Handball 2010 EP: America vs. Denmark 27:23

evidence☕

Chris Lopez59 said:The prep just wasn't there, honestly. We aren't even touching the potential of having wide wings or playing the counter—we’re basically non-existent in those two areas. I’m really hoping the players finally wake up so we can actually exploit some width and give the Danes a run for their money.

And who exactly is supposed to be feeding the wingers?

With Štrlek still out there, and Čupić stuck next to a rookie, he might as well be dreaming about seeing the ball...

Unless, of course, you decide to put your own guy on the pitch...

Adam Collins4 said:And who exactly is supposed to be feeding the wings?

Well, we've still got Štrlek out there playing, while poor Čupić is stuck watching from the sidelines like he's just dreaming about ever seeing the ball...

Unless, of course, someone actually decides to bring their own game to the court...

If the heavy hitter were actually on the roster, things wouldn't be such a mess...

But honestly, I don't get it—it's not like these players never learned how to set up the wings, so what's the actual issue here? 😕

Chris Lopez59 said:how much did you put in?

Not a ton, just $10. Might toss a little more in later if I feel like it...

Chris Lopez59 said:if the coach actually had a plan, things wouldn't look this messy...

but honestly, it’s like players have never even heard of running plays through the wings... I don't see what the issue is 😕

Way too many fouls, sluggish ball movement, zero teamwork, and far too much isolation play. 🤷

Even when Buntić is out there commanding the field, the ball still has a way of finding its way to Čupić...

I’m genuinely dreading this matchup. Up to this point, we haven't actually played particularly well; we've just been incredibly, incredibly lucky... But let's not forget that Iceland practically had us on the ropes... If we find ourselves heading into the final ten minutes against the Danes trailing by a significant margin, we're going to be in serious trouble. These guys aren't superheroes, per se, but they are substantially more polished than Ukraine, Austria, or Russia—and in those high-stakes moments, they possess a much stronger mental edge than Norway or Iceland...

By the way, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Iceland chokes... The Norwegians have absolutely nothing to lose in this game, whereas Iceland is sitting right on the edge...

Chris Lopez59 said:if the veteran presence wasn't there to anchor things, we wouldn't even be in this mess...

But honestly—it's like players have somehow forgotten how to actually play the wings... I mean, what is the actual issue here? 😕

Kopljar is just painfully slow... he’s always late to receive the ball... and even worse, he tends to "wait" for it to come to him rather than meeting it...

You see it most clearly when Balić tries a pass to the right, and the ball flies out of bounds because instead of moving into the play, Kopljar is just standing there... lagging behind...

He’s constantly a step behind when driving into the zone for a shot, and that lack of rhythm carries over into his passing too...

Pero used to catch the ball and whip it to the wing almost simultaneously—practically in the same stride, if you catch my drift...

And remember how Pero would always "drop" toward the defense when feeding the wing? He’d lean in, partially shielding the ball...

The defense zeroes in on him, collapses on his position, and by then, the ball is already with the winger who’s already mid-sprint...

Kopljar just doesn't have the IQ or the experience to pull that off...

Adam Collins4 said:It’s glaringly obvious when Balić tries to drive right, only for the ball to fly out of bounds because Kopljar is just standing there frozen instead of moving with him... he's constantly late on the reception...

I’d say this exact sequence has played out at least four or five times by now... yet somehow, the turnover always gets pinned on Balić.😁

Jose Booth48 said:Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Iceland chokes here... The Norwegians have nothing to lose in this game, while Iceland is right on the edge...

So I'm not the only one thinking Iceland might blow it.😍

It's more likely Iceland fails than us losing.😁
But you never know with our team. Maybe they play perfectly tomorrow, or maybe the Danes just completely dismantle us. I doubt there'll be any middle ground.

Jose Booth48 said:And while Buntić is out there, the ball could easily bounce right to Čupić...

I’m low-key terrified of this game. We haven't actually played any decent ball yet; we've just been riding a massive wave of pure luck... But let's not forget how close Denmark practically had us beat... If we walk into those final ten minutes against the Danes trailing by a significant margin, we are absolutely cooked. These guys aren't gods or anything, but they're way more polished than Ukraine, Austria, or Russia, and in high-stakes moments, they're much tougher mentally than Norway or Iceland...

Btw, honestly wouldn't surprise me if Iceland chokes... The Norwegians have nothing to lose in this matchup, whereas Iceland is right on the edge...

if we somehow stumble our way into the semifinals, we're gonna get absolutely demolished playing like this.

If we’re gonna let guys like Spielberg, Hansen, and Sarup blow the Finals in our faces, then honestly... what are we even doing here? Just pack it up and go home. Seriously, look at that roster—it's a total joke—but we actually have to step up and dominate! They haven't shown anything special lately (I mean, who's even showing up these days? 🤣), and they definitely aren't so elite that we need to be shaking in our boots like we used to...

