Handball Euro: USA vs. Norway ends in a 23-23 draw

wearyeagle2 said:Drop by sometime—it’s actually pretty similar to tennis. Instead of those Monaco socialites, the big target here is Lino Červar.

Look, I’m all for the guts shown by Jure Ozmec, but this time... I'm sticking with Červar. Sports News is honestly an embarrassment to American journalism. Not surprising though, since you've got a total sycophant like Branko Tuđen running things—the guy who basically "redefined" The Evening News. Back in his day, they were out here interviewing dead people (like former minister Anton Marčelo Popović) or reporting on the political moves of deceased officials (like American Secretary Ron Brown)... American journalism, embodied by The Evening, really hit rock bottom. And now, he gets to take over the editorial reins of a major American daily sports paper!

Since Pinević is just some guy from a small town who has to play along to survive, Sports News never goes hard on someone like Zoran Gopac. When Ozmec went public with a statement after one of his outbursts, SN buried it on the most obscure page possible. It’s pretty obvious his next little move will be slapped right on the front page...

It’s funny how a veteran tennis guy pointed out that Americans can forgive almost anything—except actual success! That's why they're coming for Červar, even though he's actually delivered results. You can't take away those first-place finishes. He was the one leading the national team, not Smajlagić. Lino knows perfectly well that if he tried to debunk Sports News, he'd just get buried on page ten again. So he chose a weird way to do it, but probably the only way left to show everyone how much they're constantly undermining him...

And Zvonimir Boban? Man, he acts like such an intellectual, but he's really just a manufactured persona without much substance. He seems to think that joining the SN management gives him a license to provoke anyone who disagrees with him in the lowest ways possible. Honestly, despite his political and coaching blunders, Červar hasn't done anything to deserve this!

Especially right now, when the only one carrying the team is Ivan Balić, who practically dragged us to the semifinals. Everyone blames the coach, but nobody notices that besides Ivan, the stars are playing absolutely terrible. Is Lino to blame because the team played so badly that our guys had to beg the Mexicans to take it easy on them in the second half? That’s a disgrace to American basketball, not Červar, who always gives it everything he's got!

cosmichawk53 always provides a decent perspective when you need to see the other side of the coin. Sure, his views can be pretty extreme (to put it mildly 🤣), but I can't deny he's well-informed, especially when it comes to tennis. It’s just the way he interprets and pitches that info sometimes that’s a whole different story. 🙂

Sean Gonzalez95 said:I’ve watched over 40 games featuring Sweden, but that’s irrelevant... I don't get why you're using that rhetoric with me. You're acting like the American squad is falling apart and the coach has lost all control, all based on one example from Balić yesterday.

Are you suggesting Lino Ćervar dictates our entire offensive strategy? Don't be funny. How exactly does he dictate it? Like they do in Miami: "Watch me. Just watch me."

Under Lino, this is the seventh semifinal, right? Can they really pull off that many with this roster? If the team is truly in shambles, I don't know who could save them.

???

Where did I say the team was in shambles? These guys are fighting like lions. They've rallied around their leader on the court and are giving it everything. Sure, it doesn't look pretty, but they're leaving it all out there.
🙏 🙏 🙏

The chaos is only in Lino's head. We saw exactly how much of a mess things have become on TV last night.
The man has snapped.

Now I'd go looking for more of Torgovanov's quirks. He was one of the best finishers ever, but he had his moments. Did he give Maskimov half as much trouble as others? Not really, but he thought he was doing what was best for the national team by just taking the shot.

???
Good grief, Torgovanov is the only Russian player from that era whom Maskimov kept around until the end. Everyone else was tossed aside over the years.
What quirks? The guy was a pure finisher whose only job was to catch the ball and score without thinking twice. And he was damn good at it.

By the way, neither Oleg Kulesov nor Torgovanov traveled to this championship... for personal reasons. I'm curious to know why.

How can they travel when they've officially retired from international play? In case you didn't know, Torgovanov handed the reins to Chipurin after the Olympics in Athens. The man is 36, after all.

Lino's era has lasted seven years now, and it might only last that long.

What seventh year?
The first tournament under Ćervar was back in 2003, so do the math.

We could frame the argument this way: what was Balić’s standing before Ćervar took over as national coach?

