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

Sean Gonzalez95 said:I’m thinking back to that game against Spain... we started out so shaky, basically just handing over control because they were totally exploiting Ivano Balić, and since they hadn't lost a game yet, it felt like this peak generation hitting us right at their absolute prime.
By the middle of the second half, we were basically drowning, trailing by five and feeling like the other side was scoring from literally anywhere on the court... honestly, that guy looked like he had found a second youth just to tear us apart.
But then, suddenly, our defense kicks in and we start pulling miracles out of thin air—this relatively young squad of ours just fights through two overtime periods in the most incredible way possible.
Yeah, looking back, the current head coach actually put on one of his best performances during that match.😁

Man, he really did play out of his mind back then, basically carrying us through those overtime stretches single-handedly.🙏 🙏

That was easily one of the most intense, heart-pounding games I've ever had the pleasure of watching.🙏 🙏

Sean Gonzalez95 said:It’s a bit much how everyone tries to credit Ivano Balić with every single medal we ever won. If you look back at the games where this specific generation really started to take shape, I guess he actually played well below what people expected or what he was truly capable of. There were plenty of matches where Pero, Vori, and Shaquille O'Neal were the ones actually grinding it out...

In my opinion, those medals were really earned by our rock-solid defense, especially with those lethal half-court setups in a 3-2-1 formation that just completely shut down outside shooters.

By the way—to all our lovely ladies out there—this subforum feels almost exclusively male. I suppose a little bit of sexism is just part of the deal here, huh?😍

The first part of the post isn't really up for debate. However, Gobac didn't go out of his way to pin the blame solely on Domagoj Duvnjak or anyone else; he specifically singled out Ivano Balić. Having learned from experience how quickly players can lose their spots on the national team just because some official from the US Handball Association points a finger at them (regardless of whether those players actually won medals or fought hard), we were simply expressing our own dissatisfaction and our perspective on Balić.
As for the sexism comment, I'll pass. No form of discrimination is good, even if someone tries to frame it as being positive.😉

Dennis Doyle3 said:Yeah, but we totally could've closed this out before overtime even happened. We let in a goal like Puc Wallau right at the buzzer...

Dammit, I can't for the life of me remember which one it was, but I know we got burned by a goal just like that... I think maybe Garrido or Ortega stood up to watch it go in... man...

Dennis Doyle3 said:Sure, but we could've closed this out before overtime even started. We gave up a goal like Puc Wallau in those final seconds.

And honestly, we could have lost it too. I think right before the end of the first overtime, when Matošević somehow kicked that ball out of the bottom corner... 😁

Total nail-biter. I remember Goluža being on fire, both playing the game and nailing those penalty shots. If my memory isn't failing me, I think Jović put up a few goals back then, too... 🤷

Sean Gonzalez95 said:Dammit, I can't wrap my head around which specific game this was, but I know we got burned by a goal just like that... I'm pretty sure I saw someone like Garrincha or maybe even Pelé just standing there watching it happen.

Iker, Iker, damn you, Iker.

What a total disaster of a roster... If Balica being sidelined cost us maybe 20 percent, then losing Iker Casillas was more like 50 percent... just being real here...

Yeah, Goluza even sent Collon out to grab some fast food, then turned around and handed Baruffet a gift-wrapped turnover on a silver platter...😁
*just a heads up—I'm not 100% sure about Collon, but that's how I see it in my head... I'd swap him or Massiah out whenever it made sense...🤣

Ketan’s latest round of "brilliant" insights

So, Ketan is out here claiming he built most of our defensive scheme around Vukić. Give me a break. Honestly, if you look at the facts, the kid has been dealing with an injury since at least early December, if not right in the middle of it. There is no way he was fully healthy on January 3rd for them to be leaning on him that heavily.

dustypanther6 said:Ketan’s latest string of "brilliant" insights

Ketan is claiming he built most of the defensive strategy around Vukić. Honestly, give me a break. If my read is right, the kid has been dealing with an injury since early December, if not mid-November at the earliest. It's not like he just rolled an ankle on January 3rd and suddenly everything they built around him fell apart.

The guy is delusional. Why is he complaining now after actually hitting the goal? They made it to the Olympics.
Someone needs to take him out to a public square and give him a much-needed reality check.

goldentiger10 said:🤣🤣🤣
well, my hopes are pretty much sunk at this point...

Nah, they really aren't—he's definitely got some brand recognition here.😁

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phtyL...eature=related

dustypanther6 said:Iker, Iker, damn Iker

Man, you aren't kidding. Romero stepped up to the line, sank that penalty, and handed us everything on a silver platter for overtime. Meanwhile, I’m over here trying to punch my way through the defense only to end up face-down after a massive wipeout! God, those were the days.🤣>

One has to wonder if Mr. Goluža was selecting his goalkeepers based on recommendations from Sanders over in Austria or something similar.

Now, this is what I call a "fight."

Rebecca Rivera93 said:Balić mentioned he’s walked this path enough already—he isn't looking to coach some massive pro club or a national team. He’s more interested in handball academies and passing knowledge down to KIDS and youth players.
He doesn't want to deal with the mafia running the league.

That’s exactly what I was getting at. Balić just isn't cut out for coaching. To put it simply—in today's New York Times, a reporter suggested that since he's such a leader, he should be the one calming everyone else down. His response? "Me, calming people down?!"

If he were on the bench, he’d basically be a ticking time bomb for his own team. It’d be better if he just opened a training academy and worked with kids. Anything is better than him clashing with the sports mafia.

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So, here it is. The night before the game, we headed out to the Olympics ::::

Andrew Gonzalez71 said:That sounds like a wonderful vision, boys 🙂...it’s just like trying to win a game without ever paying the referee ☕

😂🤣

hehe