Handball 2010 EP: America vs. Denmark 27:23

Linus is such a massive egomaniac. Right before the biggest game of the season, he decided to grace the fans, the coaching staff, and the players with this little "exclusive" stunt...

What is wrong with people? Why do they always lose their way?

Look, who doesn't want our guys to win? Of course I do. But honestly—with the way we're playing right now—I'm having serious doubts. It might be time for Linus to just say thanks for the opportunity and step aside gracefully. ☕Our play is all over the place—no structure, no rhythm, just total chaos. We keep trying these old-school tricks that everyone's already figured out, and they just aren't working anymore. I’m just hoping the Danes don't absolutely run us through (if we keep it within three goals, I'll take it as a win). 🙈

Keith Bailey38 said:Look, I’m right there with you on this one, but honestly, I was just sitting here waiting for someone to finally bring up Gopce 👎 👎

Everything pretty much traces back to Gopce; but let's be real, Linus is the one at fault for actually listening to him. Sure, if he had any backbone, he’d jump right out of his armchair and tell him off, but clearly, the chair and the comfort of his own seat matter way more than handball, the national team, or actual results. That’s why all the responsibility falls squarely on Linus.

Chris Lopez59 said:I don't have anything against Červar as a coach, per se, but I resent the fact that he listens to the boss. He’s basically sidelining or pushing out top-tier talent just to serve certain club interests—and maybe some personal agendas that have nothing to do with handball—all while keeping players on the roster who haven't earned a national jersey. Or, to put it bluntly: I resent him for being a pushover, lacking backbone, and valuing his job security more than the sport itself.

If you actually follow what's happening, you'll realize this has been going on for years. Every single time, some player finds themselves out of favor, or they get sacrificed just to boost the market value of certain guys at RK Chicago. It has zero to do with the game. Anyone paying attention can see the boss is pulling the strings behind the scenes. I guess you have to wonder about Červar, too. He could just say no and call up the people who actually deserve to be there. I assume he's competent enough to recognize who the best players in America are right now.

On top of all that, I find his ego hard to stomach, especially how he couldn't stand Smajlagić as a coach. During those high-pressure moments when a game is on the line, Irfan was always the one who knew exactly what needed to happen, but apparently, this little guy just couldn't handle it. And he had everything handed to him—the spotlight, the results, actual talented players... Now? He has Ket (a guy who's basically a walking political party card), chaos in the national team, a disorganized style of play where we win more by luck than skill, and the players who gave their blood for past medals are being tossed aside like old rags... oh, and let's not forget Kopljar, whom he probably would've kicked off the tour entirely.🙂 🙂
And this is how we ended up in a spot where we're struggling to hold our own against the Austrians.

Henry Rodriguez5 said:Červar announced his resignation

Ahhhaahahaa, that press release was just too much!!

The way he claims these guys are sitting on the bench at their clubs, yet somehow we've already surpassed powerhouses like Mexico and the Czech Republic 😂😂 what a joke...

casualfox112 said:From what I've seen, even the Americans aren't exactly killing it lately. This game is gonna be a weird one, for sure.😁

We’re absolutely crushing it! Luck is totally on our side!😁

The Danes and the French always shut us down the exact same way: heavy-duty, aggressive, physical defense paired with a goalkeeper who somehow pulls off a miracle save just because he’s had a stroke of luck. That’s the only play in their playbook, and honestly, that's exactly what they're going to do this time around. If Hvidt starts getting into a rhythm with those saves, we might as well start packing our bags and heading home.
Look, this championship is a total disaster because we don't have a single decent perimeter player to speak of. Balić can't carry this whole damn team on his back by himself. Vuković hasn't played a real game since that matchup against the Norwegians, and Buntić? He’s all over the place—one minute he’s there, the next he’s totally checked out. It’s the same story with Lacković and Valčić too. Just inconsistent, frustrating stuff.

I honestly have no clue what to predict here. Our performance in this tournament has been a total mystery, a complete wildcard. But let me tell you one thing: I’m expecting a brutal fight. This might just be our toughest game yet.

I’m really banking on us pulling off a +2 here—fingers crossed this turns out to be our best game yet 🙏 🙂
Good luck tomorrow, boys!!! 🎉

It looks like Červar will be out after the championship (if he's even still in the running). The team structure is falling apart, there's zero authority, and nothing is consistent except for our erratic play and this supposed "invincibility" that's about to hit a wall... if you're looking for a safe bet, put your money on Denmark. It’s more reliable than a Treasury bond.😁

I wouldn't bet on Dance either. Maybe our guys will surprise us.😁

Noah Ross7 said:I wouldn't place my bets on Dance either... Maybe our guys will surprise us...😁

It’s true, you can never really predict how Americans will act... they're unpredictable. But my money stays in Denmark...😉

Honestly, since most of you guys are such pessimists, it’s probably gonna be a +4 win for us 🙂

boldhound8 said:We’re just coasting on pure luck at this point😁

The Americans and the Danes always used the exact same playbook against us—just heavy, aggressive, suffocating defense paired with a goalkeeper having the game of his life, which was usually more about sheer grit than actual luck. That’s exactly what they’ll try again because, frankly, it’s all they’ve got. If Hvidt starts getting into that zone where nothing gets past him, we might as well start packing our bags now...
It doesn't help that our offense feels totally hollow this tournament; Balić can't carry the whole load alone, Vuković hasn't played a decent game since facing the Norwegians, and Buntić is playing incredibly inconsistent, hot-and-cold ball... and honestly, the same goes for Lacković and Valčić too...

