European Championship: America vs. France 24:23 🔥🔥

Terry Fisher2 · 2008-01-24T22:47:15+00:00

🙂 So, the Frenchmen. The absolute biggest thing about them is how they stick to that standard lineup. Those six guys in the attack basically play the full 60 m…

Samuel Scott54 Active Member

85 messages
joined Mar 2009

#21 · Jan 25, 2008

granitefox16 said:Man, how old are those French guys on average? I swear, they’ve probably been playing handball since the dawn of time!😲

😕

Karabatić and Abalo... they were basically just kids back then, maybe only 22 or 23.

I guess you were probably thinking of Richardson, Abati, or Anquetil... but those guys aren't around anymore.

swiftbison2 Newcomer

9 messages
joined Dec 2007

#22 · Jan 25, 2008

Arthur Martinez7 said:I’m satisfied with getting this thread started; we all know that's half the battle won right there. 👍 😁

🤣

Tighten up the defense, shut down those wing players, and find a bit more creativity in the offensive sets than we've seen lately—if we pull that off, there might actually be something to work with.🙂 The drive is there, without question.
I want payback for that 21:18 finish. 😈

Francići, we're ready for you. 🙂

nimbledriver81 Active Member

96 messages
joined Aug 2007

#23 · Jan 25, 2008

wiredseal7 said:(and hey, we really want more of those European medals!!).

Well, we actually have one! 😉That bronze from 1994.
I mean, obviously—don't get me wrong—one gold medal wouldn't hurt one bit! 😁

nimbledriver81 Active Member

96 messages
joined Aug 2007

#24 · Jan 25, 2008

By the way, does anyone else vividly remember that 2005 World Cup semifinal in Tunis? 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Honestly, it was hands down the most beautiful game I have ever watched—just pure, unadulterated magic on the court! So, please, don't go coming for the Frenchmen just because of that performance. 😁

Mark Wood92 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Jan 2008

#25 · Jan 25, 2008

The Frenchmen play this kind of high-stakes, ultimate-combat handball... I was watching them take on the Germans recently, and honestly, they absolutely steamrolled them like nothing I've ever seen! I’m sitting here wondering how we’re even supposed to contend with a squad like that, because personally, I think it’s going to be an uphill battle—we just don't have that fluid, rhythmic flow in our game that we used to possess in previous championships. If they manage to shut down Balić, then we might as well just pack it up and go home...

electricnomad11 Member

14 messages
joined Jan 2008

#26 · Jan 25, 2008

So here we are, finally facing those guys from France in the semifinals.😁

I mean, sure, we have a shot at winning if everything just goes perfectly wrong for them. Like, maybe Omeyer wakes up with a pinched nerve and can't defend, or Karabatić gets food poisoning from some bad seafood during lunch and misses the game, or Gilles accidentally gets hit by a truck on his way to the bus because a car just isn't enough to move him, or maybe Narcissus and Fernandez just have an off day.😬

We’ve definitely shown we have depth in our offense. Our teamwork is solid, everything feels planned out—no crazy shots, everyone stays focused, and we're sticking to the playbook. Lino is doing what he does best, making great tactical calls and giving killer advice from the sidelines... I guess saying "be heroes" sounds genius when it works, right? Who would've thought the other side would be caught off guard by one of Lino's last-minute plays.😕😁

Anyway, I kind of feel bad for the French team. We're probably going to steamroll them like a freight train, so they might as well stay home.

Alexander Wright42 Newcomer

3 messages
joined Dec 2011

#27 · Jan 25, 2008

electricnomad11 said:And here we are at last, facing those dear Frenchmen in the semifinals.😁

Sure, we have a shot at winning, provided a few miracles happen. Say Omeyer wakes up with a pinched nerve and can't defend, or maybe Karabatić gets food poisoning from some bad salmon at lunch and misses the game. Or perhaps Gilles gets hit by a truck on his way to the bus—a car just wouldn't do him justice—and Narcissus and Fernandez simply have an off day.😬

We’ve shown plenty of depth in the offense. The combinations are smooth, the plays are well-rehearsed and intentional, with zero reckless shots. The players are locked in, following the game plan perfectly. As always, Lino is pulling off brilliant tactical moves and offering sharp advice from the bench... ("be heroes"—sounds genius, doesn't it?). Who would have guessed the opposition would be caught off guard by a play Lino cooked up in the final moments?😕😁

Anyway, I feel for the Frenchmen. We're going to steamroll them like a freight train; they might be better off staying home.

