Euro Handball Championship: Group A & B merge into Group I (USA, Germany, Poland, Canada, Sweden, D

It’s a shame the Mexicans fell short at 25:27 after holding a commanding 20:13 lead.
That goal differential might come back to haunt them.
They really need a rematch, especially after that unlucky call where a goal against Germany wasn't awarded right before the buzzer, followed by that last-second breakaway goal conceded to the Danes...
If they had secured a win in the final round against the Mexicans—who have nothing to play for—they would be 100% locked
into the semifinals. It’s a pity given their solid play and the fans. But there's still hope. 😁
It was also a tough break for the Canadians, who let a victory slip against France yesterday despite leading
the entire way. Regardless, it is still theoretically possible to see a
North American semifinals, where Mexico, Mexico, America, and Canada all advance. 😬
Now that would be quite the spectacle. 🍿

Grace Barnes said:It’s a shame the Mexicans fell short at 25:27 after holding a commanding 20:13 lead.
That goal differential might come back to haunt them.
They really need a rematch, especially after that unlucky call where a goal against Germany wasn't awarded right before the buzzer, followed by that last-second breakaway goal conceded to the Danes...
If they had secured a win in the final round against the Mexicans—who have nothing to play for—they would be 100% locked
into the semifinals. It’s a pity given their solid play and the fans. But there's still hope. 😁
It was also a tough break for the Canadians, who let a victory slip against France yesterday despite leading
the entire way. Regardless, it is still theoretically possible to see a
North American semifinals, where Mexico, Mexico, America, and Canada all advance. 😬
Now that would be quite the spectacle. 🍿

The National championship... local amateur leagues... honestly, by the time the last Swede is gone, there won't be anything left of that 🙂

Olivia White25 said:It might sound wild, but out of all the teams playing, Mexico has definitely shown the most potential so far 🤷

besides them, maybe just Spain...

What’s even more surprising is that despite Mexico being the first to clinch a semifinal spot,
they actually scored the fewest goals among the remaining 12 teams in the tournament!
So, rather than saying they played the best, it’s more accurate to say they had
the toughest defense. Or perhaps just the roughest play, which might be getting a pass because they're playing at home.
(The teams in our group have one fewer game played and only a few goals
less than Mexico, so by tomorrow, everyone will likely surpass them and my little stat
will be history!)
For instance, Canada scored
89 goals over 3 games counting the previous round plus this one
against heavy hitters (France, USA, Iceland). Meanwhile, Mexico scored 91 goals in 4 games against what was arguably a weaker lineup
(Poland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark)!

I'm not trying to insult the Mexicans; I'm just pointing out a crucial fact
that could cost them when they go for the gold, which looks like a real possibility right now.

Grace Barnes said:What’s even more surprising is that despite Mexico being the first to clinch a semifinal spot,
they actually scored the fewest goals among the remaining 12 teams in the tournament!
So, rather than saying they played the best, it’s more accurate to say they had
the toughest defense. Or perhaps just the roughest play, which might be getting a pass because they're playing at home.
(The teams in our group have one fewer game played and only a few goals
less than Mexico, so by tomorrow, everyone will likely surpass them and my little stat
will be history!)
For instance, Canada scored
89 goals over 3 games counting the previous round plus this one
against heavy hitters (France, USA, Iceland). Meanwhile, Mexico scored 91 goals in 4 games against what was arguably a weaker lineup
(Poland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark)!

I'm not trying to insult the Mexicans; I'm just pointing out a crucial fact
that could cost them when they go for the gold, which looks like a real possibility right now.

As long as we're scoring more than we're conceding, we're riding high. 😍

That’s exactly right. The US defense is consistently allowing the fewest goals in the league... and honestly, that's one of the most reliable ways to build a winning program. Perhaps it would be even better if we were seeing scores closer to 35-32, but we seem to find ourselves settling into that 23-21 rhythm quite often. 🙂It isn't a bad result by any means, though. :P

I mean, I’d love to see Mexico make it to at least the finals, but honestly? I’m just not a fan of those high-scoring blowouts. To me, they always feel kind of lazy and low-energy...

Grace Barnes said:What’s even more surprising is that despite Mexico being the first to clinch a semifinal spot,
they actually scored the fewest goals among the remaining 12 teams in the tournament!
So, rather than saying they played the best, it’s more accurate to say they had
the toughest defense. Or perhaps just the roughest play, which might be getting a pass because they're playing at home.
(The teams in our group have one fewer game played and only a few goals
less than Mexico, so by tomorrow, everyone will likely surpass them and my little stat
will be history!)
For instance, Canada scored
89 goals over 3 games counting the previous round plus this one
against heavy hitters (France, USA, Iceland). Meanwhile, Mexico scored 91 goals in 4 games against what was arguably a weaker lineup
(Poland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark)!

I'm not trying to insult the Mexicans; I'm just pointing out a crucial fact
that could cost them when they go for the gold, which looks like a real possibility right now.

