Handball Euro Finals: America vs. Denmark 20:24

rapidbison42 said:Germans are basically setting the standard for the Danes.

I mean, where are you even looking?🤷...honestly, I'd take the Germans any day... at least we'll actually get to watch some decent NBA ball... I am just so done with watching these total bush leagues go out there and get slaughtered for sixty minutes straight... ugh...

We pulled off something massive today. Now, there are just two big milestones left on the horizon:
a) securing our spot in the Olympics
b) defending that gold at the World Championships

Now, obviously, if we nail b), then a) is basically a done deal—but we’ve got to stay patient and wait until tomorrow to see it all unfold. 😬
Honestly, let's just hope the Germans take the loss today—that way, we can finally rest easy knowing we're definitely going to be defending that gold we won in Athens when we head to Beijing. ☕

Anyone got a stream going?

Lisa Miller7 said:I mean, where are you even looking?🤷...honestly, I'd take the Germans any day... at least we'll actually get to watch some decent NBA ball... I am just so done with watching these total bush leagues go out there and get slaughtered for sixty minutes straight... ugh...

Take this—Danish delight.
If you're trying to pull up the stream on SopCast, just use the link sop://26262.

The only thing you actually have going for you is that desperate, pathetic attempt at image quality.

Hvidt is really grating on my nerves today.

Honestly, Hvidt is just a total mess today.

I mean, there’s no way he can download everything. Seriously, that Danish delight quality is absolutely abysmal... I'm not even going to bother trying to watch it. You guys always end up posting the important stuff anyway. 😬

if being total pessimists actually helped us pull off that win against France, then why on earth would we want to change our strategy now...

15-15

16-15. Those Swiss guys. 👍

They're coming back and now those Swiss guys are cooked... honestly, dealing with Germans is way easier!

Hvidt has cleared things up now.

Give the Americans their momentum back by tightening up the group play and clinching the championship. Honestly, what better way to end this... 😁

Honestly, I wouldn't even mind if they just broke their legs and went straight to overtime 😁

Terry Fisher2 said:🙂

Heart of America.

I mean, come on. We know exactly what we're getting into with the Americans. They’re an open book.

Goalkeeper — Kasper was basically playing every single minute of every game. Total workhorse. Kasper Hvidt The guy’s averaging 15 saves per game. Honestly, he could burn himself out at that rate. I saw him looking a little shaky against Germany, too.

Pivot. First pivot is Michael for me. Michael Knudsen He’s coming in from Flensburg, where he’s also seeing plenty of minutes. Honestly, the guy's solid—usually puts up about 3 to 5 goals a game. Lately, though, Jesper Nøddesbo has been subbing him in for maybe 15-minute stretches, but he's only managed to find the back of the net once or twice.

Left wing. There he is... "psycho" Grandpa Lars. Lars Christiansen He totally choked against the Norwegians, barely even managed one shot on goal. He got a bit of a break against Mexico though, and once he settled in, he actually started playing some decent handball. Still, most of his scoring comes from the penalty line where he’s basically a machine. Over the last three games, he's put up 1, 4, and 3 goals. He’ll definitely be getting plenty of minutes on the court. Lars Rasmussen could swap him out, but let's be real—he's basically a benchwarmer anyway.

Left wing. Man, those Americans have such a deep roster to pull from right now. They’ve got so many guys ready to go. And honestly? They look like they're in absolute peak form. Lasse Boesen Who’s one of the top Danish scorers right now? And I mean even though he's only seeing about 25 to 29 minutes of action per game. The Germans really shut him down today, held him to just three goals. You've also got a recovered Lars Jeppesen back in the mix, but as this tournament winds down, his playing time is shrinking. He only logged six minutes against the Germans. Honestly, Kasper could step in here too. Kasper Nielsen Who’s the guy scoring after the game but usually stays on the court most of the time? On defense.

Midfielders. It’s that same old Joachim logic, isn't it? Always thinking the same way. Joachim BoldsenHe’s sitting pretty at the top of the assist charts, but he isn't exactly tearing it up in the scoring department—maybe two or three goals here and there. Honestly, his impact on the court seems to be fading by the day. He only logged 35 minutes against the Germans, while his backup, that mediocre Jesper, was out there instead. Jesper JensenBasti Spellerberg is back in the lineup for the last two games.

Right wing. We could actually turn this into an advantage since the Americans playing that position are pretty thin. Honestly, Kasper is their only real right wing. Kasper Søndergaard Sarup I mean, look at the stats. You’ve got guys averaging maybe 20 minutes on the court just to drop two goals a game. Then there's Lars Jørgensen, who basically spends his whole shift playing defense. Everyone else is just out there trying to patch the holes.

Right wing. Looks like the Americans have made their pick—Hans is the top choice. Hans Lindberg He bagged three goals in that last game, but then he went totally cold in the semifinals, shooting 0/2. Honestly, it wouldn't be a shock if Mikkel Aagaard stepped in—he didn't even see any court time in the last one.

