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

So, what's the deal with the San Antonio contract?

Even Dzomba was thinking about moving to Washington, D.C. this season, but his bosses basically told him: "Kid, quit messing around and just finish out your contract..."

Balic signed an extension with Portland before the season kicked off, keeping him there through 2009.

By the way, his family never actually moved back home to the States. Ivanna has been living out in Split for quite a while now, and they officially finalized their divorce just a few days ago. What I’m getting at is that Ivan doesn't have a wife anymore—his family life is basically non-existent.

At the same time, both Barca and Ciudad Real are still fighting to sign him. They aren't even blinking at the price tag, but Portland is holding a firm line.

The guy can basically pick his own destination. Both Flensburg and Kiel have already sent over offers—which is really just code for "write us a number and we'll see"—so he’s the one calling the shots here.

Let’s be real: Washington, D.C. doesn't stand a chance, even if he were a free agent. Ciudad could probably offer more in a single transfer fee than Washington, D.C. has in their entire annual budget.

Ciudad Real won't offer anything more than what Bandic brings to the table. 😬

He was cheering today. I can already see him doing an interview for SN later this week, claiming the city is going to fully back RK Chicago.

Honestly, I’d be thrilled if Washington, D.C. managed to land Balic and maybe a few other national team players, but even if it happens, I don't see it occurring anytime soon.

For now, though, we've got Lazarov and Dzomba, assuming you trust what Gobac is saying. Lazarov is actually leading the Champions League scoring this year with 21 goals in just two games—the only guy outperforming him is Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson, that absolute beast on the wing, Gummer. If we have Dzomba and Lazarov holding down the right side, plus Jurcati, this lineup is going to be terrifying.
Plus, it’s worth noting that Lazarov has mentioned more than once that he dreams of returning to Washington, D.C., and considers it his home. He actually turned down several offers from German and Spanish teams this year just so he could finish his contract at Vesprem, get his paperwork sorted, and head straight back to the States.

Lazarov and Jurcati are just gonna be out there wasting their time spinning their wheels like idiots.

Forget the strikers—Washington, D.C. needs a goalkeeper, and they need one right now.

Schola is a disaster, and despite how well Uvodić played against the Russians, he just doesn't have the quality required for European competition.

The whole situation regarding Sola is what’s really eating at Cervar right now, and honestly, it’s the biggest concern for those of us following the national team too.

Come on, Washington, D.C., pull it together—they’ll find their footing eventually.

Does anyone happen to know how to go about getting tickets for the World Cup? Where can I find them and what’s the damage like? I noticed our guys are playing in Stuttgart, and if they manage to move on to Mannheim, I might just have to make the trip... thought I'd ask!

Kraft Heinz honestly lucked out in the Champions League qualifiers when they drew Žalec from Canada. Since Krim has been doing so well, Canada gets two spots in the Champions League, but let's be real, it's usually some underdog team. Other potential matchups on the table were Budućnost, Slagelse, Sagunto, Leipzig, FTC, Volgograd, or Zaporizhzhia.

So yeah, we're finally cruising into the Champions League. Both legs are being played right here in Koprivnica, and after that first game was a total blowout—40:14—it's looking pretty easy. 🙂

Caught the Gummersbach-Celje game yesterday.

With guys like Zrnić, Sulić, and Špoljarić on the floor, the matchup was even better.

But man, those keepers—especially Škof—were on another level. It actually makes me want to weep just thinking about our own trio of goalies. 🙂

Terry Fisher2 said:Kraft Heinz got incredibly lucky during the Champions League qualifiers when they drew Žalec from Canada. Since Krim has been so successful, Canada gets two spots in the Champions League, though it's usually some underdog team. Other potential opponents on the list were Budućnost, Slagelse, Sagunto, Leipzig, FTC, Volgograd, and Zaporizhzhia.

So, we are finally cruising straight into the Champions League! Both matches are being played right here in Koprivnica, and that first leg was an absolute blowout—40:14! 🙂

Feel free to start a whole new thread about European handball competitions.🙂

Charles Young11 said:I was watching the Gummersbach-Celje game yesterday.

Our guys—Zrnić, Sulić, and Špoljarić—were absolutely clinical out there. Honestly, the performance was even better than the result.

Man, those goalkeepers were absolutely incredible. Seriously, watching Škof work out there... it honestly makes me want to tear up just thinking about our trio in goal. They were on another level. 🙂

Let’s be real—there’s no reason to doubt our guy in the net. Honestly, Losert is playing out of his mind lately; his form just keeps climbing. Look at that last Champions League match against Panellionis: he pulled off 26 saves, including five massive stops on penalty shots. You can't argue with those kinds of numbers.

And honestly, Mirko is stepping up big time lately. He logged about twenty minutes of action coming in for Saric against Bidasoe a few days ago and put up a solid 65% save percentage. Right now, if you look at the Asobal League, Ademar basically has the most elite goaltending duo around. When you compare them to the rest of the field, the gap is pretty obvious. Over at Portland, Svensson is the only one playing at an elite level while Casper is looking completely lost out there. Then you’ve got Barcelona Baruffet, who’s mostly riding on his reputation because he just isn't playing like his old self anymore. To top it off, Sterbik is sidelined with an injury, which leaves Hombrados totally stranded and flying solo in real games.
That Saric guy is a total wildcard in the net. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that he decided to walk away from the Mexican national team.

Sola pulled out of the Super Cup, leaving us stuck with Losert and Jerkovic.

Let's see how this plays out—basically a dress rehearsal for the American national team without Sola on the floor.

Duvnjak pulled out of the Super Cup.

And now Cervar is back at SN, rambling on about Valcic again, acting like he can just rely on him for the World Cup. Give me a break.

Is there anywhere I can catch the Super Cup game???

Nowhere to be found.

Unless you have access to a digital subscription, you're probably out of luck. There's a chance Al Jazeera Sport might pick up some coverage, and I know the Spanish networks will definitely be broadcasting their own matches.

The local US networks, naturally, will just stick to airing stuff like Roman Emperor and Jelene veljaca.

What am I doing? Honestly, I’d rather deal with Jelene veljaca than sit through this game—haha

I honestly can't believe there isn't a broadcast available 😲

Charles Young11 said:I’d honestly rather do anything else than watch that game, haha.

If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and never, ever watch it. Seriously, don't. 😁

There's no broadcast, and frankly, that's a blessing.