😂😂😂😂 👍

swiftbison2 Newcomer

9 messages
joined Dec 2007

#28 · Jan 25, 2008

electricnomad11 said:And here we are at last, facing our old rivals, the Frenchmen, in the semifinals.😁

Sure, we have a shot at winning, provided everything goes perfectly. Say Omeyer wakes up with a pinched nerve and can't defend, or Karabatić gets food poisoning from some bad salmon at lunch and misses the game, or maybe Gilles gets hit by a truck on his way to the bus—a car just wouldn't have enough impact for him—and finally, let's hope Narcissus and Fernandez are just having an off day.😬

We’ve shown plenty of depth in our offense. The teamwork is seamless; every play is calculated and intentional rather than reckless. The players are locked in, sticking to the pre-set patterns. As always, Lino pulls those brilliant tactical moves out of thin air and drops gems from the bench. ("Be heroes"—it sounds simple, but who else would think to call a play like that in the dying seconds?)😕😁

Anyway, I feel for the French. We're going to steamroll them like a freight train; they might be better off staying in the locker room.

🤣🤣🤣OMG🤣🤣🤣

wearyeagle2 Newcomer

5 messages
joined Jan 2008

#29 · Jan 25, 2008

electricnomad11 said:And here we are at last. We’ve finally made it to the semifinals to face those guys from France.😁

Sure, we have a shot at winning, but only if a few miracles happen. We'd need Omeyer to wake up with a pinched nerve so he can't defend, Karabatić to get food poisoning from some bad seafood during lunch so he's out, Gilles to get hit by a truck on his way to the bus—since a car probably wouldn't even move him—and for Narcissus and Fernandez to just have an off day.😬

We really showed some depth on offense today. The ball movement was fluid, and everything felt intentional—no wild, half-baked shots just for the sake of it. The guys stayed locked in, sticking strictly to the game plan we practiced. As usual, Lino is killing it with the tactical adjustments and those sharp insights from the bench. That "be heroes" call? Pure genius. It’s wild how he can cook up a play like that right at the buzzer when the pressure is peaking. Most teams wouldn't even see it coming.😕😁

Honestly, I feel for the Frenchmen, but we’re going to steamroll them like a freight train. They might be better off just staying home.

If we somehow manage to knock France out of the running, will you finally eat your words? 🙂

dustymarlin10 Active Member

238 messages
joined Nov 2015

#30 · Jan 25, 2008

wearyeagle2 said:If we knock France out, will you eat your words? 🙂

She probably will, but let’s be real—our chances of actually taking down the French are pretty slim.
Not when our defense is this shaky and the offense is all over the place.

electricnomad11 Member

14 messages
joined Jan 2008

#31 · Jan 25, 2008

wearyeagle2 said:If we knock France out, will you eat your words? 🙂

Yeah, totally. I mean, I'd love to see a miracle happen.

Chris Lopez59 Active Member

61 messages
joined May 2007

#32 · Jan 25, 2008

Larry Thomas said:I haven't caught the French team playing in this Euro, but honestly, if they bring that same suffocating defense they showed at the last World Cup—and if the refs actually let them get away with it—we’re going to get absolutely demolished.
We aren't nearly as strong as we were back then; our offense feels completely lost right now, just making amateur mistakes left and right. And man, you have to remember how much trouble Balić had against Dinart toward the end (it was basically a mix of handball defense and heavyweight boxing). Those easy strolls Balić used to take toward the goal? Yeah, those days are long gone. They were just forcing outside shots against that 3-2-1 defense, which defied all common sense.
So, there's really no room for flashy improvisation or waiting on some burst of Balić-style inspiration here; it’s all about discipline and running set plays, mostly through the wings. And frankly, we haven't shown any sign of that yet. That is, unless the French team isn't even a shadow of what the Germans were.

It wasn't Dinart who stopped Balić, it was Bertrand Gilles.

Chris Lopez59 Active Member

61 messages
joined May 2007

#33 · Jan 25, 2008

The French have everything going for them. They’re healthy, most of their roster is in peak or near-peak condition, and they can score from anywhere—whether it’s deep from the backline, out from the wings, or right there on the six-meter line. Their depth and tactical versatility are just massive. I mean, what can you even say about a squad like that?

Another huge edge for them is that they actually got some rest after their last match, whereas we’ve basically run ourselves into the ground. Our chance to catch our breath was completely blown during that game against the Danes—a game we really should have secured easily to save some energy for these final two rounds. It sucks. Honestly, considering how exhausted we are, I think just making it to the finals at all is a massive achievement. Expecting anything more than that feels delusional; if we pull off a win, it’ll be nothing short of a miracle.

Our one, and I mean absolute *only*, advantage is the incredible motivation our guys have to get some payback for those previous losses. But man, it’s such a damn shame to burn all that fire and drive on an opponent that’s already running on empty and might not even have the legs to capitalize on it... 😠

Chris Lopez59 Active Member

61 messages
joined May 2007

#34 · Jan 25, 2008

We pretty much have Omeyer figured out by now; we’re practically his most frequent customers, and he’s saved more shots against us than anyone else. We really need to shake up our shooting style and catch him off guard with something different than what we’ve been throwing at him in previous games—maybe just a barrage of heavy shots aimed at the near corner.

The real headache is their backline, and figuring out how to shut them down is a nightmare. They don't waste many possessions, except for Karabatić, who clearly lives for the high-risk plays and loves drawing fouls whenever things aren't going his way. Then you've got Fernandez, who has been absolutely lethal this tournament, and Narcissus is looking just as dangerous too.

