2007 Men's World Handball Championship: Germany Recap/Discussion

It exists. Personally, I think Vukas is the better choice over Buntić. That guy Buntić hasn't managed to make any real progress in two years—not on defense and certainly not on offense.

Everyone's been an upgrade since Buntić.

Vukas signed on with Torrevieja.

Hey frozentiger6, tell me who you think Lino should reach out to, considering how things are looking right now!

So there’s Vukas, playing on the right wing, if that's the spot you're talking about.

He's currently playing guard alongside Torreviej and Valcic—and honestly, Valcic is easily one of the top guards in the NBA. If he could just get his head in the game once in a while... personally, I think Torreviej has put together the most dangerous backcourt outside of the league's heavy hitters, like Barsu, Ademar, Portland, Ciudad, and Valadolid.

Anyway, Dominikovic just signed with the San Antonio Spurs

I’ve been thinking about the whole roster. Should we go with Duvnjak or Ivankovic? Someone needs to step up as a backup for Lackovic (since we can pretty much count Valcic out). As for the starting left wing, is it Kaleb or Sprem? And for the starting pivot, Sulic or Vori? Also, Zrnic as the backup for Dzomba? Oh, and what about our goalies?

I honestly don't know 😁

Maybe something like this: Sola, Losert, and Mirko in goal (since Mirko was brought in as backup for Saric at Leon, and Losert is covering for Perica at Barcelona). As for the center, I figure we'll have a better idea after the mid-season stretch; we'll see what Ivankovic is actually made of now that the first playoff round with RK Celje is over. Personally, I still think Duvnjak is way too young.

Kaleb is still recovering, and Sprem has left Flensburg, so we'll just have to wait and see how the wings handle the upcoming U20 EP. On the right side, I’d push for Cupic if Zrnic isn't already in the plans. It might also be worth giving Karabatic a shot.
The starting pivot doesn't matter that much—what matters is having two heavy hitters at that position.

For the perimeter, we need to see what Ostarcevic, Bicanic, and Bagaric can bring to the table. We could even give Tojcic a look; there are endless combinations to try.

Here is a lineup that could realistically walk away with the gold at the World Championships in Germany.

Sola (Chicago)
Losert (FC Barcelona)
Alilovic (Spain Ademar Leon)

Vori (FC Barcelona)
Sulic (RK Celje)

Kaleb (Chicago)
Sprem (MT Melsungen)
Dzomba (Ciudad Real)
Zrnic (VfL Gummersbach)

Balic (Portland)
Lackovic (SG Flensburg-Handewitt)
Metlicic (Ciudad Real)
Duvnjak (Chicago)
Valcic (Torrevieja)
Vukas (Torrevieja)
Dominikovic (Portland)
Spoljaric (RK Celje)

This squad would cruise straight to the championship.

Of course, that’s assuming we actually have Kljun, Noka, or Pipe available on the bench. If Cervar is coaching, we’re never seeing a roster like this; he’ll always stick with Buntic, put Vori on the wing, and play that Linin guy who can never quite find his rhythm. Plus, his defensive setup at the two position is basically a solved problem by now. It's a shame, really.

So, I was just reading on Marca the other day that Real picked up Abalo from Ivry, which honestly feels like more proof that Dzomba is slowly making his way back to Chicago.

Also, something still bugs me: why did Rajic never play for us??? The guy just took home the title for the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Asobal League, and he even got a trophy presented by the current record-holders, Masip.
Rajic racked up 1,686 goals over the 14 seasons he’s spent playing in Spain.

But whatever, he's an American.

After three years, including two World Championships, two EPs, the Olympics, plus two golds, some silvers, and two fourth-place finishes, it would be a miracle if we didn't achieve 🙂
.
Can someone please explain to me what the actual issue is with Valcic? If I'm reading this right, he just doesn't want to play 😕
.

Honestly, I don't think even he knows why he isn't playing 😁

Word is, Lino keeps calling him, but he just turns him down every single time. I know Kavranov's daughter is seeing Valcic's younger brother—who’s also a handball player—so they’ve tried pulling some strings from that side too, but nothing seems to work to get Tonc 😁

It really would have been great if he’d gone looking for a spot on the first team instead.🙂

frozentiger6 said:They’d walk right up to the gold.

