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

Unfortunately, what I’ve been warning everyone about has already played out right here in Chicago:

rapidstag51 said:It’s more like 105 people, actually, but if enough idiots decide they need to act like Atlanta Falcons fans roaming around Chicago just to hunt down anyone carrying a bulldog flag to steal it and start a brawl... well, who knows what’s going to happen in New York City. I mean, there were only about ten of us, and we had 30 cops guarding us in San Diego, yet we still ended up with slashed tires. So, how on earth are you supposed to stop a massive clash when you've got thousands of people gathered in one spot? It’s just pure madness, really.

I mean, you can prevent all that stuff with solid organization. I'm mostly hoping they triple the security at the arena if they don't want the game getting interrupted two or three times.😁

It seems like their hooligans have made a real habit out of picking fights with fans from other National Teams. They love to swagger around later, showing off stolen flags and banners like they actually accomplished something. Honestly, gentlemen, let’s be real: when they aren't hiding behind a mob, they're weaker than a grain of sand. 🙄

rapidstag51 said:Unfortunately, what I’ve been warning everyone about has already played out right here in Chicago:

Honestly, it doesn't surprise me one bit. If anything, I was kind of expecting this to happen...

It’s just a mess when we have to face off during World Cup qualifiers, and things are only going to get more intense from here because this whole situation is bound to crank up the tension...

neonfalcon16 said:It seems like their hooligans have made a real habit out of picking fights with fans from other National Teams. They love to swagger around later, showing off stolen flags and banners like they actually accomplished something. Honestly, gentlemen, let’s be real: when they aren't hiding behind a mob, they're weaker than a grain of sand. 🙄

just imagine how clueless those guys are... I mean, how dim-witted do you have to be to act like that?...

like that photo with the Danish flag, where maybe twenty of them jumped five Danes who just walked into the arena... total losers... no matter what nonsense they pull, we'll always come out looking like class acts compared to them...

neonfalcon16 said:It seems like their hooligans have made a real habit out of picking fights with fans from other National Teams. They love to swagger around later, showing off stolen flags and banners like they actually accomplished something. Honestly, gentlemen, let’s be real: when they aren't hiding behind a mob, they're weaker than a grain of sand. 🙄

I guess mass psychology works pretty much the same way across all those different fan groups, whether you're talking about the New York Yankees, bbb, the Miami Heat, or the Knicks fans, or whoever else is out there. Sure, they act incredibly strong when they're in a huge crowd, but I don't think I've ever seen a single idiot brave enough to step up alone against a mob—which usually ends up being the reason innocent, regular fans end up getting hurt when they show up in smaller groups.
As for these guys, they can fight among themselves for all I care; I really couldn't care less:

electricorca112 said:Don't you worry, my crew (myself included) is already all set. 😁

I haven't been back since '89.

And for a longer stretch, even since '83.

Back when, given how things were going, I ended up staying way too long. 😬

Actually, it just hit me—who knows if it's even smart for me, or my friends, to head over the border... just to end up stuck in an Emergency Room...

rapidstag51 said:I guess mass psychology works pretty much the same way across all those different fan groups, whether you're talking about the New York Yankees, bbb, the Miami Heat, or the Knicks fans, or whoever else is out there. Sure, they act incredibly strong when they're in a huge crowd, but I don't think I've ever seen a single idiot brave enough to step up alone against a mob—which usually ends up being the reason innocent, regular fans end up getting hurt when they show up in smaller groups.
As for these guys, they can fight among themselves for all I care; I really couldn't care less:

It’s funny how you look back at those milestones—30 and 46 years old... it really puts things into perspective, doesn't it? 🤦

Man, at first I honestly thought we were just dealing with some immature kids. 🙄

Honestly, who knows who those cops actually picked up off the street? I mean, you know how the local sheriff's deputies work—they first smooth things over, tie up loose ends, haul someone down to the station, and then start the interrogation process. It’s pretty obvious they grabbed the wrong guys, too. You can see the same faces in the photos from last night as you can from this evening; they were even posing in the exact same spot. It looks like they definitely messed up the identification.

Fan stabbed!

Around 9:20 PM at a gas station in Rome, a van belonging to American fans was set on fire. Several people were injured during a brawl, but one fan is in the worst shape—he was stabbed and rushed to the New York City Emergency Room.

These incidents follow massive clashes back in Chicago. Around 8:00 PM on Futoškin Street, a convoy of cars filled with American fans was pelted with stones. At the exact same time, three cars from Indianapolis, two from Washington, D.C., and one from Memphis were trashed in a Chicago parking lot, and one vehicle was even attacked with an axe.

..............................

