" excuses if you say them BEFORE the game, basically warning everyone you're probably going to choke.

Anything else is just some elementary school level whining.

Man, you could see it from the plane ride... if you need extra proof for that, you might as well stop watching handball and start following darts, because they don't deal with this kind of drama there.

Brian Doyle6 said:Man, I guess I’ve just grown used to this way of thinking because we're only a nation of 330 million people...
In smaller countries, the talent scouting process just doesn't function quite the same way it does in the massive powerhouses. Here, you might find someone who is incredible at one-on-one play or has a killer three-point shot, but they just don't have the natural physical conditioning required for the modern game, so they slip through the cracks in our system; however, if you were looking at players in places like Spain, Germany, or France, a player like that simply wouldn't make the cut...

I have to disagree with you there, because that logic doesn't really hold up when you consider that most of our top players are already playing for elite clubs overseas—clubs that wouldn't even look at them if they didn't possess that necessary stamina, since coaches would much rather pay for a guy who can dominate for a full forty minutes than settle for someone who burns out after fifteen...

Brian Doyle6 said:Well, I suppose I have grown accustomed to these limitations given that our population is only around 330 million.
In smaller nations, the talent identification process for athletes simply doesn't function with the same rigor as it does in massive powerhouses. In a place like ours, a player might demonstrate impressive one-on-one skills or a reliable perimeter shot, yet perhaps lack the necessary physiological stamina; they’ll likely still make the cut here, whereas in a country like Spain, Germany, or France, such a player wouldn't stand a chance.

I must say, you are making some rather heavy-handed and misguided assertions.
You seem to be pulling arguments out of thin air instead of simply accepting the most obvious conclusion standing right before you...

I would humbly suggest that you take a moment to look up the principle of "Occam's razor."

"Genetically predisposed conditioning," really? 🤦

neonviper8 said:you're talking total nonsense
digging up arguments from thin air instead of just accepting what's staring you right in the face...

I'd suggest looking up the concept of "Occam's razor" on Google

genetic predisposition🤦

Having spent plenty of time involved in sports myself, I've seen countless instances where someone who was just a sluggish, out-of-shape mess managed to train themselves up to look like Apollo, yet they remained just as dim-witted as before. At the end of the day, physical conditioning really is the least of your concerns.

Sam Murphy said:That argument doesn't quite hold water for me, because most of our guys play for major clubs abroad that wouldn't even consider them if they lacked conditioning; you can always find someone better elsewhere than what you have right in your own backyard.

I actually see it the other way around... it's much easier to "hide" those kinds of issues at the club level than it is when you're playing for the national team.
All the elite teams rely heavily on rotation. For instance, you look at how Doug manages things over at Milwaukee, where he rotates the roster roughly every fifteen minutes.
To be fair, our players have a bit of a reputation for being somewhat laid-back characters who don't always prioritize extreme self-discipline.
There's no question that the talent is there, of course.
The Americans have such a specific, structured approach to scouting and selection across all their sports, so I can't say I agree with you there. If we used their system, half of our best soccer, handball, and basketball players would probably be labeled as "unpromising" before they even hit the varsity level.

Sam Murphy said:I don't think that holds up, because most of our guys play for top-tier clubs overseas, and those teams wouldn't even look at them if they didn't have the conditioning to back it up.

Every single national team at that EP had players coming from major clubs.

Total betrayal!!!!

Is it just me, or does the audio on this interview sound super wonky? I feel like I'm the only one dealing with this, or is anyone else getting glitchy sound too? ☕

It felt like Jesus was truly on their side 😁

Sam Murphy said:That doesn't hold water either. Most of our guys play for top-tier clubs abroad that wouldn't even look at them if they didn't have the stamina. You can always buy someone better than what you've got sitting in your own backyard.

Look, most of our soccer players play for decent clubs too, but when it comes to conditioning, only maybe two or three of them actually meet modern standards. That's why, by the way, we don't see any of our guys in the Premier League where pace and fitness are everything—and honestly, I don't see many of yours over there either.

neonviper8 said:You're talking pure nonsense
pulling arguments out of thin air instead of just accepting the obvious reality here...

I suggest you Google "Occam's Razor"

genetic predisposition for fitness 🤦

You haven't got a clue. I'm sticking to my guns: if both teams were equally rested, the US would be a 70:30 favorite in my book.
But watching the end of that first half, they reminded me exactly of our guys. The reactions, those little quick plays—everything just started fading. Even their decision-making slowed down, but that's clearly exhaustion, not lack of skill or bad coaching.

Anyway, I'm not going to stop you from being a total jerk and trashing the players as idiots or claiming the coaching staff is clueless. I don't waste my time arguing with armchair amateurs.

Does anyone actually have a clue why on earth—and I mean WHY—Panjin's Alilovic was forced to play the entire half just to end up with a measly two saves? Is Babic officially out of his mind, or is there some kind of backroom deal going on behind the scenes here?

fadedrider17 said:Does anyone actually know why—for heaven's sake, WHY—is Alilović still playing the entire half and only managing two saves total? Has Babic completely lost his touch, or are there some behind-the-scenes politics at play here?

And as for the fatigue—well, what can I say? You just can't think straight when you're that drained; mistakes start creeping in, like leaving Alilović out to defend for an entire half.

That win against the Americans really took its toll on us—I suppose that kind of thing only happens to our team.

jadeseal7 said:That win against Poland totally drained us. I guess that kind of luck only happens to us.

That's the whole point, but I'm gonna have to disagree on it being just a "you" thing. If the Americans made it to the semifinals after a game like that, they'd be just as gassed and ripe for an upset, despite their reputation for being absolute machines physically.

fadedrider17 said:Does anyone actually know why on earth Alilovic was stuck in goal for the entire half just to end up with two measly saves? Did Babic completely lose his mind, or is there some shady behind-the-scenes nonsense going on here?

Babic gave an explanation after the game about why Mirko played the whole half. He thought Mirko would step up and make a save, so he just sat there waiting for it to happen. Well, Mirko didn't save a thing, which didn't surprise anyone except, apparently, Babic himself.
As for why he made that call in the first place? Your guess is as good as mine. I doubt we'll ever get a straight answer.

Dennis Doyle3 said:After the game, Babić actually tried to explain why Mirko spent the entire half playing goalie—he basically thought Mirko was going to pull off some massive save, so he just sat there waiting for it to happen. Of course, Mirko didn't save a single thing, which didn't surprise anyone... except, apparently, Babić.
As for why he even started that whole ordeal? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. I highly doubt we'll ever get a straight answer on that one.

🤣🤣

At the end of the day, we always seem to be just a hair short of making that next big leap. It’s frustrating, really. The years keep ticking by, and those gold medals? They just keep slipping through our fingers...

Look, if we’re being completely honest with ourselves, we look exhausted after that matchup against Norway, and we need to address it right now... I really think the coach should just be upfront about it, tell everyone plainly that we aren't ready yet, and admit that our goal is simply to try and keep the score gap as small as possible when we take the field...

Babić ruined 🙏 🙏

Check out this quote:
I honestly thought Stevanović wouldn't be able to hold up his end of the defense for two games straight!

Get that idiot out of the national team immediately.

George Robinson43 said:Babić killed 🙏 🙏

Just listen to this statement:
I honestly thought Stevanović wouldn't be able to hold his own for two games in a row!!!!!

They need to get that guy out of the national team immediately.

....so he went for the layup because he knew the keeper couldn't stop a single one of them properly.🤦