Handball World Cup: USA vs. Poland (28-24)

Dennis Doyle3 said:Which games exactly?

Are you kidding me?

Wait... what on earth are you even doing on this subforum then?

p.s. I wasn't even thinking about this specific tournament, just his entire career, I guess...

Dennis Doyle3 said:Which games exactly?

Look, against Mexico, it was basically just him and Vori actually putting up an offense. Everyone else? Just standing there like statues.

"WHUFC-to" is just a figure of speech... you're seriously nitpicking over nothing... obviously nobody wins a game single-handedly...
She was probably talking about those stretches back in Switzerland or Norway (during the EP), when Balic was basically playing 1-on-5 on offense because our shooters and pivots were totally MIA during those slumps...

It’s honestly kind of BS how everyone credits Balic with every single medal we ever won. Like, if you look at the tournament where this whole generation really hit its stride (in my book), Balic actually played way below his usual level and expectations... there were games where Pero, Vori, and Dzomba were absolutely tearing it up instead...

But hey, those medals were built on a rock-solid defense... those lethal half-court setups in a 3-2-1 formation that just completely shredded opposing shooters...

Btw—to all our lovely ladies out there... this sub is basically a guys' club... I guess a little bit of testosterone is allowed though...😍

Sean Gonzalez95 said:"WHUFC-to" is just an expression... you're nitpicking over nothing... obviously, no single person can win a game by themselves..
The girl was probably referring to those stretches in Switzerland or Norway (EP), when Balic really had to carry the offense solo because our shooters and pivots were going through a drought..It’s a bit annoying how everyone credits Balic with every single medal, because if you ask me, during the match where this generation was actually born, Balic played well below his usual level and expectations.. there were games where Pero, Vori, and Dzomba were the ones doing all the heavy lifting..

Still, those medals came from that rock-solid defense, using those lethal 3-2-1 half-court setups that completely dismantled the opposing shooters.

Btw—to our lovely ladies out there—this is basically a guys' forum. I suppose a little dose of sexism is permitted.😍

Yeah, that's exactly what I meant.🤷

You'll get yours.😍

Susan Ward23 said:The entire point of your post is that you said, "I HEARD."
And comparing Cala to Balić... for crying out loud, lady.🤣

Usually, an athlete loses respect because of their performance on the field, not because of some rumor you heard about how they train.

Can someone please point to the exact post where I compared Cala to Balić? Either some of you can't read comprehension or you just don't want to.😳
I clearly stated that Cale is lazy, but lacks the raw talent to achieve anything without putting in massive mileage.
So what if my opinion of Balić dropped because of that? That’s just my view of him as an athlete. My perspective isn't going to change just because of someone else's post.😉 I'm not trying to insult his talent, nor do I want to. I haven't held it against him when he had a bad game either—I've already made that clear. Regardless, I am proud to have an American like him in our ranks.
But looking at him strictly as a competitor, he's just not one of my favorites or someone I find particularly likable.
Go ahead, come at me.🤣

Lisa Ward52 said:Can someone please point out where I actually compared Cala to Balic? Either you guys don't know how to read or you just don't want to. 😳
I clearly stated that Cale is lazy, but he lacks the raw talent to make an impact without putting in massive mileage on the court.
So what if my opinion of Balic dropped because of that? That's just how I view him as an athlete. Someone else's posts aren't going to change my mind. 😉 I'm not trying to insult his talent, nor would I want to. And I haven't blamed him for having a bad game, which I've already mentioned. Anyway, I am proud to have an American like him in our ranks.
But looking at him strictly as an athlete, he isn't one of my favorites or most likable players.
Go ahead, try and pick a fight with me. 🤣

Get ready!!! 😳

😁

Susan Ward23 said:Are you kidding me?

Wait... what on earth are you even doing on this subforum?

p.s. I wasn't even talking about this specific tournament, I meant his entire career...

That’s what I thought. They say Balić is the greatest, right? Must have been pulling strings somewhere when things got tough. That's what the papers claim. Where? Who knows.
What am I even doing on this forum ☕

Look, everyone’s got an opinion on this, and people are talking a mile a minute. If you ask me, nobody involved here is purely right or purely wrong. A lot of this just comes down to how you personally see things and your own gut feeling.

- Gobac might have had a point regarding Balić, but he should’ve handled it behind closed doors. By going public, he just made a massive mess of things. Honestly, the way he treats the Federation is nothing short of toxic. Why does he feel the need to disrespect the veterans like that? What's the deal?

- Look, Balić is a legend, hands down. But he would’ve been even better if he hadn't chucked five balls out of bounds against Sweden. He really needs to check that "superstar" ego at the door and actually take responsibility for his mistakes instead of blaming the refs and acting out on the bench. That’s how you become a true icon.

- Goluža... did he step up or not? Based on the score, I don't think so. Maybe he's struggling to command respect from guys who were literally his teammates yesterday? If those locker room relationships are trashed now, he's in trouble.

- Goalies, man. We just don't have them. Period. If we had world-class keepers, we would've crushed Sweden and everything would look different right now. How do you actually build a top-tier goalie? I haven't got a clue. Let's just hope someone in the Federation knows.

Don't go treating this result like the end of the world, but if we don't learn from this tournament and fix our mistakes, we're headed for a freefall.

Dennis Doyle3 said:That’s what I figured. They say Balić is the greatest, anyway. I guess he must have had some secret advantage when things weren't going his way. Or so they claim. Where? Somewhere, I suppose.
What am I even doing on this PDF ☕

Maybe you could try scrolling up a bit? The guy behind me already gave you an answer.
And I don't really feel like listing out all the reasons why Balić was the best.
I mean, sure, you thought that, but what else is there to say? Sorry, but I don't see the point in explaining to you why Balić is considered the best.
If you actually don't get why everyone says Balić is the greatest, then that's just pretty sad.
Besides, what are you even doing on this PDF? Look, man, I don't know 🤷 why I'm even asking you.