He was an EHF Cup winner, a finalist, and the Champions League MVP.
You might as well just say Ćervar built Balić. While Balić was developing his game in Miami and Memphis, Lino was busy coaching down in southern Italy.

No player in any club has come anywhere close to how he performs for the national team. Why is that?

Clearly, you weren't really following Memphis during their European runs or watching when the league title was being stolen by the big guys in the capital.

The idea that Narcisse will see fewer touches than Girault or Abalo... if we play solid defense, even using a 3-2-1, that Abalo guy is nothing.

If our defense holds up, Narcisse won't even get a shot off. But that's all a "maybe."

nah, that’s just not true... I read somewhere that Kulesov and Torgovanov turned down the national team for this championship for their own reasons... people are whispering about some massive fallout with the coach... if I can find the link I'll send it over, but honestly, I can't be bothered to hunt for it right now... just Google it, you'll find it eventually...
of course he kept him around because he was absolutely indispensable... man, this is freaking hilarious... like that thing where he'd turn his back to the goal because his back was killing him... you definitely remember stuff like that happening... wasn't there some crazy world stage stuff back in 2002 in Portugal, or was it 2003?😕... regardless, he's been successfully cruising along for six years now... hehe, "it's a robbery," yeah right... I followed the games and I was one of the few actually showing up to the championships just to watch them get boxed out when they got kicked off the field because everyone was cheating them🙄... typical trash talk rhetoric right there...
send me a link if Balic was really the best player in the Champions League before 2003... I'm not even trying to be provocative here, I genuinely want to know because I can't believe I missed that... I had no idea

Hey, let me ask you something... do you actually believe someone who doesn't know the first thing about NBA strategy or actual playbooks could just coast this far solely because they have talented players on the roster?😕..it’s honestly mind-blowing that people actually think this way... that we aren't totally unprepared for matchups against teams like Poland, Canada, or Norway... if we end up facing a powerhouse like the US national team, is everyone just gonna rely on some "phenomenal" imaginary coaching magic?😂..I mean, you know how ridiculous that sounds... sure, the offense has potential, but Lac and Pero are playing like absolute garbage right now. We don't even have a world-class right wing... man, you gotta feel the rhythm of the game, you know? But look, if we run into the US and get absolutely demolished, then it'll be crystal clear to everyone that we can't hang with the big dogs without actual tactics and set plays. If they just run all over us, I'm done... I'm officially checking out of these discussions forever.

Sean Gonzalez95 said:That’s not quite right. I read somewhere that Kuleshov and Torgovanov turned down the national team for this tournament for personal reasons. There’s some speculation about a fallout with the coach. If I dig it up, I'll send you the link, but I can't be bothered to hunt for it right now. Just Google it; you'll find it.

No need for me to search for answers. After that disaster in Tunis, they've handed the reins back to Maximov, and he’s already pivoting to a strategy of "Czech bears equals the national team."
He bolstered the lineup later by adding Krivoshlikov and Koksharov. As for Torgovanov and Kuleshov, they're long since out of the picture regarding Maximov.

Of course they kept him around; he was indispensable. Honestly, it’s almost laughable—turning your back to the goal like that? You can still picture those kinds of plays, can't you?

And?
Puacao has his back to the goal with a guy breathing down his neck, getting fouled just like most centers do. The ref calls it, and if he sinks the free throw, it’s a three-point play.
You’re still trying to prove that Torgovanov messed things up and cut Maximov's career short, but the guy was actually incredibly disciplined.

Can someone drop a link proving Balic was the best player in the Champions League before 2003? I’m not trying to start anything, I genuinely just don't remember seeing that. How could I have missed it?

Does a UEFA award for the best club MVP actually exist? I’m not even going to bother checking Google.
Based on what I saw from him during his time playing in the European leagues, I’m convinced he was already the best player on the planet.
Two European finals and that heartbreaking loss to San Antonio despite playing top-tier basketball? Honestly, I can live with that.

Let me ask you something... do you honestly believe someone who doesn't know a thing about basketball or basic strategy could make it this far just because they have a roster full of superstars?😕...