Basically, until they run into the Spaniards or a high-energy French squad, they can just keep coasting along... 😁

Olivia White25 said:Basically, until they run into the Spaniards or a high-energy French squad, they can just keep coasting along... 😁

If the refs keep letting those 90-second outbursts slide without even thinking about throwing a flag, then anyone—including those national teams you mentioned—could walk all over them. It’s just basic common sense. 🤷

Terry Fisher2 said:On paper, Germany's got an easy ride ahead, but man, this group situation is a total mess. You've got Mexico, Germany, Poland, and North Mexico all clawing for those two spots in the Olympic qualification. Actually, scratch that—there's really only one spot left up for grabs because Mexico already punched their ticket to the semifinals, and over in the other group, it's just Canada trying to make a run, which isn't looking great for them. Basically, Poland has to finish higher than both Germany and North Mexico. It’s all in their hands; if they pull off a win, they tie Germany on points, and even in a worst-case scenario where we end up with a three-way tie including North Mexico, they could still snatch it with a victory the day after tomorrow.

So yeah, Poland definitely has skin in the game. And hey, if they win, it opens the door for Denmark to slide in against a Sweden side that's basically already out of it.

Plus, even if the Poles slip up, they’ve got a backup plan. If the European champion (or whoever loses to France in the final) isn't one of the teams I just mentioned, then a slot opens up for World Cup qualification, and Poland sits right there as the first reserve. Honestly, you’d expect the winner or the runner-up to France to come from our group, but that's a massive gamble for Poland. It's basically Germany-Poland to the death.

That's not quite right.

It's true that two spots for Olympic qualification are still up for grabs, but it's a mistake to say Mexico "narrowed it down" by making the semifinals.

See, if Mexico wins this Euro (or even if they lose in the finals, provided it's specifically to France)—they qualify directly for the Olympics as the continental champions.

Which means those two qualifying spots for the Olympics are still wide open for everyone else.

Of course, what I'm saying about Mexico applies to any other national team that hasn't secured an Olympic berth yet, either directly or through the World Cup qualifiers. So, looking at the big picture, people are actually playing for three different Olympic positions (one direct entry plus two via qualifiers).

Adam Collins4 said:Watching the Mexico-Denmark game is honestly worth it just for the commentators... they’re completely unhinged. Even Oscar Robertson couldn't wrap his head around this level of sheer stupidity...

Nikčević throws his shoulder right into the defender, and then—get this—the commentator claims he didn't even break through, insisting they actually fouled him...

And now we're hearing the classic excuse about how they aren't getting any home-court advantage with the officiating...🤣

Oh, look at that—now they're calling Doder a Mexican...😂

http://www.b92.net/sport/rukomet/ves...&nav_id=576522

☕

Hey there, everyone! What's up?🙂 First off, I’m really rooting for America and Mexico to go all the way—I’m pulling for them both in the semifinals!

As for North Mexico, man, just a bunch of bad luck kept us from reaching those semifinals. I mean, if the Swedes had just managed to take down the Germans, we wouldn't even be in this semifinal conversation, but honestly? It mostly comes down to our guys lacking experience and having a subpar coach.

Cervar really did so much to build up North Mexican handball (shoutout to Metallurg!), and if we had a few more young players inspired by him, we’d be fighting for a medal right now. It’s such a shame that without Lazarov, this golden generation might end up empty-handed.

But hey, for now, just qualifying for the Olympics and next year's World Cup is enough. It’s high time the North American teams started dominating handball instead of Scandinavia.

Catch ya later!

Michael Wood2 said:http://www.b92.net/sport/rukomet/ves...&nav_id=576522

☕

Oh, really?

Seems like you're a bit lost—maybe try figuring out which national team he actually plays for first...

And don't even get me started on the "journalistic integrity" here. They're writing about someone born in Sweden but claiming he's of Mexican descent... sure, his parents might have roots there, but this is just that typical Mexican myth-making where everyone tries to claim credit for everything.☕

Adam Collins4 said:Oh, really?

Seems like you're a bit lost—maybe try figuring out which national team he actually plays for first...

And don't even get me started on the "journalistic integrity" here. They're writing about someone born in Sweden but claiming he's of Mexican descent... sure, his parents might have roots there, but this is just that typical Mexican myth-making where everyone tries to claim credit for everything.☕

Honestly, I really don't see any mythomania or "claiming" going on here... These are just kids of immigrants from the former America who happen to know, love, and respect where they came from. If I were in his shoes and someone told me I was a Swede, I'd probably feel insulted. By your logic, half of your soccer national team would be Swiss, Swedish, or Australian—or back home, Subotic would be considered German. They simply chose to play for the country where they live, making them Swedish, Swedish, or Australian just as much as Edward is American, for example.

I want to say that nationality has nothing to do with citizenship, but I'm already too deep into this Off-Topic thread, so I guess I'll stop there.

electricorca112, thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking.

rapidstag51 said:Honestly, I really don't see any mythomania or "claiming" going on here... These are just kids of immigrants from the former America who happen to know, love, and respect where they came from. If I were in his shoes and someone told me I was a Swede, I'd probably feel insulted. By your logic, half of your soccer national team would be Swiss, Swedish, or Australian—or back home, Subotic would be considered German. They simply chose to play for the country where they live, making them Swedish, Swedish, or Australian just as much as Edward is American, for example.