I honestly have no clue what to predict, because the way we play in these championships is a total mystery even to me, but I’m bracing for a brutal match—maybe the toughest one we've faced yet.

Back then, the Danes had a much punchier offense while the French relied on a powerhouse defense, and the French were really the only ones with enough talent up front to actually shut down Balić when he was at his peak.

But things have changed, and now we actually have some width to work with. We aren't just blindly hammering away through the middle anymore; we have both wings to utilize, which means the opposition can't just collapse on the perimeter like they used to. They have to defend the whole floor. Of course, that means we also have to be smart about it—we need to actually use that space to create openings for our wing players instead of just constantly crashing into a wall.

We could potentially hold our own defensively, but it all comes down to how we show up, and that dictates our offensive rhythm. If we manage to match them physically, it'll be an even fight, but if we actually tap into our full offensive potential and stay disciplined for a solid sixty minutes on defense, we might actually pull off an upset. But if they outrun us? We don't stand a chance.

Chris Lopez59 said:Back in the day, the Danes were known for having a more explosive offense, while the French relied on that suffocating defense. In fact, the French were really the only ones with frontcourt players capable of actually checking Balić at his absolute peak.

Now, we finally have some actual width on the floor. We aren't just blindly charging through the middle anymore; we have both wings providing options, which forces the opposition to account for the entire court. They can't just collapse on the perimeter like they used to. Of course, that works both ways—our guys need to play smart, utilize that spacing, and actually create openings for the wings instead of just trying to muscle their way through the teeth of the defense.

As for the defensive side, we certainly have the tools to match them, but everything hinges on our execution. If we try to go toe-to-toe with them physically, we’re looking at an even split. However, if we maximize our offensive potential and manage to stay disciplined for sixty solid minutes on the defensive end, we could pull off an upset. But let's be realistic: if they outrun us, we're essentially dead in the water.

You make a fair point, though I’d argue the only time we actually looked like we were utilizing the wings was against Russia—and even then, it worked decently. In almost every other matchup, our wing play has been practically non-existent. We’ve been stubbornly obsessed with playing through the interior, and the ball rarely finds its way to Štrlek or Čupić (or Zrnić when he was on the floor). If we don't see a drastic shift in that tactical approach very soon, we’re going to be in serious trouble.☕

copperskipper38 said:Look, you're not wrong. The only time we actually looked decent was when we tried attacking through the wings against the Russians—that actually worked. But every other game? Our wings might as well have been clipped. We kept trying to force everything through the middle, but the ball almost never reached Štrlek or Čupić (or Zrnić back in the day). If we don't fix this mess fast, we're basically dead in the water. ☕

We're barely scraping by in most games as it is. If we end up playing a team like Denmark, we could be looking at a total blowout.

copperskipper38 said:Yeah, you're spot on, though I'd say our only real success was when we actually tried playing through the wings against the Russians; everything else felt like we were running around with our wings clipped. We kept stubbornly trying to force things through the middle, but the ball almost never found its way to Štrlek or Čupić (or Zrnić when he was out there), and if we don't see some drastic improvement soon, we're looking at a pretty grim outlook.☕

It honestly feels like the prep work just wasn't there. We aren't using the width of our talented wingers at all, and we're practically non-existent when it comes to exploiting counter-attack opportunities—we just lack presence in both areas. I'm desperately hoping the players finally catch on and realize what they need to do, so maybe we can actually stretch out the Danes and give them a run for their money by playing wide.

Well, look at that. It seems like Linus is actually starting to have second thoughts. Apparently, everyone is pulling him in different directions, trying to convince him to stick around. 🤣

+10 for us☕

Henry Rodriguez5 said:Well, here we go—looks like Linus is actually starting to have second thoughts. I was just scrolling through some news about Sandi Šola and his recent political maneuvering, and honestly, it’s just more of the same exhausting theater we see in Washington all the time. It feels like watching a slow-motion car crash where everyone involved knows exactly what they're doing, yet they still act shocked when things go sideways. You look at these figures and you can almost smell the desperation behind the polished press releases—it’s that classic, weary cycle of ambition meeting reality, and reality usually wins by a landslide. I don't know, maybe I'm just getting too old to be surprised by this level of predictable opportunism, but it really makes you wonder if anyone in leadership actually has a moral compass left, or if they're all just playing a high-stakes game of musical chairs while the rest of us watch from the sidelines. Word on the street is that everyone is practically begging him to stick around.🤣

It’s like some total idiot is just standing there, whispering nonsense directly into his ear... 🤣

Joseph Clark37 said:It’s true, you can never really tell what's going to happen with people around here—they're just too unpredictable... but honestly, my money is headed straight to Denmark.😉

Sent.☕

So, how much did you end up dropping on this one?