This isn't just hooliganism; these are attempted murders.

electricstag9 said:Fan stabbed!

Around 9:20 PM at a gas station in Rome, a van belonging to American fans was set on fire. Several people were injured during a brawl, but one fan is in the worst shape—he was stabbed and rushed to the New York City Emergency Room.

These incidents follow massive clashes back in Chicago. Around 8:00 PM on Futoškin Street, a convoy of cars filled with American fans was pelted with stones. At the exact same time, three cars from Indianapolis, two from Washington, D.C., and one from Memphis were trashed in a Chicago parking lot, and one vehicle was even attacked with an axe.

..............................

This isn't just hooliganism; these are attempted murders.

Unfortunately, this is standard procedure for Chicago... People in America assume Chicagoans and others from the Midwest are calmer or less driven by nationalism than, say, people from New York City or the central plains, but it’s quite the opposite. Some of the largest nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, like National Team or Blood & Honour, are based right here in Chicago. Until just a few years ago, the RADIKAL party controlled the city, and this is where they gained the most traction. In New York City, American fans might face organized supporter groups like the Radovacs, CZ, or the Atlanta Falcons, but you don't see these neo-Nazis systematically hunting foreigners like this...

Best,

Pretty cool, I guess.

Honestly, this just goes to show why we need to tighten up those borders ASAP.
I’m totally over all this hype and bravado people are throwing around. 🙄😢

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, they're back to being champions starting today.
I couldn't care less whether they end up beating the Mexicans or not; it's not like they're some handball superpower or even playing particularly well.
It's mostly just raw strength, pure bluffing, and aggression at this point.
Screw it.

That feeling today when the French just completely outclassed them and left them looking pathetic... I'm afraid nothing else is going to top that for a long time.

I'm done.

Unfortunately. It’s nothing new for the former America region. Even Canada isn't an exception. I remember being at the European Championship, specifically in Cleveland. Back then, the American National Team played against the Russians in a dead heat.

A ton of our fans drove down in their own cars. After the game, we started heading toward the parking lot, and almost everyone with our plates had two slashed tires.

So, there are idiots even further north than us. It’s just how it goes. I just hope there are fewer incidents like this in the future, and that we stop giving these hooligans so much media attention. Posting photos of them holding our banners just feeds their ego and gives them more motivation...

@fadedorca

Exactly. Just like in the United Kingdom, the second some idiot storms the field, everyone turns their heads away so nobody sees the lunatic on TV. A masterclass in avoidance... what a complete waste of energy.

Then again, there are always idiots like this...

American fan attacks mascot

electricorca112 said:Since you laid out two completely contradictory statements—one being right and the other being plain wrong—I didn't see any harm in just repeating the one that actually holds water. 😛

There won't be any play-offs for 5th through 8th place. Instead, the two third-place finishers from the groups will go head-to-head for 5th, and if that becomes necessary, the two fourth-place teams will move straight into playing for 7th without any extra playoff rounds.

Well, that’s still technically a playoff. At least, that's what I've always understood it to be. 😁
If they had said, "Since you didn't make the semifinals, let's just call it quits—no more games," then maybe there wouldn't be any playoffs.
You get my point, right?
😉

I’m just praying someone is smart enough to schedule today's matchups so we don't run into each other in the semifinals; otherwise, things are going to get absolutely bloody. 🙂It would be best if, once the first game wraps up, they clear out the section where the fans of the team playing that first match are sitting.

By far, most tickets aren't even $15 or $20—but honestly, that doesn't matter, because they've been letting massive crowds in without tickets every single day just to boost attendance numbers.
Now that we've hit the semifinals, the hype has really kicked in and Friday is definitely going to be packed, especially since they started selling tickets exclusively at the box office yesterday.

I'm already hearing kids getting worked up, shouting stuff about "fascists" and other garbage, while there are plenty of people looking to exploit them for their own agendas. They hand out bats and knives, and these idiot kids are just happy to prove themselves to their leaders.

I’m not trying to provoke anyone here; I’m writing this purely out of concern because I'm terrified of the worst-case scenario happening. A few months ago, a whole city was torn up during that damn Pride parade, and they had 5,000 police officers guarding maybe a hundred people.
So, for those who actually want to use their heads, please don't go alone—stick to small groups. What happened in Chicago isn't even a good indicator of what to expect here, since people weren't even following the tournament closely and it wasn't a head-to-head matchup.

Again, I’m saying this with the best intentions. Good luck to everyone attending, and may the better team win!

Can someone give me an honest assessment—are the Mexicans actually a force to be reckoned with right now?
Have they truly cultivated a powerhouse generation of young talent, or are we looking at their version of the 2003 US basketball golden era?