And let's not forget Bertrand Gilles, a total heavyweight in this sport, given how much damage he does both defensively and from the backcourt.

If we focus our defense on that perimeter—which is honestly our only real option—then we're going to run straight into trouble with their wing players, Abalo and Girault, alongside Gilles. Alilović really needs to work on his positioning when they attack from the wings; the Norwegians already read him like an open book, and he was giving up way too many goals in that near corner.

I’m really not sold on the idea of running a 5-1 defense against the Frenchmen, though I suppose I don't see many other choices besides trying a deep 6-0. The 5-1 is their specialty, and they’ll tear us apart if we try to play their game.

Our biggest struggles, though, are going to be on offense. They’re going to swarm the perimeter players, and because Balić lacks that raw physical strength, they’ll find it even easier to shut him down than they did last time—the Danes managed to do it, after all. Dinart is going to neutralize our pivot, which means the entire burden falls on Kaleb and those young, inexperienced wings, and honestly, facing Omeyer under those circumstances is a recipe for disaster. It’s the same old story; we know exactly how this is going to play out.

Our chances are incredibly slim, really. It all boils down to whether we can somehow hold them off defensively while praying that Alilović goes absolutely ballistic, and then hoping Balić does the same.

But look, if we lose like everyone expects, there's no point in moping about it. We should just shift our focus to fighting for third place, which will likely mean going head-to-head with the Germans.😉

Samuel Baker3 Member

26 messages
joined Jan 2013

#35 · Jan 25, 2008

It seems like the French always manage to arrive at the business end of a tournament like this looking physically superior to us, no matter how much they rotate their roster
Now, I won't get bogged down in the details of how much that depends on individual training camps or the specific clubs they play for
But if you ask me, when it comes to the Euro, showing up to the knockout stages with actual stamina matters just as much as raw talent—especially when the skill gap between teams is so slim
I honestly think that physical conditioning is the main edge the French have over us right now

wiredcyclist Member

24 messages
joined Mar 2021

#36 · Jan 25, 2008

I happened to stumble upon these two polls over on Eurosport today.
Who really stands at the top of the mountain?
http://eurosport.yahoo.com/pollresul..._id=32237&wv=1
And more importantly, who is actually going to take home the championship title here in America?
http://eurosport.yahoo.com/handball/

Carol Green78 Newcomer

8 messages
joined Jun 2010

#37 · Jan 25, 2008

It’s always the same story with us. You’ll see—if we somehow manage to get past the French,
we’re going to absolutely tear through Dance in the finals.

Susan Moore76 Newcomer

5 messages
joined Nov 2007

#38 · Jan 25, 2008

Jesse Rodriguez50 said:That’s just how we roll, isn't it? You'll see—if we happen to run into the French side, we're going to absolutely tear through Denmark in the finals.

Man, those Danes... they really found their rhythm in this second half of the tournament. They knocked us out by 10, handled Poland by 10, and took down Canada by 5. Honestly, it feels like someone is going to have a hell of a time stopping them. I’m starting to worry this championship might belong to them, but there's no sense in giving up yet. Next up: France.

Grace Thompson6 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Dec 2006

#39 · Jan 25, 2008

wiredcyclist said:I happened to stumble upon these two Eurosport polls earlier!
Who’s actually the best?
http://eurosport.yahoo.com/pollresul..._id=32237&wv=1
And who's going to take home the championship in America?
http://eurosport.yahoo.com/handball/

Funny enough—I honestly expected the Danes to be leading the vote...
But looking at the matchup against the Frenchmen? It’s going to be a total slaughter. I watched them go up against Germany recently, and they absolutely dismantled them in every sense of the word. They're fast, they have endless stamina, and frankly, they hit like freight trains. It’s going to be a bloodbath.

Bryan Nelson352 Member

18 messages
joined Jul 2008

#40 · Jan 25, 2008

I just hope we don't end up staring at a defensive collapse again—it would be a disaster. Personally, I think the kid should start on the right wing to shake things up. If the 3-2-1 defense works perfectly and stays deep, we might actually have a shot, because Narciss and Fernandez haven't played this well for their French clubs all season. I've been tracking them through every single game, and man, their perimeter play has been absolutely lethal this tournament... Karabatic is predictably elite, obviously, and Abalo is decent enough, though he tends to overplay his hand too often by jumping out from dead angles when he shouldn't. Girault is just an average winger, nothing special. Gille’s offense has been a bit sluggish lately, but on the defensive end? He’ll be an absolute wall—probably the best defender in a 5-1 setup globally. Unfortunately, their strongest defensive duo is Gille and Dinard, which is exactly where we're running into our biggest problem: Balic. Since the US relies so heavily on him, breaking through that specific line is going to be incredibly tough unless we can find at least two more scoring threats to back him up.

European Championship: America vs. France 24:23 🔥🔥

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