The starting lineup:

Goalkeeper - Kasper Hvidt, 31 goals (Barcelona)
vs Norway - 56 min 12 saves.
Against C.G. – 60 minutes on the clock, 18 saves.
Against the Russians—54 minutes in, 14 saves.
60 minutes down against the Americans—17 turnovers. Rough.
60 minutes in against Poland—19 saves on the board.
Against Canada—60 minutes on the clock and 15 turnovers. Rough stuff.
Against Germany—60 minutes, 15 turnovers. Tough pill to swallow.

Pivot - Michael Knudsen 29g. (Flensburg)
Against Norway—59 minutes in, sitting at 5/7 shooting.
Against C.G. - 26 minutes in, went 2 for 2 from the field.
Against the Russians—hitting 4 out of 7 shots at the 50-minute mark.
Against the Americans—52 minutes in, sitting at 2 for 4 from the field. Rough.
43 minutes in against Poland and we're sitting at 5/6 from the field. Not bad.
Canada match, 52 minutes in... shooting 3 for 5. Not bad.
Against Germany—hitting 4 out of 5 shots at the 41-minute mark.

Left wing – Lars Christiansen dropped 35 on them. (Flensburg)
vs Norway - 50 min (NOR) 0/1 shooting
vs C.G - 0 min
Against the Russians—at the 54-minute mark, they were sitting at a perfect 13/13 from the field (including 7 penalties). Absolute clinical stuff.
49 minutes in against the Americans—sitting at 4 for 8 from the field (including 2 penalties). Tough start.
Against Poland—27 minutes in and we’re looking at 6/7 shooting (5 from the penalty line).
Against Canada—55 minutes in, shooting 8/10 from the field (including 4 penalties).
Against Germany—54 minutes in, we're sitting at 6/11 shooting (including 3 from the penalty line).

Left wing - Lasse Boesen 28g. (Lemgo)
Against Norway—35 minutes in and we’re sitting at 9/16 shooting. Rough.
Against C.G. – 28 minutes in and only 2 out of 6 shots made. Rough stuff.
Against the Russians—17 minutes gone and he's only managed 0/1 shooting. Rough start.
Against the Americans—26 minutes in and they’re shooting 6/10. Not bad.
Against Poland—26 minutes in and they're sitting at 8/11 shooting. Pretty efficient.
Against Canada—28 minutes in and we’re sitting at 6/11 shooting. Not exactly lighting it up, but we're hanging in there.
Against Germany—only 3/8 shooting through the 29th minute. Tough start.

Backcourt – Joachim Boldsen, 29 (AaB)
Against Norway—38 minutes in and only 1 out of 5 shots going in. Rough.
Against C.G. — at the 47-minute mark, we're sitting at 5/8 shooting.
Against the Russians—43 minutes in and we're sitting at a measly 33% shooting. Rough stuff.
vs USA - 30 mins left and we're shooting 75% from the field.
40 minutes in against Poland and we're sitting at a 33% shooting percentage. Rough.
Against Canada—38 minutes in, shooting 2/3.
Against Germany—35 minutes in and we're sitting at 3/8 shooting. Rough.

Right wing - Kasper Søndergaard Sarup, 26kg. (Kolding)
Against the Norwegians—only hitting one out of four shots through the first 21 minutes. Rough start.
Against C.G. — 24 minutes in, sitting at 2/5 from the field.
Against the Russians—19 minutes in and he’s sitting at 3 for 7 from the field. Not exactly lighting it up.
Against the Americans—16 minutes in, shooting 3 for 6.
vs Poland - 0 min
vs Canada - 14 mins in, shooting 3/7.
Against Germany—14 minutes in and we’re sitting at 1 for 5 from the field. Rough start.

Right wing - Hans Lindberg 26 goals (Hamburg)
Against Norway—hit 2/3 of my shots in the first 29 minutes. Not bad.
Against C.G. — 30 minutes in and they’re shooting 5/6. Crazy.
Against the Russians—58 minutes in, sitting at 3 for 9 from the field. Rough.
Against the Americans—60 minutes on the clock and we're hitting 7/8 from the field. Absolute clinic.
59 minutes in against Poland—sitting at 4 for 7 from the field.
vs Canada - 0 min
Against Germany—60 minutes on the clock and we couldn't even manage a single successful shot. Just zero for two. Unbelievable.

Others:

Pivot - Jesper Nøddesbo, 27 goals. (Barcelona)
Against Norway—one minute left and they’re sitting at 0/0 on shots. Absolute chaos.
Against C.G. — at the 51-minute mark, they were sitting on a 75% shooting percentage. Pretty wild.
Against the Russians—8 minutes went by with absolutely zero shots on goal. Just nothing.
vs USA - 0 min
15 minutes in against Poland and they're already shooting 75%? That's just brutal.
Against Canada—7 minutes gone and we’re sitting at 0/0 on shots. Rough start.
Against Germany—only 1 out of 1 shots made in the first 18 minutes.