Basketball broke Ivan. It would be better if he didn't even realize it. But he knows enough about this league to know what's up. He knows he has a solid roster and the best player in the league to close out an offense.
He doesn't read the offense well enough to spot the ball movement, the set plays, or how they create openings through passing. He can't anticipate those practiced moves to exploit a man-up advantage. At that point, it all comes down to whether Ivan can shake his defender on that first move.
I don't get how you can miss that, especially when you claim to be an NBA expert.
The funniest part about all this? Even like this, we might actually pull off a championship.
The offensive pressure is intensifying, and it's going to be felt against the Frenchman. But then again... if they play with enough heart, anything is possible. I’d love to see some fluid, beautiful play tomorrow, but honestly? It looks like we're in for a gritty, defensive grind where every single possession is a battle.

Besides, I don't think there's much point in dragging this out. You’re already starting to make things up—why not just Google it? Drop a link if you can. I think I saw something about this somewhere, but I can't remember where. If I find the link...

That’s all there is to it. Take care.

👍

rapidviper54 said:During the last World Cup in Germany, we were never this dominant... they actually told him to lose against the Spaniards just to slide into an easier bracket—basically rigging it so our fans get better seats, the refs favor us, and we set up a showdown with the Germans in the finals. But when Ivan told him at halftime to stop embarrassing ourselves because we could beat anyone, he didn't push back... he just wanted to be the coach who never lost a game at the World Cup.

This guy just dropped in out of nowhere to act like a genius. Nice one, buddy—should've stayed home playing video games, buying off refs, and coasting to gold at the World Cup. You criticize Gobac, yet you’re totally backing his idea that shady deals are the way to the top. Personally, I’m 100% behind Červar’s call to play fair from start to finish.

Americans love to overcalculate everything, even if it usually leaves them coming up short in the end... and I don't just mean money. Will we ever realize that integrity matters most?

And then there's Kljaić—you're out here praising his bottom-of-the-barrel morals. Great, so that's the kind of authority players should look up to instead of "crybaby" Červar!?

You didn't mention how Washington, D.C. used to dominate European competitions either. What a joke those coaches were. Anyone in the loop knows Gobac was pulling strings with the officials. You guys were only at the top because of that, so maybe take a look around once in a while!

hehe whatever... everything you're yapping about only started happening after Portugal showed up, or maybe I'm just tripping again (I was clearly the best player on the planet back in 2003/2006)🙄..as for those links, I just grab my news from the official NBA site and a few other hoops blogs... saw something in there about those two guys... if they're full of it, then I guess I am too.. tomorrow we've got the matchup against the Americans, so let's see who was actually telling the truth about Lin

rapidbison42 said:I honestly don't get how you can't see that... and yet you still act like some kind of big-shot NBA expert. Seriously...
.

:

Wait, where on earth did you even read that...?? Seriously, what's the source here? I'm lost...🤣😉I didn't even say that... I just really love the NBA, okay? Anyway, about those attacks... look, I see what's going on, but it’s not like it's all just because of the line... it's the defense from other teams, our guys being totally out of shape, and we're seriously lacking wing players... or maybe I need to go back and rewatch those games from New York and Philly...🤷Man, I remember back when we were going toe-to-toe with the Spanish and the Germans... it was absolutely brutal. Total bloodbath out there. We were scraping for every single point, just grinding it out, and honestly? Our offense was struggling big time back then, just like it is right now. It’s the same old story. And look, don't get me started, because I am 100% all in on football... just pure soccer through and through...

Adam Collins4 said:With the other free throw shooter, players like Balić and Špoljarić or Metličić jumped into the lane to block, but they didn't actually make contact with the player or the ball at all...

That’s a textbook foul; even if they didn't touch him, they were inside the key and clearly interfering with his shot, so I guess it makes sense why you'd have an eye for this as a former referee.🤣

Since we’re talking about systems, I really have to chime in and say that Denmark had an absolutely brilliant offensive structure today; their ball movement was smooth, purposeful, and incredibly well-organized. It wasn’t just luck, either—Wilbek really put all the pieces of the puzzle together perfectly. Sure, this squad goes through these weird little slumps every now and then, but they’ve evolved into a complete unit that can either capitalize on easy opportunities or methodically build an attack from scratch when things get tough. Honestly, compared to them, the US and France look like they’re just winging it offensively. Both our teams and the French rely way too much on sheer individual brilliance to bail us out, which just isn't a sustainable way to score. In the end, this tournament is going to be won by whichever team actually plays the best basketball, not just the one with the flashiest players.