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

Keith Nguyen83 said:I went $67on our guys, basically saying we're taking this one
😁

...🙂...look, I didn't put any money down, which means I'm calling a draw...🙂...

...but seriously though, I haven't been watching the French lately, but if they're playing the same way they did when they faced us last time, we're pretty much cooked. Regardless, making it into the Final Four is still a win in my book...

Sandra Wilson38 said:😁😁😁
So, Vanja, Whatever, and I are jumping in to help! 😁

🤣, my bad—just being an idiot. At least you guys caught what I was getting at 😁
3-2-1 = (4-1)-(3-1)-(2-1)

The Americans are totally biased!!!!! They have no clue what they're doing, honestly... just can't seem to get it right...

15:30
USA – France Baum/Goralczyk USA

It doesn't really matter if we win or lose

Dana Peterson39 said:3:30 PM
USA vs. France

Like I said, the game was basically decided before it even started, so seeing this score doesn't surprise me. I didn't even bother getting worked up about it. 😁

That’s pretty much what I expected to happen. 😁

Sandra Wilson38 said:😁😁😁
So, Vanja, Whatever, and I are jumping in to help! 😁

I'm ready 🙂

He's my Nicholas; you guys can go hunt someone else 😁

Terry Fisher2 said:🙂

So, we're looking at the French.

...

🙏
Let's go—it’s time to get fired up 🤣
though, honestly, we’re going to need 🙂 and 🙂 and 🙂 and even 🙂 (Halilović) just to stand a chance at being 🙂

Given everything I've just rambled about, I have this gut feeling—totally irrational, I know—but still...

Let's go, Team USA!

Onesta made a solid point when he said, "Yeah, we won the last two games—" and then he added that bit about luck. Honestly, only he knows what he meant by that. Coaches love to gamble with their tactics, so maybe he was just calling himself a gambler who got lucky. But his main point was clear: those guys aren't idiots.

I really hope our players aren't being idiots here. And I sure hope Lino isn't either.

I have this feeling that we got caught totally off guard in Germany. Our guys got a little too comfortable after playing those great games right before that matchup, and they didn't even properly prepare for the game against France. They were basically just watching film of a game France had lost, walking into the arena with that classic, overconfident "we've got this" attitude you see sometimes.

This time, things are going to be different.

I don't doubt for a second that our guys have the talent and the know-how.

It’s hard to stay purely optimistic before games like this, but... it’s going to be good. Just watch.

Right after the game wrapped up in Lillehammer, the grind didn't stop... Not even for a second. The trainers finished up all the massages, and then we were stuck packing everything up, which dragged on until almost 4 in the morning. And get this—we were supposed to be up by 6:45...

Between the sleep deprivation and our flight to Oslo getting delayed, things just went sideways. Toss in a two-hour bus ride, and our whole crew didn't roll into town until 1 PM. We finally crashed in these hotel rooms, but honestly? They’re so tiny you could probably fit two chickens in there without them bumping into each other... if they weren't busy apologizing for the lack of space! We're just counting down the minutes until tip-off. Once we deal with the Frenchman, we basically have one day left of life in Norway. To all our fans heading out to Lillehammer thinking you're ready for this... just a heads-up: the snow is everywhere, and they're calling for -15 degrees this weekend.

Having Balić, Lacković, and hardworking Metličić back at 100%... that's the real game changer right there. Vori is playing out of his mind, and those wings? Total wildcards. But honestly, if we want to crack that French defense, it all comes down to our shooters on the perimeter. They’ve gotta hit those long-range shots to pull those defenders out of the paint and create some breathing room for everyone else... and I know they'll take the shot when it counts.

Thierry Omeyer is one of those legendary keepers you just hear about with so much respect here in the States. He absolutely wrecked us in those two losses, but he hasn't really been finding his rhythm in this tournament. Alilović is matching him save for save in basically every category, so there's no reason that gutsy young guy in the net won't pull off one of those legendary performances that puts him right up there with the greats of American goalkeeping.

Sure, they might drop a game here or there, but honestly? No single loss can take away from the sheer grit it took just to get them into the semifinals. It feels like success is inevitable at this point... I mean, a medal is right there for the taking—the kind of hardware that makes everything worth it. If they pull off the gold, this crew will be right up there with those legendary 90s teams from the US, cementing themselves as an absolute global dynasty. Forever.

The motivation here is through the roof. This is almost certainly going to be the last time we see Metličica on an EP stage, and honestly, it might be the end of the road for a few other guys too.

This is the moment. It’s now or never.