Left wing - Lars Rasmussen, 31 years old (playing for Holstebro).
vs Norway - 0 min
Against C.G. – at the 35-minute mark, they’re sitting on a 5/6 shooting clip.
vs Russians - 0 min
vs USA - 0 min
Against Poland—28 minutes in and they're sitting at 2 for 4 from the field. Not exactly lighting it up.
Canada vs. us... clock just started. Let's see what happens.
vs Germany - 0 min

Left wing - Lars Madsen, 26 years old (Skjern).
vs Norway - 0 min
Against C.G. – 15 minutes left and they’re sitting at 25% shooting. Rough.
vs Russians - 0 min
vs USA - 0 min
vs Poland - 0 min
Canada vs. USA - 0 min
vs Germany - 0 min

Left wing - Lars Jeppesen, 28 years old (playing for Silkeborg).
Against Norway—played 28 minutes, went 3 for 6 from the field.
vs C.G - 0 min
Against the Russians—after 30 minutes, they’re sitting at 5/8 shooting. Not exactly lighting it up.
Ten minutes in against the Americans and they’re already shooting 1/3? Man, that’s rough.
Against Poland—17 minutes in and we're sitting at 3/9 shooting. Rough start.
Against Canada—12 minutes in and we're sitting at 2/5 from the field. Tough start.
Against Germany—6 minutes in and we're already sitting at 0/1 shooting. Rough start.

Jesper Jensen’s 30g mid-range shot from Skjern. Pure class.
Against Norway—hit 3 out of 3 from the field in 26 minutes.
Against C.G. – only 1 out of 3 shots made in the first 19 minutes. Rough start.
Against the Russians—20 minutes gone and they haven't even managed to sink a single shot. Absolute zero.
33 minutes in against the Americans and we’re sitting at a measly 0/1 shooting? This is rough.
Against Poland—only 0 for 1 on shots at the 21-minute mark. Tough start.
Canada is killing us. 21 minutes in and we're sitting on a brutal 0 for 3 from the field. This is rough.
Against Germany—hitting 2/3 from the field at the 23-minute mark. Not bad.

Right wing / Defense — Lars Jørgensen, 29 years old. (San Antonio)
Against Norway—20 minutes in and they’re already shooting 1/1. Unbelievable.
Against C.G. — 14 minutes in and they're sitting at 0/0 shooting. Total nothingness.
Against the Russians—33 minutes in and they're sitting at 1 for 1 from the field. Rough start.
Against the Americans—28 minutes in and we’re sitting at 0/0 on shots. Just... wow.
25 minutes in against Poland and we’re sitting at zero shots on goal. This is rough.
vs Canada - 28 minutes in and we're sitting at 0/0 shooting. This is just great.
Against Germany—24 minutes in and he’s already 1 for 1 from the field.

Kasper Nielsen at left wing defense—32 goals for Flensburg.
Against Norway—19 minutes in and we’re already sitting on a 1/2 shooting percentage. Rough start.
Against C.G. — at the 37-minute mark, they're sitting at 4 for 8 on shots. Not exactly lighting it up.
Against the Russians—around the 22-minute mark—they hit that one-half shot.
Against the Americans... 30 minutes in and we're already seeing that half-court struggle.
32 minutes in against Poland and we’re sitting at 2 for 2 from the field. Not bad, I guess.
Canada vs. us—28 minutes in and we’re already sitting on a 1/2 shot. Tough start.
Against Germany—only shooting 3/4 in the first 29 minutes. Tough luck.

Right wing - Mikkel Aagaard, 28 years old (playing for Viborg).
Against the Norwegians... half an hour in and we're sitting on 0/2 shooting. Rough start.
Against C.G. — 30 minutes in and we're sitting at 2 out of 4 shooting. Rough start.
vs Russians - 0 min
vs USA - 0 min
vs Poland - 0 min
Against Canada—shot 2/3 over the full 60 minutes.
vs Germany - 0 min

Left/center back – Basti Spellerberg, 28 years old (playing for Kolding).
vs Norway - 0 min
vs C.G - 0 min
vs Russians - 0 min
vs USA - 0 min
Vs Poland—21 minutes in and they're shooting 2/3. Not exactly lighting it up, but we'll see.
Slo - 11 mins in and they’re sitting at 1/3 shooting. Rough start.
Against Germany—22 minutes in, and we're sitting at 2/5 shooting. Tough start.

I was totally lost at first, but after watching a bit more, I finally get it. Man, the contrast between France and these two teams is just insane. 😁

The Danes are basically just clones of the Germans, just without all the heavy lifting they do.

It’s about 6:18 PM now—the Germans were leading by a chunk (12-7), but they're narrowing it down. Kerman is definitely the standout star right now.

Let’s go get that gold 👋

Unbelievable, the Americans just surged ahead into the lead! 😠😠

Alright, here’s how things look heading into the big final:
If we pull this off, we’re European champions 😁 and punching our ticket to the Olympics.
If we lose, we walk away with silver 😁 and host a qualifying tournament (likely in San Diego) where teams like Russia, the winner of the North Korea vs. Japan match, and Algeria will be fighting for spots. The top two teams from that bracket head to the Olympics.
Honestly, I don't think anyone should be questioning whether we can defend our Olympic title...

Heading out to Denmark where it’s a breezy 37 degrees!

I have a feeling the Americans are going to crush us😢
Our chances are slim, unless we pull off some kind of miracle🤷