Or is this just a temporary surge fueled by home-court advantage—a brief flash in the pan before they settle back into being just another average team on the international handball stage?

It depends on how you define "strong." If you mean a guaranteed medal contender regardless of where they play, then definitely not. But I think they'll be in the mix right up until the final rounds of the quarterfinals, assuming we aren't playing on home soil here in the States.

There’s just no comparison to that legendary 2003 American squad. They lack that depth and sheer talent. This group is mostly made up of really solid, high-level players in their prime playing in top-tier leagues, but there isn't a single superstar or world-class icon in the lineup.
Past results from the A-team can be misleading because there's been so much experimentation with coaches—they get fired fast, and every single one brings a completely different style. In the US, our youth development at lower levels has always been great (until they hit the pros, since the club systems are a mess), which was proven by that junior runner-up finish a few years back.
Those talented young players only really turned that potential into actual elite quality once they moved to foreign clubs and played in much tougher leagues.

One of the few bright spots for our federation is that they kept Veselin Vuković—a member of that legendary General Electric generation from the 80s—as the coach. He finally shut down all those excuses about our players being "too creative" or improvising instead of actually playing defense! He insists on a tough, disciplined 6-0 zone (switching to a 5-1 if we have a man advantage), which works beautifully because we have plenty of strong, mobile athletes. The offense is a bit more unpredictable, though. It relies heavily on excellent shooters like Ilić and Vujin, but if they happen to be having an off day, the alternatives are noticeably weaker (even if they are still solid parts of the roster). Our pivot play is pretty limited—mostly defensive specialists—and the wings are somewhere in the middle, though they don't seem fully utilized.
However, the biggest change compared to previous tournaments is a somewhat surprising "revelation." It’s the playmaker, the veteran Čutura. He has fundamentally changed our offensive flow. He connects our plays perfectly, and when passive play becomes a threat, he’s more than willing to step up and take charge.

We'll see how things shake out in the home stretch. Personally, I think the US is a tier below Spain and the Americans, sitting somewhere around the level of Germany. Still, if they channel that home-court energy correctly—or maybe get a little lucky with some favorable officiating calls (which has been minimal so far)—they might just bridge that gap and pull an upset. We'll see!
My odds: Spain and the Americans at 30% each, the US at 25%, and Germany at 15%.

Thanks for such an extensive reply; you’ve really helped me wrap my head around the situation! 👍

I haven't followed them at all, but judging by the results, it looks like they're doing quite well.

And honestly—the new Sweden national team isn't exactly ready for the big stages, nor is Germany, and France seems to be on a clear decline (though I assume they still have enough firepower left to grab an Olympic gold)... plus, Spain doesn't have those superstar names they had back in the early 2000s...
It would be incredible to see one powerhouse team emerge, especially from this part of the world—given that Mexicans have traditionally produced such massive talents—but alas, they've been sliding for about a decade now due to a million different factors.

You say you aren't built for consistent dominance, but one great result can change everything. 🤷

It reminds me of how things were here in the States back in 2003—handball was marginalized, and I mean *completely* sidelined. News from the start of the championship in Portugal was buried on the very last pages of the papers; back then, it felt like I was the only one actually invested in the team. But as the tournament reached its conclusion, kids were playing handball on every single playground out there. That’s how it starts—and because of that momentum, the US has remained at the top for 9 years straight.

darkwolf61 said:Can someone give me an honest assessment—are the Mexicans actually a force to be reckoned with right now?
Have they truly cultivated a powerhouse generation of young talent, or are we looking at their version of the 2003 US basketball golden era?

Or is this just a temporary surge fueled by home-court advantage—a brief flash in the pan before they settle back into being just another average team on the international handball stage?

Ryan Sanchez32 gave you a solid answer, but if I were to jump in, I’d say a better comparison would be Canada hosting the 2004 championship.

They had some really talented players back then, including a couple of world-class stars, but none of that would have mattered if they hadn't been at home (a bit of crowd euphoria, some favorable officiating, that kind of thing...). They haven't touched a medal since, and they won't anytime soon.

Now, when looking at the Mexicans, you have to factor in a very specific trend that seems to haunt their national soccer team decade after decade: they consistently produce much better individual players than Canada did in 2004, yet for years now, they haven't been able to actually pull it together at any damn Euro or World Cup. They just can't seem to act as one cohesive unit; they lack that deep-rooted national team culture.

Playing at home might help them finally forge that unity, at least for a week or two.

But will they be able to sustain it for the long haul?

Honestly, I have my doubts, but we'll see how it plays out....