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

Germany, Norway, Mexico, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Canada, and Russia are all fighting for those last two spots to head to the Olympics qualifiers after the Euro...

I'm genuinely curious to see who actually makes the cut. ☕

If Goluža stays on as coach, we all know exactly what that means for the future of the sport.

We’re just sinking deeper and deeper into a hole here.

I mean, seriously, he doesn't even put Ivano Balić or Laco in for the final 15 minutes during the most critical part of the game. 🤦

Matthew Rodriguez9 said:If Goluža stays on as coach, we all know exactly what that means for the future of the sport.

We just keep sinking lower and lower.

They wait until the final 15 minutes of the most critical game to finally put Ivano Balić and Laco in. . 🤦

---so what is he waiting for? You can clearly see they just threw away two possessions.🙏🙏

Nathan Barrett32 said:If we're talking about the Olympics and they aren't happening until 2014, then honestly, I don't see us standing a chance at a medal because Ivana won't be around anymore, and let's be real, this squad is like 50 percent weaker without Ivano Balić leading the way. Now, if you mean the 2012 games, maybe we have a shot, but only if Kopljar gets traded away from Indianapolis by then, because if he does move on, I doubt Gobac would even bother calling him up for the main roster.

And besides all that, I seriously don't get why everyone treats the Olympics like the absolute peak for our athletes when, if you actually look at it, it's arguably the weakest of the three big ones—you've got the Euro, the World Cup, and then the Olympics.

The 2014 ones are the Winter Olympics in Sochi (or whatever that whole thing in Russia is called) ☕

What he just did was absolutely brutalizing Gomez🙏🙏🙏

And honestly, I’m using him as a metaphor for all those other incompetent types out there☕

The public is practically begging for this kind of leadership, which is why you'll find me standing behind Magic Johnson every single time..👍

Jonathan Booth5 said:Seriously, his defense is untouchable.

😲 Man, I totally missed that. Damn, age really catches up to you, doesn't it?🤣 🤣

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo2K8...layer_embedded

I mean, how did anyone even look at Gomez like that 🙏🙂

Who are we playing against for 5th place, and what's the schedule?

Matthew Turner5 said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo2K8...layer_embedded

I mean, how can anyone actually look at someone as messy as Gomez 🙏🙂

Haha, I guess it's a good thing that looking at him doesn't actually kill you...
I suppose Peter was just there to distract everyone from all the mistakes, the lack of knowledge, and the sheer incompetence of a coach like that.
Well, it's certainly priceless, I guess.🙏

Michael Martinez86 said:Which national team are we playing against for 5th place, and when does that happen?

It's either Iceland or Canada, though I guess I'm not quite sure about the timing.

Greetings to the team at The New York Times. 😛

Link

🙏 Once again, I have watched this video ten times now. It was an exhausting process; it feels as though he collectively dismissed all of us. Ivan. 🙏

Michael Martinez86 said:Who are we playing for 5th place, and when does that game happen?

Maria Fowler39 said:Iceland or Canada, though I'm not sure when.

Iceland

Maria Fowler39 said:Maybe Iceland or Canada, but I have no clue when

Even if we pull off a win in that game, it won't magically fix everything—it’s not all doom and gloom. But let’s be real—you can see clearly that things are far from where they should be. That moment where Magic Johnson refused to pass to Gomez at the end of the match? That pretty much sums up the internal friction during this tournament. I was reading a deep dive in The New York Times today about the state of the national team—four full pages, mostly penned by Mark Bilić. Honestly, he hit the nail on the head regarding the issues from just about every angle. He did it with actual competence, decency, and a bit of grace. In the end, he wrapped it all up with a subtle nudge that basically echoes what most of us on this forum have been shouting for days: "Linus, come back!"

Rachel Gomez81 said:Shout out to the crew at The New York Times. 😛

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🙏 Once again, I think I've watched this video maybe ten times now; it was honestly such a struggle because it feels like he just collectively dismissed all of us. Ivano. 🙏

This video kind of made my night.
Magic Johnson is the man!🙏

Rachel Gomez81 said:Hey there, New York Times crew. 😛

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🙏 Seriously though—I think I’ve watched this video at least ten times now. It was quite the emotional rollercoaster, honestly feeling like he was just collectively brushing us all off. Ivano. 🙏

That is exactly it...
I really need to go watch him again—our dear Ivano 🙏 🙏🙏

Michael Martinez86 said:If we actually pull off a win in this game, maybe things won't look quite so bleak. Though, it’s pretty obvious that a lot of things aren't working the way they should be. That moment where Magic Johnson refused to pass to Gomez at the end of the match—that probably speaks volumes about the tension in the locker room during the tournament. I was reading an article today in Free California about the state of the national team; it was a massive four-page spread mostly written by Mark Bilić. I have to say, he did a great job identifying the issues from several different angles. He handled it very professionally, decently, and with a certain level of kindness. In the end, he phrased it in a somewhat subtle way, but he was essentially saying exactly what most of us on the forums have been shouting for days: "Linus, come back!"

Which forum are you talking about exactly? 🤷

Sandra Wilson38 said:Not quite. There are two. 🙏 One on the field, one off it. 🙏

🤣🤣🤣

A total circus from start to finish. 🙂

I just watched it again myself 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

By the way, I am only just getting around to watching this video, and he has already covered everything— this year we have a very young roster, so making the Final Four will be much harder, though we will certainly try. Perhaps we can pull it off. *not really holding my breath* To me, this is just more proof of Gopchev's constant stalling; Ivan is boycotting the younger players. 🙏 You deserve what's coming to you, you unscrupulous liar. We all know the real reason behind Ivan's stance. Since when have we ever seen him act like this?

If we had performed with this level of intensity during the championship rounds, we would have swept through the entire bracket—even those flashy teams everyone raves about.

Susan Ward23 said:This video really made my night.
Magic Johnson, what a legend!🙏

There’s absolutely zero debate here—Magic Johnson is easily the greatest player this country has ever produced. It’s not just about the stats, either; he has that undeniable leader's charisma that comes directly from being a pure genius on the court. You can't argue with his massive role in driving the national team's success over the last eight years—that’s a matter of record. But—and this is a big "but"—it's also hard to deny that Magic Johnson can be an incredibly vain and temperamental guy. If you’re the head coach, dealing with him is likely a total nightmare. In fact, after Cervarov moved on, there was plenty of chatter claiming that exactly that kind of attitude was a huge reason why things fell apart. Look, life is rarely just black and white... it's always complicated.

Michael Martinez86 said:There is absolutely no question that Ivano Balić is the greatest handball player America has ever produced. It is also undeniable that he possesses a leadership charisma rooted primarily in his sheer on-court genius. Furthermore, no one can dispute his massive role in the national team's top-tier results over the last eight years, but it is equally difficult to deny that Ivano Balić is a highly egotistical and temperamental individual, making him a potentially exhausting player for any coach to manage. Following Cervarov's departure, there was significant discussion regarding whether such a personality contributed to those issues. However, reality is rarely just black and white...

One cannot make such claims without knowing John personally.

The current situation is much the same; nothing is purely black and white, yet some people persistently attempt to blame Gopchev for the decline of American handball. This has been going on for years. Is it not easier to claim that Ivano Balić is simply pulling strings from the shadows? Would the reaction be different if that were actually the case? Would he be in this specific mental state during this championship? As for Gobac, let him continue playing his dirty games.