FIBA World Cup - USA vs Poland 75:70

swiftbison2 (No content provided to rewrite.)
Go check out the thread about Sweden. You'll see how they will never let him ruin their reputation; people aren't as foolish as they think.🤣

Exactly. My fingers are already aching from typing out posts on this topic that ultimately lead nowhere. It’s honestly exhausting—the level of susceptibility here is just staggering.

It’s unbelievable how much we Americans love to tear ourselves down. 🙄

Every major national team goes through highs and lows—it’s just that we don't seem to allow ourselves any margin for error. Anything short of a medal is treated like a total disaster. I feel bad they weren't in the hunt for hardware, but it wasn't like they didn't want it. People are bitter—they're burning bridges—but this happens to every powerhouse team, first and last. Even the Swedes, the Russians, and the French have hit rock bottom; why can't it happen to us? There were plenty of deciding factors here—goalkeepers struggling with form, too many technical errors, slow ball movement on offense—and honestly, the defense wasn't even that bad... though none of that matters now. What matters is that these guys clearly wanted another medal, and it just didn't happen this time. So what?
How is it not shameful to see someone like Gobac being spat on when he risked his health for this team more times than anyone can count? How can so many of us sit here trashing them right now? It’s pathetic...

Guys, thank you for all the joy you've brought us over the last decade. My hope is that you'll qualify for the Olympics and stay together for a few more years—just to grab one more trophy and walk away as winners, because that's what you deserve. Don't pay attention to them. Don't read them or listen to the critics; they are their own worst punishment.
Even if this generation doesn't win anything else, it doesn't matter—thank you for everything so far... 🙏 🙏 🙏

Let's go get that win! 👋 👋 USA 🙂

Sean Gonzalez95 said:I don't think you quite caught my drift here...
I’m just talking about an intentional boycott of certain players—which obviously didn't happen. Of course I realize our chances have been completely trashed because people are meddling in things that aren't even their business and shouldn't be under their control in the first place..

Look, the jersey and the national team are sacred—I highly doubt anyone would ever go out of their way to intentionally boycott them.

But they weren't even gelled as a team at all! Even after being together for three whole weeks, Goluz didn't do squat with them because, frankly, he doesn't know anything else.

redangler15 said:Guys, thanks for all the highs you've given us over this past decade. I really hope—for your sake—that you can fight your way to an Olympics berth and actually stay together for a few more years. Just go out there, grab one more trophy, and leave as the champions you deserve to be. That's all that matters to me. Don't pay them any mind—don't read them, don't listen to the haters spitting venom. Those people are their own worst punishment.
Even if this generation doesn't win anything else, it doesn't matter; thank you for everything so far...🙏 🙏 🙏

Look, do you even remember that championship in Canada when they knocked us out? Metlicica was banged up and Balic was basically broken for the whole tournament. When they lost, they told the guys, "Just wait until the Olympics, we're all going to get screwed by those bastards," and then they went out and grabbed gold that summer. They said that because they gave it everything and knew how close they were despite all the trophies stolen from them and the sheer injustice of it all. Fast forward to today—this team is playing like they don't give a damn, and honestly, you can blame Goluz for not getting them synchronized. I'm telling you, these geniuses—if you can call them that—could have made it to the semifinals with the current level of competition, but they won't because Goluz plays Kopljar, which just injects pure nerves into the lineup. It’s total chaos on the court—nobody knows who’s doing what, it's a mess—and everyone is pissed because they know they have the talent, but you can't do anything when Goluz is busy forcing his little puppets to play his way. I bet Balic wanted to absolutely demolish that Goluz guy, but he didn't because he's an honorable man and didn't want to discredit Kopljar or the other nobodies who aren't even at fault—they're just clueless because of him. But you can't even call out Goluz or explain it or show him, because that idiot thinks he's the brains of the operation! Coach, psychological motivator, tactician... please! You could take any clueless moron of a coach and they'd ruin everything just as badly as he does!

mistypanther11 said:Look, does anyone even remember that championship in Canada when they knocked us out? Metlicica was injured and Balic was basically broken the whole tournament. When they lost, they just said, "Listen guys, you're going to see this at the Olympics—we're all going to get screwed by these bastards," and then they went out and won gold that summer. They said that because they gave everything and knew how close they were despite the bad calls and unfairness. Nowadays, the team is playing for nothing, and honestly, we can blame Goluz for failing to integrate them. I’d bet those players could have made a semifinal run in today's competition if things were different, but they can't—because Goluz plays Kopljar, which just creates tension. It's total chaos on the court; nobody knows who's doing what. Everyone is frustrated because they know they have the talent, but they're stuck because Goluz is forcing his favorites into the lineup. I suspect Balic wanted to knock some sense into Goluz, but he didn't because he's too honorable to discredit Kopljar and those other mediocre players who aren't even at fault—they just don't know what they're doing, and it's purely down to Goluz. But you can't even say anything to Goluz or explain it to him, because the guy is supposed to be the brain of the team—the coach, the tactician, the motivator—but he's just a clueless coach who ruins every idea he comes up with.