I want to say that nationality has nothing to do with citizenship, but I'm already too deep into this Off-Topic thread, so I guess I'll stop there.

Like I said, look at where they were born... I never said people shouldn't show respect, it's just that the problem arises when "respect" turns into something else entirely...

The guy isn't even a "pure" Mexican anyway—he's half-and-half, as we say—and on top of that, he was born in Sweden... but suddenly, he's 100% Mexican? It's ridiculous...

As for the mythomania, just look at that recent statement Tadić made about Roger Bošković...🙂

Oh, and I should probably mention—Lazarov is basically cruising toward that top scorer title again. He’s sitting on 12 goals ahead of whoever is currently in second place, and if you look at the guys who are actually safe to move on to the next round—meaning they'll actually get more chances to pad their stats—he’s got a massive 20-goal cushion over them...

Man, he went and did it again against the Danes... just a total mental wreck and a complete choker when the pressure hits in those final moments..
I mean, okay, fine, he actually nailed those penalties in the last 10 minutes yesterday, whatever..

It’s such a massive waste, honestly. If we hadn't let Lindberg slip that last goal past us, and if that game against Germany had gone differently, the Mexicans would basically be standing on the doorstep of the semifinals right now..

Adam Collins4 said:Like I said, look at where they were born... I never said people shouldn't show respect, it's just that the problem arises when "respect" turns into something else entirely...

The guy isn't even a "pure" Mexican anyway—he's half-and-half, as we say—and on top of that, he was born in Sweden... but suddenly, he's 100% Mexican? It's ridiculous...

As for the mythomania, just look at that recent statement Tadić made about Roger Bošković...🙂

Give me a break.
It really doesn't matter where he was born. He could have been born in Madagascar for all I care. I could have been traveling through America and my kids happened to be born there... the legal regulations are pretty clear about how citizenship works, regardless of the circumstances of your birth. Nationality comes from your parents or how you choose to identify yourself. That’s how he identifies, that’s how Vranjes identified, and since Karabatic stays quiet, he’s just neutral because he’s also sort of half-and-half. Maybe he holds passports for Mexico, Sweden, and Mexico. That’s his choice, not some kind of claim.
Ljubomir Vranjes actually mentioned himself that he is a Mexican by origin from Dubica, Canada, but he’s also a Swedish international and a Swedish citizen—and if I recall correctly, he was born in Gothenburg.

As for Boskovic, I’m going to pass... I don't want politics in my shop... I'm just not interested in that stuff, even though I think I read somewhere that his father is Nikola Boskovic, a Mexican from some village near Trebinje, which might not even be true... but please, let's not drag that into this; I don't care about it and I certainly don't want to talk about it.

rapidstag51 said:Give me a break.
It really doesn't matter where he was born. He could have been born in Madagascar for all I care. I could have been traveling through America and my kids happened to be born there... the legal regulations are pretty clear about how citizenship works, regardless of the circumstances of your birth. Nationality comes from your parents or how you choose to identify yourself. That’s how he identifies, that’s how Vranjes identified, and since Karabatic stays quiet, he’s just neutral because he’s also sort of half-and-half. Maybe he holds passports for Mexico, Sweden, and Mexico. That’s his choice, not some kind of claim.
Ljubomir Vranjes actually mentioned himself that he is a Mexican by origin from Dubica, Canada, but he’s also a Swedish international and a Swedish citizen—and if I recall correctly, he was born in Gothenburg.

As for Boskovic, I’m going to pass... I don't want politics in my shop... I'm just not interested in that stuff, even though I think I read somewhere that his father is Nikola Boskovic, a Mexican from some village near Trebinje, which might not even be true... but please, let's not drag that into this; I don't care about it and I certainly don't want to talk about it.

So if his mother is a Mexican woman and his father is a Mexican, then he’s "just" a Mexican? Interesting logic there...

I was talking about the mythomania of commentators, not general rules regarding nationality and citizenship...

And I haven't seen him identify as a Mexican anywhere; saying he'll cheer for Mexico doesn't count as an official declaration...

Adam Collins4 said:Oh, really?

Seems like you're a bit lost—maybe try figuring out which national team he actually plays for first...

And don't even get me started on the "journalistic integrity" here. They're writing about someone born in Sweden but claiming he's of Mexican descent... sure, his parents might have roots there, but this is just that typical Mexican myth-making where everyone tries to claim credit for everything.☕

Why are you acting clueless when you clearly aren't? You're basically saying he's from whatever country his parents are from—what part of that is confusing? Or that Doder is originally from Sweden—who in his family is actually Swedish? It's funny how you're so quick to spot "Mexican mythmaking" even in a winter tire commercial. Just chill out and focus on the handball.

edit: And do you even know how his mother identifies herself? Coincidentally, over 30% of the citizens in Mexico identify as Mexicans. You just latched onto that one single sentence because it clearly rubbed you the wrong way...