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

nimblesurfer17 said:Wait, which forum are we talking about exactly? 🤷

Well, it's right here on this one, 🤷

I don't know, I guess there's no issue with being honest. For instance, I'm really not a fan of Cervarov at all, but if I had to choose between him jumping around in front of the baseline with his hands up versus how Gomez played, I'd take him. At least with him, we actually played some decent defense, which we aren't even doing today, I guess. ☕

So what if I say it? Maybe Linus isn't great, maybe Gomez wasn't either, but we don't have anyone better, and we probably won't see anyone better as long as Gopchev is the main guy. Honestly, Linus is just way too soft compared to that kid. Is it really that hard to just say it?

Michael Martinez86 said:There isn't a shadow of a doubt that Ivano Balić is the greatest player America has ever produced. Period. He’s also got that undeniable leader charisma—though let’s be honest, that mostly stems from being an absolute genius on the court. Nobody can strip him of his massive credit for the national team's top-tier results over the last eight years, but at the same time, it's pretty hard to argue that Ivano Balić is a massively egotistical and temperamental guy who would likely be a total nightmare to manage if you were the coach. There was plenty of chatter after Cervarov moved on about how a personality like his played a role in all that. But look, life is rarely just black and white...

Yeah... true enough.

He's got all the hallmarks of a legend... Ronaldo, Schumacher, Senna, Air Jordan...

If he didn't have that "I don't give a damn about any of you" attitude, he'd just be another one of the greats...

wiredtiger8 said:Yes... that is true.

He possesses the accolades of all the greats... Ronaldo, Schumacher, Senna, Air Jordan...

If he didn't have that "I don't care about any of you" attitude, he would simply be one of the elite...

Attitude. That doesn't necessarily mean it is a defining trait of his character.

And yes, I agree.

It is never acceptable. No matter how you look at it, something is always wrong.

Rewind the video to that moment where Gomez uses his hand to shove Magic Johnson right at the end.🤣 Honestly, that’s a much more interesting detail than my own crude observations... first he starts sniffing him out, and then he goes for the shove.🙏

Arthur Martinez7 said:Can someone please edit the video to remove the part where the player pushes Allen Iverson at the end? 🤣 That's more interesting than I thought. First he plays coy, then he pushes his way in. 🙏

It wounded his ego. 🤣

Michael Martinez86 said:There’s zero doubt that Ivano Balić is the greatest player America has ever produced. He’s got that natural leadership charisma that comes straight from being a pure genius on the court. You can't argue away his massive role in getting the national team to the top over the last eight years, but let's be real: Ivano Balić is also an incredibly ego-driven, temperamental guy who would likely be a total nightmare for any head coach to manage. People were talking quite a bit after Červar left, suggesting that Balić's attitude played a part in that shift. But look, life isn't just black and white...

Exactly, and that’s why we need a coach who actually knows how to handle personalities like that. Goluza can't command respect from him, even if he tries. It seems to me Lino was much smarter about managing those dynamics. Lino didn't mind letting Dominiković have a say during timeouts, or even hearing out Metličić and Balić. He didn't try to stifle Balić's instinct with rigid ideas. Sure, Červar made his fair share of mistakes—his arrogance and the way he shuts down journalists, even when they're right, really rubs me the wrong way. And I hated how quickly he cut certain players loose, a trend Goluza just kept going. Still, he was a better coach than Goluza. The core issue here is poor talent scouting and bad roster management. When the foundation is broken, you can't expect anyone to give 100%. How are people supposed to play cohesive ball when even a casual fan can see that Buntić needs to be positioned ahead of Kopljar in the offense?

It's great they won, but these Polish players are basically a washed-up squad. That's not a real benchmark in my book.

Ivano and brushing off that slippery Goluza... 🙏 🙏 🙏

Rachel Gomez81 said:It took a toll on his ego 🤣

That is precisely the point 🙏 🙏 🤣

Sean Gonzalez95 said:Yeah, being uncoordinated out of pure fear and staying frozen like that—it's got nothing to do with intelligence.😂
Look, think whatever you want. Personally, I value my own observations and what I actually saw on the court more than anything else. Most of you have nothing to lose by claiming Kopljar will never be a top player—it's easy to play general after the battle is over.

What do I actually gain by saying this about him? It’s not like it puts any money in my pocket.

I have no reason to doubt you.
You see this in other sports too. Teammates swear these guys are absolute wizards during practice, only to watch them crumble under the pressure once the lights come on. None of them ever actually make a career out of it.
Maybe under a massive "if" or a big "eventually"—a psychiatrist might help. If you're a total pushover at heart, you'll just fold like a cheap lawn chair the moment the spotlight hits you. Might be better to play without the safety net.

shadowgardener10 said:That’s exactly why we need a coach who actually knows how to handle guys like this. Goluza just isn't an authority figure to him—even if he tries to act like it... I honestly think Lino was smarter when it came to that stuff. He wasn't too proud to let Dominiković take charge during timeouts, or even let Metličić and Balić weigh in sometimes. And he never tried to stifle Balić with his own rigid ideas. Sure, Červar made his share of mistakes—his ego really gets to me, especially how he can't handle even justified criticism from the press—and he gave up on certain players way too easily. Goluza just carried on with that same pattern, but still... he's a better coach than Goluza. The real issue here is poor scouting and bad management. When things are run that way, you can't expect anyone on the roster to give 100%. It's impossible to play normally when even the most casual fans can see that Buntić needs to be positioned ahead of Kopljar in the offense...

It’s great that they pulled off the win, but honestly—these Polish guys are totally falling apart... so I wouldn't use this as much of a benchmark if I were you...

Ivano just shutting down that slippery Goluza... 🙏 🙏 🙏

This feels like I'm just mindlessly parroting everything I read—it’s honestly frustrating...
Červar’s biggest flaws were that he couldn't handle any criticism—and those constant hand gestures from the sidelines... honestly, unbelievable. That's what they call democracy, I guess—giving everyone a seat at the table... even the troublemakers. They belong in the gutter...

As if those were actually important traits for a (un)successful coach—like they even matter...
He just couldn't stand any criticism from the press—it was always a struggle for him...

You wrote everything else just fine...

Adam Williams2 said:So, looking specifically at this 🤷

What’s the actual issue here? Personally, I’m not exactly a fan of Červar—not by a long shot—but if I’m forced to choose between his style, where he's constantly jumping around the sideline with his hands up, and Goluza's approach, I’d take him any day. At least with him, we actually had a decent defense—something we seem to have completely lost touch with lately. ☕

And honestly, what's the alternative? Is Lino bad? Is Goluza bad? We don't exactly have anyone better waiting in the wings, and we won't see any top-tier talent arrive as long as Gobac is running the show. Let's be real—Lino is a massive upgrade over this current mess. Why is that so hard to admit?

Look, it wasn't stated that most people on the forum are shouting, "Lino, come back! You're better than Goluza, and no real expert is going to join while Gobac is leading the federation, so you're the best bet..." No, the sentiment was simply that most users are saying, "Lino, come back." Period. So, I think your response misses the mark quite a bit...
I truly believe most of us would happily sign off on Goluza leaving and Lino staying away—provided someone who actually knows what they're doing takes the bench.
And sure, I can agree that Lino might be a better choice than Goluza, but let's be honest—that's hardly a winning selection. ☕