Dana Peterson39 said:They might lose, but there aren't any more setbacks left that could overshadow the grind it took to get them to the semifinals. Success feels inevitable at this point, and a medal is right there for the taking—the kind of hardware that completes the collection. If they pull off the gold, this squad will go down alongside the legendary '90s US teams and cement themselves as an absolute global dynasty.

I'm with you. Honestly, just getting this far and seeing how they fought to reach this stage is a massive win in itself. They’ve got all the motivation in the world, but I have to be real: we aren't quite playing at the same level as the Americans right now. We’d need to play a flawless game to take them down. Still, I’ve got a good feeling about this. Lacković has finally found his rhythm, and if Pero catches fire today, nobody can stop us. The only catch is that it's a tall order for Pero to find that zone. I keep thinking back to those games where he'd just hammer six straight shots from the free-throw line right into the top corner. 🙏🙏 That was peak Pero.

It’s honestly pretty hard to stay optimistic heading into this game, especially considering how we've been playing lately... though the drive is definitely there. The grit, the IQ... we have all the tools. I just have this nagging feeling it’s going to be a real grind, with the French dominating most of the clock... and then we'll probably spend the last forty-five minutes just trying to claw our way back from a deficit. Alilović will likely start out playing like a man possessed in the paint, while Balić and CO try to tear through that French defense...
Catch you guys in the finals

I’m keeping an optimistic outlook here. 😬 At the very least, I expect a level playing field. 🙂
We really need to shut down Nikola and Omeyer. 🙂 🙂
Let’s hope 🙂 comes through for us 😬
Today feels like the day for our legendary trio to shine. 👋 👋 👋

Samuel Baker3 said:Can Metličica hold his own one-on-one against Karabatić and Lacković/Valčić Fernandez?

Lac will have Fernandez for breakfast. 🙂

I’m putting $67 on an unresolved outcome... unless someone actually has a logical argument to change my mind 🙂 ,
If we pull off the win, I won't regret the cash, if it ends in a draw I still walk away with money, but if we lose, well, having money won't do me any good at all...

frozentiger6 said:Onesta hit the nail on the head when he said, "Yeah, we won the last two games—and I guess he meant good luck, though only he knows what he was thinking. Coaches gamble with tactics all the time, so maybe he was just playing the odds—but hey, those guys aren't idiots either."

I really hope our NBA players aren't playing us for fools. I mean, maybe even Lino isn't making a mistake here.

I guess we just weren't ready for Germany. We got way too comfortable after those big wins, and honestly, it looked like we didn't even prep properly for the matchup against the French. They were basically just watching film of a game the French had lost before stepping onto the court. It felt like we went in with that old-school "we got this" attitude, thinking it would be an easy win.

Things are gonna go differently this time, I guess.

I honestly don't doubt for a second that our guys have what it takes. They can definitely do it, I guess.

It's hard to stay positive before games like this, but... it'll be good, you'll see.

Now that they’ve watched us get absolutely crushed in that game, I guess they finally see how it's gonna go.😁

If we were actually physically ready, I wouldn't be so pessimistic. I'm not expecting anything, really. Maybe a miracle happens, I guess.

If we can just shut down those guys when they try to run their two-man plays on offense, and if Lino decides to bench Vori or Sulica to stop them from pulling Dinart out of the paint, maybe we'll actually stand a chance.

We really need our defense to be absolutely locked in if we want to set up those easy transition buckets. So far, we haven't really been tested defensively at this tournament, maybe just a little bit against Poland, and then a few scraps with Canada and Norway. But honestly? It’s probably not going to be enough to hold off the French.

If they just play set plays against a zone defense, we're probably looking at a loss. I guess.

Let’s be real: if our guys keep playing like they have for the last three games, we are looking at a guaranteed loss.

It’s on them to find some damn motivation, honestly—what else can you say? To take down the Americans, we need a repeat of that first round performance. We need suffocating defense—not just standing there blocking shots, but actually getting physical and playing through contact. We need a reliable presence in the net, a versatile offense, a dominant performance from Balić, and a backcourt that’s actually locked in. Basically, we need everything to click.

Basically, there’s a chance we might actually hold all the cards today... and if nothing else, we might finally get our five minutes of glory... whether we actually step up when the moment hits, though, that’s the real question...

Did you guys catch how that game against Norway ended when Lin called for a timeout? He basically tells them, "Look, we need one long, structured possession," and then there’s Balic, just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, trying to score in three seconds flat. I mean, does he even have any authority left? It feels like nobody is actually listening to him anymore. How is a team supposed to function like that?