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

I can't shake this bitter aftertaste, honestly. It feels like we could have done even more—maybe we should have—but there were just too many outside interests pulling at the strings behind the scenes, all supposedly aiming for the national team's success. Man, what I know for sure is that the adrenaline rush is staying firmly with the coach, because despite everything, this tournament was a massive success ☕... next stop is chasing gold in Los Angeles, with Britney leading the charge... which might actually be doable if she starts giving us at least 50% of what she shows during practice (assuming those stories are even true)

casualfox112 said:I missed that part where Ivano Balić absolutely wrecked Michał Goluża. If it ever pops up on YouTube, I'll drop the link here.😁

I'm also jumping on board with those requests.😁
Come on, I can't be the only one who missed this.😬

Buntic 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

Pešić just signed a deal to play overseas today.

Firing Cosica because he lied... it’s not some "let me live my life and enjoy the moment" thing, it’s actually about...
firing a color commentator because he’s just plain boring and lacks any actual quality.
And firing Goluża? He’s basically becoming the next Bilic—just a symptom of a broken system where guys jump straight into head coaching roles for the national team without having an actual career first.
Plus, they should fire that heavy-set guy at USA Basketball too; his last name is way too big for someone with such a small personality.

I haven't seen Balić yet. 😢

pc-arche, could you drop the link for me? 😍😁

Carl Garcia22 said:if Kopljar's backup absolutely crushed it out there, you really have to wonder how good Kopljar actually is.🤣

Playing short-handed 😬

Kopljar just isn't on that level ☕

Gregory Ramos3 said:Playing shorthanded 😬

Kopljar isn't just any player—he's something else entirely ☕

I don't see it that way at all—the guy is an absolute beast, especially when you consider his backup comes in and starts dropping seven goals per game like it's nothing 🙏

Huge congratulations to Ivan Balić and the whole crew for pulling through and securing those extra qualifiers for the World Cup!

Terry Rodriguez41 said:and man, you’re just left with this bitter taste in your mouth because it feels like we could’ve done way more—like, we really should have—if it wasn't for all those side interests people assume are messing with the national team's success... damn, all I know is the coach is gonna be feeling that adrenaline rush because, let's face it, this tournament was a win ☕... next stop, gold in London, with Britney leading the charge... which actually might be doable if she starts giving even half of what she shows in practice (if you even believe those stories)...

Give me a break, they aren't just telling stories... seriously, go walk down to the local arena and check them out when our home teams are playing against them... and that's not just my take either...

Thanks to those pathetic excuses for players, now absolutely everyone is dragging him... while some people actually have a point because they know what's really going on behind the scenes and I know exactly where they're coming from when they talk... but then there's the other idiots who just bring up handball just to talk trash for the hell of it

At this stage, honestly, it would be best if we could just get Lino back on the roster.

Speaking of Buntić, can anyone tell me how many goals he's put up this season in both the domestic league and European play?
I tried digging through their official site and the league's page, but I'm having a hard time navigating them.
I remember hearing Ćos mention he was the second top scorer for Ademar, but I can't recall if he meant last season or this one.
Thanks in advance!

Sean Gonzalez95 said:Man, they just aren't telling the truth... honestly, you should take a stroll down to the local arena and catch them playing against our home teams sometime... and I don't think it's just my take on things either..

Thanks to those pathetic excuses for leadership, now absolutely everyone is calling him out... though I suppose some people have a point because they're genuinely clashing over certain issues, and I know exactly where they're coming from when they speak up... then there are the other folks who are just being difficult for the sake of it, just wanting to talk trash about handball for no real reason.

With all five of them like this, maybe we can just hope they actually start performing for the national team instead of just acting as a nuisance on the right side... personally, I'd love to see that happen...

Carl Garcia22 said:Speaking of Buntić, could someone please tell me how many goals he has scored this season in the NBA and in international play?
I tried checking their official website and the league's site, but I'm having a bit of trouble navigating them.
I recall Ćos mentioning he was the second leading scorer for Ademar, though I can't remember if he meant last season or this one.
Thanks in advance!

http://www.nba.com/teams/example/stats

62/93 - a 66.6% shooting percentage.

An impressive average of 4.42 goals per game!

That was one hell of a game—between Balica’s reaction to how slavkecov was playing and the absolute madness of the celebration at the end, I’m still catching my breath. 🙏

Carl Garcia22 said:Speaking of Buntić, does anyone happen to know how many goals he’s put up this season in the domestic league and in European play?
I tried checking their official site and the league's page, but I'm having a bit of a hard time navigating them.
I think maybe Ćos mentioned he was the second top scorer for Ademar, but I can't quite remember if that was for last season or this one.
Thanks in advance!

I caught the game just yesterday, and I think he's sitting on about 62 goals in the league... he's the team's second leading scorer with a shooting percentage somewhere between 60 and 70%...

Terry Rodriguez41 said:if they all play, we can just pray he actually steps up for the national team instead of just being a massive liability on the court... honestly, that's exactly what I'm hoping for...

I highly doubt it... man just gets completely eaten alive by the pressure every single time... totally... I actually feel bad for him, especially seeing how everyone just tears him apart out of nowhere...

He doesn't have that Buntić grit, 😛dammit, I swear... Kopljar is just missing it... that positive edge, that swagger where you aren't constantly second-guessing yourself the second you step onto the floor...
Besides, Wilbek knew exactly what he was talking about when he called Kopljar one of the best players he’d ever seen back then... this guy isn't some random amateur from the sticks making empty claims...

But hey, we'll see...

ironpanther5 said:It was a solid game. I liked how Balica reacted to Slavkecov's scoring run, and the celebration at the end was great. 🙏

Just as guests arrived at my place—what exactly was the reaction like?

Sean Gonzalez95 said:Man, they really didn't see it coming... honestly, you should try walking down to the local arena and catching a game when our home teams are playing against them... and I'm not just saying that personally.

Thanks to those lackluster performances lately, absolutely everyone is calling him out now... though some people definitely have a right to be critical since they're clearly biased about certain things, and I know exactly where they're coming from... while others are just being loudmouths who talk about handball just for the sake of having something to say.

I’ll admit that I am one of those people criticizing him, though I confess I haven't actually watched him during training sessions or in any domestic league games.

But don't you find it strange that his goalkeepers are saving more than half of his long-range shots, or that they've literally caught his balls from eight or nine meters out multiple times, especially since he doesn't seem to move much at all during the attack?

Is it possible that training sessions and the American domestic league aren't actually good measures of someone's true talent, because when it comes to a truly serious match, that Kopljar looks like a joke of a player?

Good grief, I just realized I missed the previous page. Could someone please upload the highlight reel to YouTube?🙂 x10

Marko Kopljar: Goluža kept him focused on strictly defensive duties during that first half. He struggled a little bit to react to a few plays later on, but honestly, he gave us exactly what we needed from him.

If you ask me, I’d say he actually went a tiny bit above and beyond expectations... I really wasn't expecting much at all, but then he pulls off that crucial exclusion right near the end ☕

Sean Gonzalez95 said:I highly doubt it... it's just that the nerves totally eat him alive every single time... like, completely...

Hey, why are you stealing my lines? 🙂