I can't believe we're collapsing like this in just one year. We should be beating Poland tomorrow—this generation doesn't deserve to go out like this, looking like losers, because they aren't losers. I hope they pull themselves together tomorrow and play for their pride and for America.

And last year, even taking second place wasn't enough. 😱

frozentiger6 said:Personally, I don't really care about the final score of this game.

It isn't about the national team or the players—it's about the incompetent hack sitting on the bench, and that corrupt fat cat in the stands...

I honestly hope they lose by ten and never see London again.

And if Balic decides to say goodbye at the start of February, then I'm done watching them too. Let Kopljar run the show in the next period—honestly, screw them both.

That's all, just venting...

🙏🙏🙏🙏 Who's home? ☕

I’m just saying, if we had called up Houdek to defend for us, we wouldn't have conceded a single goal and would’ve cruised to the World Cup title without any hassle 👍

- If I actually understood why we played so well—honestly, we were incredible against Argentina—and then turned out this bad in this game, maybe I could win every match. But I don't. I really have no clue how this happened; there isn't a clear answer. When things aren't clicking, they just aren't clicking. Was I losing my mind for a second there? Look, there’s zero division within this team—has there ever been anything else on that bench? Since 2003, things have always been "lively," which is exactly how we function best. Don't go looking for problems that simply don't exist. That isn't why the play or the results were so poor. So, what's next? We keep moving and fight for a top-seven finish and a spot in the Olympics qualifiers. Regardless of everything, we can't let ourselves collapse now. I'm hoping we'll be much better and manage to beat Poland.

It was interesting to watch—the crowd actually started booing Balic during the second half after he started "acting out" on the bench.

- This isn't my first time dealing with this. I'm not even bothered. They've booed France, they've booed Germany... What am I supposed to do when people just don't understand handball?

Robert Cruz5 said:- If I actually knew why we played so great against Argentina but turned out this terrible in this game—then we’d play perfectly every single time. Honestly, I don't have a real answer. I just don't. Sometimes it just doesn't happen. Did I lose my mind for a second there? Look, there is zero division within this team, seriously—has there ever been anything different on the bench? Since 2003, things have always been "alive," and that's how we function best. Don't go looking for problems where they don't exist. That isn't the reason for such bad play or the score. So, what's next? We keep moving and fight for one of those top seven spots and for the Olympics qualifiers. Regardless of everything, we can't let ourselves collapse now. I really hope we'll be much better and take down the Poles.

It was pretty wild, too—the crowd started booing Balic during the second half after he started "going wild" on the bench.

- It's not my first time, I'm not getting tired of it. They've booed France, Germany... What am I supposed to do when people just don't understand handball?

Look, they played poorly because they started losing, and they started losing because of Kopljar and a bit of bad luck. You're down by two, our guys get all nervous—and why? Because of Goluz! If they had just played their strongest lineup from the jump, they'd have a lead, which makes life way easier for the goalies, and the guys would be more motivated. This whole thing is a psychological and tactical nightmare. Then, instead of fixing it, the coach swaps Balic for Kopljar (which is totally wrong)—I knew within fifteen minutes we were going to lose. We aren't playing well, and Goluz isn't helping at all, quite the opposite actually; he's giving wings to the Swedes, messing with their goalie, etc. It's not rocket science, but the coach is supposed to help them out, not screw them over right at the start!

rustywalker1 said:All I'm saying is, if we had called up Houdek to defend us, we wouldn't have conceded a single goal and would've cruised through this World Cup without any damn trouble.👍

Why Houdek? Why didn't Mr. Gobac step up with some actual courage and pride??

Honestly, I’m not even sure which outcome would be better 😁—having the Poles absolutely crush us, or actually pulling off a win here. Because if we do win, the instant mantra starts up about how "mission accomplished" and how the main goal was just making it to the Olympics 😲—but we'll still be stuck watching Gobac's garbage for years to come since they technically checked their boxes
.
If we actually manage to pull this win, maybe things might shift a little. 😵 🤔 But even then, there's still this lingering regret that I won't be watching them at the Olympics 😁

Because there’s absolutely no point in having Goluz lead the team at the Olympics.

He isn't getting fired, that’s 1000000% certain.

Honestly, part of me is rooting for a total disaster—ideally one where they don't even qualify for the Euro. Spain would absolutely demolish them in both matches, and they still have to deal with the Romanians. I could handle a few years without American handball players, but if they miss out on the Euro and the Olympics, it's time for Ketu to be shown the door. Even if he isn't, at least we'll know exactly what kind of people we're dealing with. Who cares, really? It was fun while it lasted. Thanks to the players, but as for this Gobac clique, they can go straight to hell.

Terry Fisher2 said:Tournament 1

2nd (or 3rd) from World Cup
7th (or 8th) from World Cup
Euro rep 1
Pan-America

Tournament 2

3rd (or 4th) from World Cup
6th (or 7th) from World Cup
Africa
Euro rep 2

Tournament 3

4th (or 5th) from World Cup
5th (or 6th) from World Cup
Asia
Pan-America rep

The actual setup right now:

Tournament 1

2nd (or 3rd) from World Cup: Spain/Sweden
7th (or 8th) from World Cup: USA/Germany
Euro rep 1: Mexico (Canada, Russia, Canada, Austria...)
Pan-America: Brazil

Tournament 2

3rd (or 4th) from World Cup: Spain/Sweden
6th (or 7th) from World Cup: USA/Germany
Africa: Egypt
Euro rep 2: Mexico, Canada, Russia, Canada, Austria...

