IAfter the successful endurance test in Austria, the German handball players swore on the field for the upcoming World Cup mission. The team, which was newly formed due to numerous cancellations, formed a circle after the 36:27 (22:16) victory in the European Championship qualifier in Graz, national coach Alfred Gislason was happy about the sovereign team performance shortly afterwards. “We need a team unity, a unit where everyone is happy about their teammate,” said the Icelander on ZDF. “I’m happy about the result, also about the attitude of the team and the good atmosphere.”
With another win in the second leg against the Austrians on Sunday in Cologne, the DHB selection could already book their ticket for the EM finals in Hungary and Slovakia in 2022. Above all, the first international match of the new year served the national coach as a yardstick with a view to the approaching World Cup in Egypt. “Actually, you have to say that it was the first preparation game for the World Cup,” said the 61-year-old. “Of course we wanted to win. But it was more important for us to extract knowledge for the World Cup. “
While there is still a lot of defensive work waiting for Gislason after the cancellation of the defense specialists Hendrik Pekeler, Patrick Wiencek and Finn Lemke, some promising moves have already been made in the attack. The best thrower in the DHB selection was the outstanding Marcel Schiller with eleven goals. “We set ourselves a lot and really wanted to win the game, even though we have a lot of new things in the team,” said Schiller. “That gives a good feeling for Sunday and of course also for the World Cup.”
“We played a fantastic attack”
Somewhat surprisingly, in his third game as national coach, Gislason did without captain Uwe Gensheimer, who followed the entire game from the bench due to minor injury problems. Instead, the strong Schiller was allowed to play on the left wing from the start. In addition to the unerring Bundesliga professional from Frisch Auf Göppingen, other players also set accents. In the absence of Pekeler, Wiencek and Jannik Kohlbacher, 23-year-old Johannes Golla showed a committed performance as a circle runner, playmaker Philipp Weber also had strong scenes. “We played a fantastic attack,” said Weber.
But it is precisely the defense that has to increase before the World Cup kick-off against Uruguay on the Friday after next. During the game, the defense around newcomer Sebastian Firnhaber tried several formations, but the Austrians kept finding gaps, especially at the beginning. The two goalkeepers Andreas Wolff and Johannes Bitter were also not in top form in Graz. Gislason had done without the third keeper Silvio Heinevetter as well as Christian Dissinger, Antonio Metzner and the ailing Moritz Preuss and Marian Michalczik.
“Of course I’m not completely satisfied with some of what we did, especially we lacked the power from the back room,” said Gislason. “But that’s completely normal, we had some tough training sessions.” After returning to the World Cup preparation camp in Neuss, Christian Prokop’s successor now wants to take things a little easier. Following the World Cup dress rehearsal on Sunday, the DHB team will fly to Cairo two days later with the Austrians.
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