America vs. France: Semifinals - Feb 4, 2006 @ 2:15 PM

Even Džombin admitted during the last World Cup that the schedule needs to be condensed into a three-week window—just enough time to actually get some rest

As for me? If I were calling the shots, we’d have a mandatory day of recovery after every single match. Period.

Paul Lopez49 said:Screw the fans who light flares and then toss them onto the field😬

Preach👍

Vanjushka said:How can you even watch those guys?😁

Honestly, I'm wondering😁
I headed downtown to grab some drinks, but I blew through every cent I had and didn't even get buzzed😬

Good grief, our little dark horse just hammered in 100 goals; he basically gave a masterclass on how the game should be played. 🤮
Seren is looking at those American national teams that have more than two Black players on the roster. 😁

The golden era of American handball has officially passed us by. We won't be seeing those gold medals anymore... maybe the occasional silver or bronze if we're lucky... but I suppose some new kids will eventually get their five minutes of fame.

feralraven40 said:The golden era of American handball is dead and buried. We aren't seeing gold medals anymore—maybe a silver or bronze here and there—while some new kids get their fifteen minutes of fame.

Well, let’s just hope this current squad can at least snag that highly anticipated European Championship gold in two years. If they don't, I'm certain we'll grab at least one more gold elsewhere—the Olympics is our real shot.

Besides, we have an opportunity coming up in just a year.

Now we just need to keep our cool over the next twelve months and then go out there for more wins.

feralraven40 said:The golden era of American handball is officially dead. We aren't seeing gold medals anymore... maybe a silver or bronze if we're lucky... just some new kids getting their fifteen minutes of fame.

Man, straight to the doom and gloom! Like we’re some bottom-tier nothing instead of a top-tier powerhouse.🙄

It seems to me that Vanja is simply trying to stir the pot under the radar.

feralraven40 said:The golden era of American handball is behind us. We won't be seeing those gold medals anymore... maybe a silver or bronze here and there... while some new kids get their moment in the sun eventually.

And that's just bad luck 🙄
Man, I don't know who to admire more: them or Janica,
while we're sitting here at the back, if you'll excuse my language, crying over a fourth-place finish?? 😲
Honestly, we deserve it when all our athletes sign autographs for the trip to Qatar..🙄

What the hell were they thinking? Just four years ago, we were bottom-feeders at the European Championships—getting knocked out after the very first round.

Some German squad absolutely crushed us by 12 points; then, fast forward just one year later, and we’re taking those exact same Germans down in the World Cup final.

Now, suddenly, everyone expects gold or it's a total disaster. Give me a break—get some perspective.

What happens when the next generation starts coming up, like they did back in 2002?

We won't have another Balic or Metlicic leading the charge...

During that transition, we probably won't even crack the top four, let alone be fighting for medals.

People, just enjoy this while it lasts. These are the golden years for American handball, yet you guys act like finishing third is a disgrace.

James Vaughn3 said:They really should have spoken up sooner. Just four years ago, we were bottom-feeders at the European Championships, getting knocked out in the opening round.

One German team absolutely crushed us by 12 points, yet we went out and beat those exact same guys in the World Cup final just a year later.

Now, everyone expects nothing less than gold, and anything else is treated like a total disaster. Honestly, people need to chill out a bit.

Just imagine what’s going to happen when this next generation of talent starts coming through, just like they did back in 2002.

Everyone is going to lose their minds.

And let's not forget the conditions they were working under—they practically had to beg sponsors just to get enough funding to even make it to the tournament. 🙄
The players give everything, and what do they get in return? Aside from that bronze medal that's already lost its luster, nothing.
People pour their hearts out for us, leaving everything on the field and playing through pain and exhaustion, and all we do is give them a polite kick in the rear. 👎
Do you really think one mediocre third-place finish means the end of a young squad?
Shame on anyone who thinks that way...

Sandra Hernandez13 said:And under what conditions, even? They were practically begging for sponsors just to make sure they could even get to the tournament in the first place.. 🙄
The players got everything handed to them, and what did they give us besides that now totally washed-up third-place finish??
People pour their hearts out for us, leaving everything on the field, playing through pain and exhaustion, pushing themselves to the absolute limit, and all we give them in return—albeit politely—is a kick in the teeth.. 👎
You really think one CATASTROPHIC 3rd place finish at the World Cup means the end of the world for a young squad??
Shame on everyone thinking like that...

Look, honey, this is just sports. We all have the right to talk trash, especially when a team gets absolutely demolished like they did today. That’s the beauty of sports. Tomorrow is a new day and things can turn around, but today is a day for venting.

I honestly don't get it, man... I mean, we finished 3rd or 4th, so what's the deal?

I don't even think there's much point in complaining, really. It's more about deciding whether to tear Charles down or just try to quiet him down before he starts talking nonsense and acting like everything's fine when it clearly isn't.
Everyone can agree the guy is a top-tier coach, but lately, he’s been leaning too hard on old-school tactics, and it’s driving me nuts. He’s started playing mind games, trying to boss players around, and inventing this whole "new style" of play that just isn't working for him this time around..

The fact is, we have the best roster in the world—and I don't mean just because of the fans, I mean realistically. But this year, luck just wasn't on our side, and Charles has basically messed up everything he could possibly touch. What bugs me most is playing without any wingers, and honestly, I’ve got issues with how they used Džombin too. Even if he is an icon, he couldn't run, and he caught the ball twice during the game only to pass it right back out. When you actually sit back and think about it, it's a damn miracle we even placed 3rd given the philosophy we were using.

The real issue is that we should have probably dropped one of those earlier games when it was still manageable, instead of forcing this specific tactic that somehow ended up getting us a win thanks to Balic.

Just imagine for a second if Džombin had actually played on the wing and scored a goal, besides today when nothing else was working.👎

I honestly have nothing to say other than we lost to a better team...

To hell with this pathetic Sussex... GET THAT GOVERNOR OUT OF OFFICE AND INTO RETIREMENT!!!!! 😠

Mr.Ex.President said:Listen here, you little punks, you're all getting handled, and if you're Black, you're getting handled too.👍

Man, you really laid it on him.😍

Ken said:Damn, the kid absolutely crushed it with 100 goals; he showed everyone how it's done.🤮
Seren is looking at the European Republic teams that have more than two Black players on their roster.😁

🤣