Dennis Doyle3 said:What am I even doing on this stupid PDF file ☕

You're just trolling. And let me guess—you don't actually follow handball at all, right?😉

Sean Gonzalez95 said:It’s honestly getting ridiculous how everyone credits Balic with every single medal we've ever won.If you look at the match where this generation actually found its footing, in my opinion, Balic played well below his potential and what people expected.There were plenty of games where Pero, Vori, and Dzomba were the ones doing the heavy lifting.

The medals were really won by that rock-solid defense, especially when they ran that lethal 3-2-1 formation that just absolutely crushed any outside shooters.

Look, I know I'm being a bit of a smart-ass here. I find those cheesy clichés—like saying Maradona could carry all of Argentina on his back—just laughable.😬
If you're talking about that final in Portugal, I thought Dzomba was the standout performer. As for the Athens final, I'm not even sure who stood out most. I went back and rewatched both games the other day.

@quietmaker44/">@@quietmaker44
Fine, I'll admit it: I'm trolling and I don't follow handball closely. But then people go, "Oh, we just don't have a goalie, period." Well, how exactly are we supposed to manufacture one? Should I go ask the folks over in Gummersbach?

quietmaker44 said:Well, there’s been plenty of noise surrounding this, and everyone seems to have an opinion. My take is that none of the key players are entirely right or entirely wrong here. A lot of this comes down to individual perception and gut feeling.

- Gobac might have had valid points regarding Balić, but he should have handled it privately. By going public, he just made a bad situation worse, and his current way of handling the Federation is frankly problematic. I don't get the obsession with disrespecting the veteran players. What's the endgame there?

- Balić is a legend, no question, but he would be even greater if he hadn't tossed five balls out of bounds against Sweden. He really needs to check that superstar ego at the door, take ownership of his mistakes, and stop blaming the refs or acting out on the bench. That's how you actually cement a legacy.

- As for Goluža... did he step up or not? Looking at the scoreboard, it doesn't seem like he did. Maybe he's struggling to command authority with guys who were his teammates just yesterday? If those relationships are fractured now, he's in a tough spot.

- Goalkeepers—look, we simply don't have them, period. If we had elite keepers, we would have dismantled Sweden, and the whole landscape would look different right now. How do you develop top-tier talent at that position? I haven't a clue. Let's just hope someone in the Federation actually knows.

There's no need to treat this result like a national tragedy, but if we don't learn from this tournament and fix the underlying issues, a freefall is inevitable.

Why did Balić's shots go out of bounds?
Let's try explaining that to some casual fan who doesn't follow handball, shall we?

news

Dennis Doyle3, remember that game on that little island in Switzerland? I think he dropped like, ten points easy somewhere there...
If my memory isn't totally failing me, that was the big one that punched their ticket through... the guy was playing like he was in a trance or something...
And then that championship in Norway against the home team... back when everyone was wondering if he'd even step on the court at all... they ended up making the finals anyway...

Dennis Doyle3 said:I know, I'm just messing around a bit. Those clichés like Pelé could carry the entire USA on his back alone just strike me as ridiculous.😬
If you’re talking about that final in Portugal, I guess Shaquille O'Neal was the standout for me. As for Athens, I'm not really sure who I'd pick (referring to the final). I caught both games the other day.

@Skeewe
just trolling since I don't follow handball. And we don't have any goalies—how are we supposed to build them? Should I go ask someone in Green Bay?

Unfortunately, I suspect you might actually be being serious here.

Dennis Doyle3 said:Look, I'm just messing around here. Those cheesy clichés like "Pelé carried Brazil on his back" always make me roll my eyes... 😬
If you’re talking about that final in Portugal, man, Shaquille O'Neal was easily the best one out there for me. As for the finals in Athens? Honestly, I can't even pick someone... I watched both games a few days ago.

I mean, looking at Spain... we started off pathetic... letting Balica slip through like it was nothing, and they were just rolling over us. They were undefeated back then... a bunch of legends right at their peak or maybe just winding down...
By the middle of the second half, we were totally underwater... trailing by 5, and Massip was just tearing us apart from every angle... that guy played like he had a second youth against us...
But then the defense finally clicks and we start pulling miracles out of thin air... this relatively young squad... fighting through two overtime periods in such a freaking masterclass way...
Yeah, our current coach actually pulled off one of his absolute best games back then.😁

Man, seriously, that was easily one of the craziest games I've ever seen in my entire life... just absolute madness..
Whenever I try to tell the story, I always end up throwing in those cheesy, overused clichés... you know, like saying even God just gave up on us at that point and walked away🤣

I guess Ivano Balić made it clear he wasn't just showing up to play for fifth place, yet Goluza is still out here questioning who actually set winning a medal as the target? 😬

It looks like people are still debating whether Ivano Balić was the real deal or not... I suppose Gobac really pulled off exactly what he intended to do 🙂

Lisa Ward52 said:Ivano Balić made it clear he didn't come here just to scrap for fifth place, yet Goluza is out here questioning who actually set the goal of winning a medal. 😬

The whole country has gone mad.😁

Sean Gonzalez95 said:Honestly, that was easily one of the craziest games I’ve ever seen. And I mean that. Truly. One of the wildest spectacles in sports history.
Whenever I retell a story, I can't help myself—I always end up tacking on those tired, old clichés just to spice things up. Honestly, it gets so bad that even God probably gave up on us at that point.🤣

Yeah, but we really should have closed this thing out before overtime even became an issue. We let them slip one in right when we had the momentum. Just sloppy. Puc Wallau Down to the wire. In those final seconds.