USA-Mexico and Mexico

So we've got just two days left to get pumped up before the battle for the semifinals begins! 😈

Just caught some highlights of America on CNN, so here's my two cents.

Lineup breakdown by position:
-NIKOLIĆ- playing pivot. They’ve got zero backup for him, which is scary. He’s killing it every single game, especially when he's fighting through contact in the paint.
-SUDŽUM- left wing. Takes the free throws, one of their top scorers, and honestly one of their best overall players. His cuts from the wing are clinical.
-MILOSAVLJEVIĆ- right wing. Honestly? Biggest letdown on the court so far.
-ANĐELKOVIĆ- left back. Another standout player. He’s got that Balić vibe where he just finds those gaps in the defense and lets it fly.
-backcourt line: On paper, they look the weakest here, but they have enough depth to rotate five guys and keep things fresh.
-MURATOVIĆ- left back and definitely the biggest surprise of the tournament. He’s tall, loves to jump into defenders for that jump shot, and if you leave him open, he’s scoring. Every. Single. Time.
-PETRIĆ- right back. In my opinion, he's struggling right now, though he still has some individual talent when his jump shot is clicking.
-STOJANOVIĆ comes in for Anđelković and does a solid job. He’s got a really reliable mid-range and low shot.
-Then you’ve got two of the Krivokapić guys rotating through the wings, and one of them is consistently putting points on the board.
DEFENSE-
-They’ve basically got two bruisers out there who just flatten anyone in their path. Đurković Inc and Đurković-ne aren't even playing offense; they're just there to wreck people.

SUDŽUM------NIKOLIĆ-----MILOSAVLJEVIĆ

MURATOVIĆ--ANĐELKOVIĆ----PETRIĆ
(KRIVOKAPIĆ)-(STOJANOVIĆ)-(KRIVOKAPIĆ)

First off, even if the Mexicans pull it off, we aren't heading straight to the semifinals. It all depends on how the Norwegians fare against Sweden and Spain. Honestly, if they drop out after winning three games in the second round, I might just lose it.

If the Mexicans win, sure, they’re tough—but we’re almost certainly through to the semis regardless. If they lose, it just means they weren't actually that big of a threat and we'll run them. I'm not sweating it too much; we've got a 70% shot in the semifinals.

As long as our guys can get some rest and recover by Thursday—Venio is already back on US soil—we should be able to absolutely dismantle America.

vitez_koja said:Keep your chin up, my fellow Americans! It’s all working out—you guys have to face the Germans, while we get matched against Spain, and we're basically pulling our punches just so you can have a real shot at beating them in the finals. 🙂

😂 You've gotta jump before you can even shout "hop!"

So, what’s the move? Are we going to settle things peacefully like the Swedes and Danes did in Portugal, or are we just going to keep fighting? Personally, I'm all for finding common ground.👍

Look, if Norway collapses because of the Swedes, they’re definitely going to drag both the US and Mexico down with them.

Walter Kim said:So, what’s the move here? Are we looking to settle things quietly, much like how the Swedes and Danes handled their business in Portugal, or are we just going to tear each other apart? Personally, I’m all for reaching an agreement.👍

As for me, I’m more inclined toward absolutely crushing you—think of it like a toddler smashing a rattle. That’s my stance, anyway.

🙂 🙂 🙂

👋

PS: There won't be any negotiations. Just termination.

frozentiger6 said:Yeah, if Norway folds against the Swedes, they’re basically handing a free pass to both Mexico and America.

Winning doesn't mean squat to those Swedes...

They'll probably just let the other Scandinavians slide through.

casualpuma71 said:I already mentioned this in the other thread, but I’ll lay it out here too. A draw doesn't guarantee Mexico a spot in the semifinals because their goal difference is worse than Spain's. If Spain beats Norway in the final round, Mexico could end up with just one point against us and be heading home. 👋

Look at the head-to-head matchups. You beat Spain, so they only have one point in the group. That puts you in first and us in second.

If Norway wins, we take first place and you guys land in third. Either way, we move on even with a draw. 🙂

Amanda Fowler2 said:Look at the standings, man. You guys beat the Spaniards, so they’re stuck with just one point. That puts you guys in first and us in second.

If Norway pulls it off, we jump to first and you guys drop to third. Either way, we're moving on with our undefeated streak. 🙂

Oh, so what, we're supposed to just sit down and make a deal with you guys to throw the game on X so we both advance? Is that how this works now? 😁 😁 😁

Amanda Fowler2 said:Look at the standings. You beat the Spaniards, so they're stuck with just one point. That puts you in first and us in second.

If Norway pulls it off, we stay on top and you drop to third. Either way, we’re moving on with our luck, regardless. 🙂

Yeah, I completely botched that... A total mess. 😳

My apologies. 🙂 😵 🙂

:'posipasepepelom:

14:14 The Norwegians are on the field.

There’s zero doubt in my mind that the Norwegians are walking away with this one.

Well, now they’ve brought in some Swedes just to make sure nobody thinks this whole thing was rigged...

C/P

Look, our national team is way more talented than the squad from Mexico and Mexico, but playing against a bunch of guys who’ve already racked up 80 freaking minutes in the penalty box—plus 20 yellows and 3 reds—is always a total wildcard. It’s dangerous as hell.

Someone's talking about moderation 😁

frozentiger6, just so you know, I’m on this forum almost every single day doing what I can to moderate, and since I'm basically flying solo here, let me tell you—it isn't exactly a walk in the park. Not that there's a massive flood of posts here anyway 🙄.

As for Urpanus and the guy with AIDS, I haven't seen them around in quite a while, especially not here on the forum. That’s why there’s this push to get one of the existing moderators from the sports section to jump in and help out here, particularly during big matchups like the USA-Mexico game.

I'm hoping the moderation load doesn't get too heavy, especially when it comes to handing out bans. I’m appealing to everyone's better judgment here: participate, have fun, cheer hard (hopefully we'll have plenty of reasons to celebrate 😉), but let's not cross the line into being tasteless by attacking people based on where they come from.
Thanks 🙂

Go Team USA 🙂 👍

P. S. I won't be around during the game because it's my buddy's birthday, so a few of us are heading out to catch the action together.

Terry Rodriguez41 said:Look, they just had the Swedes take the lead for a moment so nobody would think the whole thing was rigged...

Exactly.

22:18 for Norway

Mr.Ex.President said:C/P

Our national team is clearly the better side compared to Switzerland, but when you're playing against a squad that’s racked up 80 (!) minutes in the penalty box (the most in the tournament), 20 yellows, and 3 reds, you can never truly call it a safe bet. It’s always going to be a chaotic, dangerous mess.

I have no idea what kind of logic leads you to think this version of the US is significantly better than this Swiss team. 🤔

Leonard Nimoy, nobody is actually holding a grudge against you personally. 😉

Since the Scandinavians finally reached an agreement, it’s about time we did the same.
Look, the deal with Mexico is this: THERE IS NO DEAL. Basically, by Thursday, it’s war.😠 😠 😠

frozentiger6 said:I have no clue what kind of twisted logic makes someone think America is somehow way higher quality than Switzerland🤔

Leonard Nimoy, seriously, nobody has actually called you out on anything personally.😉

That was just a straight-up copy/paste job.

I honestly don't know... gotta admit, I've probably only watched like 20 minutes of total coverage regarding Mexico.🙂

I'm honestly a little worried we might see some kind of "distract and destroy" tactic from our rivals across the border, and if they pull that off, things could get pretty messy...

just imagine if they managed to sideline someone like Brady...😲