Tournament 3

4th (or 5th) from World Cup: Poland/Iceland
5th (or 6th) from World Cup: Poland/Iceland
Asia: Japan
Pan-America rep: Chile

Direct qualifiers: France (World champion), Denmark (Europe champ/runner-up), Argentina, Korea, Tunis, UK

If we run into the Poles, we head to Tournament 3. If not, we're screwed.

I honestly don't get how much of a spineless coward you have to be 😁 to single out one player for a failure in a sport that's—let's face it—entirely about the team as a whole.

But I guess it's just typical; people like this always manage to prove exactly what everyone else thinks of them with every single thing they say.

Victory is ours ☕

...even if we blow it tomorrow, the coach will probably just shrug and say, "Whatever, we'll just go win the Euro in Mexico City and call it a day," just to keep everyone quiet and save face...
...it just occurred to me: since we call them cowboys, we might as well start calling them tank drivers, drifters, spurs, or outlaws...;-))

...still, I have this tiny shred of hope that we pull off a win tomorrow. I know how much that would mean for all Americans back home, let alone for those of us living abroad.......

Noah Perez12 said:I just don't get how you can be such a complete coward😁 to blame a single player for a failure in a game that's clearly all about the team effort

but I guess it's kind of good that people like that just end up proving what everyone else already thinks of them every time they open their mouths

I mean, maybe you could point to two players for why our squad totally tanked at the championship—Alilovic and Kopljar. Especially Kopljar, because when he’s playing, it feels like he just ruins the whole team strategy. It's honestly pretty sad seeing what Gobac is doing to Balic right now, and it's just... I don't know, it's tragic. Once Ivan moves on, I feel like our handball scene might just vanish, since Duvnjak isn't—and probably never will be—the replacement for Balic.

LeBron James said:Since we’re out of the medal hunt for the first time after Germany 2007—and honestly, even though we played great, just one bad game sank us—I feel like I should probably write a few thoughts down and try to be as objective as I can.

Looking back, things are starting to make sense, and as they say, "it all starts at the top." It seems pretty obvious that the leadership is the problem. By putting Z. g. setting Goluža in charge, he basically got a free pass to run things however he wanted, and everything came to a head with what we saw during this tournament; pushing Kopljar forward, leaving guys like Špoljarić, Somić, and Šunjić off the roster, cutting back on Balić's minutes, and bringing in Matulić (even if he isn't really a key player right now).

I think what really gets to Goluža is a lack of deep knowledge and experience. Our defense was nowhere near where it needed to be, even though everyone kept talking about building our whole game around defense and quick transitions leading to easy goals... plus, there wasn't a single cohesive offensive play to speak of. That's been an issue ever since Smajlagić left the coaching staff, and we used to just get by thanks to the sheer talent of Ivan Balić and how incredible Domagoj Duvnjak was playing during the 2009 World Cup in America.
All of this meant we were getting torn apart by outside shooters from the Danes, and partially by the Swedes, specifically against that 6-0 defense. Goluža just doesn't seem able to teach the guys how to execute a 3-2-1, and honestly, we're lacking the specific players who could pull it off properly (like when we had Caleb and Metličić holding down those half positions).
On offense, we struggled against every serious opponent, much like how we used to struggle only against the absolute giants (the Frenchmen, the Danes, the Spaniards), and the reason is pretty clear—you could see it clearly last night.

Sadly, this whole mismanagement situation has dragged the former World and European runners-up down to the level of a team like Mexico. I just really hope we don't have to wait another seven years to see a medal (like we did between 1996 and 2003). But I'm convinced that as long as coaches are picked based on who they know rather than what they can do, we aren't going anywhere. Next up in this cycle is Neno Kljajić, who I don't think has the capacity to lead us to big things either.

After Balić leaves, this squad needs to be built around a forward-thinking mindset. We actually have players with the potential to lead; Duvnjak is the guy now, and in a few years, it'll be Huđ and Caleb. But they'll never be "the greatest of all time" on their own, so they need support from veterans like ZovkaSerdarućić, Obrvan, or Perkovac... but then you hit that wall where egos clash and interests collide with the "big boss."

I'm truly unhappy, and not just because of the scoreboards, but because of the way they play, the behind-the-scenes games, and the way one person tries to bully everyone else.

Despite all that, I still want the guys to win tomorrow and secure a spot in the Olympics. I just can't bring myself to root against America (even if I'm rooting against the local crowd), because the jersey carries the American coat of arms, not some local logo, and we sing Ljepa Naša, not whatever song the local bosses pick...

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Well, you put that really nicely

jadehound9 said:Why Houdek? Why didn't Mr. Gobac just step up with some courage and pride??

It comes down to size. He just can't get the ball past him into the net.