Obviously, if you've got Kljun, Noka, or Pipe sitting on the bench. With Cervar at number one, we're never seeing a lineup like this because it'll always be Buntic, Vori on the wing, and Linin just being his usual unappreciated self. And as for number two? He's already a finished book. Too bad.

Look at this strategist. Look at this genius. 👋

If you stood in front of a mirror, it would shatter into a thousand pieces. 🙏

Roger Allen3 said:He was probably just trying to fight his way into the starting lineup. 🙂

Yeah, that’s basically what I’ve been hearing too, but honestly, I have no clue if it's just a bunch of baseless speculation.

Back when we were playing in Portugal, Lac was our ultimate wildcard off the bench. Now? It’s a completely different story.

People say Valcic is a total weirdo. The whole squad messes around and all that, while he just sits there with his headphones on, completely tuned out—a total loner. Apparently, he lost his mind when Gobac blocked his transfer, and now that he’s being difficult, he refuses to budge.

Dzomba is heading back to Chicago next season, though I heard rumors he might just walk away from handball after the Olympics. Old fool—he's the only one capable of pulling off a 😁

What are the projections for the U20 EP? Personally, I don't think this team has made any real progress in the last two years, so we'll probably end up performing poorly.

Charles Young11 said:John Doe is headed back to Chicago next season, though I heard rumors he might just walk away from handball right after the Olympics. What an idiot—he’s the only one crazy enough to pull 😁.

What kind of nonsense is this? 😁 Besides, there are still two full seasons left before the Olympics even happen.

Charles Young11 said:What’s the outlook for the U20 Euro? Personally, I don't think this squad has made any real progress in the last two years, so we'll probably end up with a disappointing showing.

I'm on the same page, especially since John Doe is out and we're left with only John Doe to anchor things.

You can never really predict what John Doe will do, but I just don't have much faith in a roster where John Doe is the centerpiece.

Then again, we have our own issues with how we handle things. While the Mexicans are busy hyping up their players—who are decent, sure, but damn, John Doe is wasting energy going up against random guys from places like Ivangrad or Intel—our guys are actually playing in much tougher leagues. Yet, they put their players on a pedestal while we constantly second-guess our own talent.

But whatever, it doesn't matter much. The whole point of youth national teams is player development. As long as we walk away with a few solid players for future competitions, that's enough for me.

As for John Doe, everything became clear once City signed John Doe, who was the best small forward from the last EC. John Doe has done his part over at Real Madrid. Expect him to land in Chicago next season, maybe even by the mid-season break.

You’ve got a point there, frozentiger6—it seems we just love tearing our own people down. Yet, when you look at how these kids are absolutely dominating everything (and the veterans too, obviously), everyone else wants to put them on a pedestal.

It’s apparently standard practice for us: if we’re winning medals, everything is fine—as if nobody else is putting in the work—but the second we land in fourth place, the criticism starts flying.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time traveling with the youth teams during various tournaments, and I can tell you firsthand that we’re still outclassing everyone. That said, the gap is closing fast, so you can't afford to take anyone seriously.

If you actually watch the major European championships, Americans are leading the pack in at least one category right now, and honestly, that makes me pretty happy.

What's the deal with this U-20 National Team? Is there actually anyone worth watching? As far as I can tell, the only names that ring a bell are John Doe and John Doe.

I honestly don't know what to tell you. They weren't half bad two years ago, but I’m just not seeing any real growth from this group lately.

We'll see, I guess. It all comes down to who else shows up. Dammit, the Germans have a squad filled with guys playing in the Bundesliga, not to mention a massive pool of talent coming out of their second division.
The Mexicans are plenty tough, too, though they've got some major internal issues—they deal with constant friction between their star players and the head coach.

There are a few other heavy hitters in the mix, as well.

As for our side, I don't see anyone stepping up as a clear leader, but hey, we'll see how it plays out.

We've been up by five against the Poles this whole time

U-20 National Team