Noah Ross7 said:So, I guess I’m not the only one convinced that Iceland is going to absolutely wreck us.😍

I honestly think there’s a much higher probability of Iceland pulling off an upset than there is of us actually walking away with a win.😁

The real headache, though, is just how much they stand to gain if we end up dropping this one... 😁

Jose Booth48 said:The issue is that they don't lose much by settling for a tie if we end up dropping the game... 😁

It's tough to play for a draw in handball.😁

Three games where they needed a win, and they walked away with a tie instead. If they actually want a draw now, they can just take a loss.😁

They’re certainly going after that win, but mark my words, they’re going to choke when they hit the X factor... 😁

Chris Lopez59 said:if the coach actually knew what he was doing, we wouldn't be in this mess...

But honestly, it feels like none of these players ever learned how to actually work the wings... I mean, what's the actual issue here? 😕

The real issue is that Kopljar just isn't a talented player. And I don't mean he's just "okay"—I mean his performance is an absolute disaster on the court. But you can't really blame him for that; he is who he is. You have to blame the clown in charge who keeps forcing him into the lineup.

Chris Lopez59 said:Back then, the Americans had a much more explosive offense, while the French were basically built on defense. And honestly, the French were the only ones with enough muscle up front to actually shut down Balić when he was at his peak.

But look at us now—we’ve actually got some width. We aren't just smashing everything through the middle anymore; we have wings that force the opposition to defend the whole floor. They can't just camp out on the perimeter like they used to. But our guys need to step up too. We have to use that space, create openings for the wings, instead of just blindly charging into traffic.

We can hold our own defensively, but it all comes down to what we show up with on offense. If we try to match them physically, it's going to be a toss-up. But if we actually tap into our offensive potential and play sixty minutes of disciplined, smart defense? We can take them. But if they outrun us? We're dead in the water.

Man... look, we have the talent to win gold, but we are so freaking inconsistent. It's weird because all doors are technically open. I don't know, this roster isn't any weaker on paper than the old squads. Maybe we're missing Pero, but Buntić stepped up. If the coach just trusted him more instead of treating him like Kopljar's permanent backup, we'd be in a better spot. Our wings are more experienced now, they've played more high-stakes games, and they could absolutely tear it up if we actually gave them a system. Right now, they're mostly just being wasted on fast breaks, semi-breaks, and penalties. Vori is carrying us, but that's been the story for a while. Balić is a constant, and honestly, he looks even fitter than he did during the last two or three championships. On the left wing, we've cycled through five different players; everyone contributes a little, but nobody stands out. Maybe even Vuković, but damn, it sucks he hasn't gotten a real shot since the Norway game... but overall, things are moving, even if this is my least favorite part of the squad. We haven't seen a true Lacković in ages, and our bench depth is non-existent.

Total bullshit. On paper, everything looks amazing, but in reality? Not so much. We've played a ton of games, we're technically undefeated, and statistically, our defense looks solid, but that's just numbers. We're struggling. We're playing around. We've scraped by a few games purely on grit, individual brilliance in the final ten minutes, and the crowd's energy. We barely squeaked past Ukraine, and we barely survived Austria too. That’s not how you win big. This isn't enough to go for gold, or even silver. Handball is a team sport; we can't claim to be the best if we don't have more than two guys having an "on" night every single game.

Sure, "impressions" don't mean squat if we actually grab the gold—nobody will care about how we looked tomorrow, and I'm with you on that—but man... I just don't see how we win with this kind of play. The real games are coming up, and right now, we aren't ready for them. We haven't played a single real game yet.

Jose Booth48 said:Honestly, I wouldn't even be shocked if Iceland totally chokes here... I mean, the Norwegians have absolutely nothing to lose in this matchup, but Iceland is just so, so close to pulling it off...

Okay, but Norwegians aren't really chokers🤣they proved that before, and they pretty much doubled down on it yesterday.

At least Iceland grabbed an Olympic silver medal, unlike these losers from Norway who can't seem to win a high-stakes game even when their lives depend on it.
I guess I'm actually rooting for Norway to just steamroll Iceland, but knowing how they play, I really doubt it'll happen.

It's basically Chokers vs. even bigger Chokers🤷

We’re looking at a +3 win here.

The Americans aren't quite on our level.

Jose Booth48 said:The issue is that they have quite a bit to lose if we slip up... 😁

How are they supposed to run those numbers when they play at 4:00 PM and we don't take the field until 8:15? 🤦
I'm hoping Norway can pull off the win against Iceland.

Noah Ross7 said:It’s pretty tough to play for a draw in handball.😁

Three games where they were clearly hunting for a win ended up in a tie. If they actually want a draw next time, they'll probably just end up losing instead.😁

..really? You should ask that guy Dzarovski—I think that's his name. I remember reading an interview with him in a German newspaper where he claimed one of his biggest "successes" in fixing matches was a handball game that ended 0:0.😍😍😍🙏🙏