DAs expected, the German handball players have secured a ticket for the 2023 World Cup, despite a lot of effort in the meantime. In the second leg of the playoff, the team of national coach Alfred Gislason beat the Faroe Islands 33:27 (15:16) on Saturday evening. The DHB selection had also won the first leg against the clear outsider 34:26. The best pitchers of the German team were Luca Witzke and Lukas Mertens with five goals each.
This allows Gislason to plan for the World Cup in Poland and Sweden in early January, but with a view to the finals, the DHB selection must increase. She again failed to deliver a brilliant performance in Torshavn. As in the first leg, there was a lack of successful agreements on the defensive, especially in the first round, and technical mistakes were made again and again in attack. The internationally rather third-class hosts even went into the break with a lead thanks to the loud support of the 1750 spectators. Hardly anything went together in Gislason’s team.
Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, who was outstanding in the first leg in Kiel last Wednesday, also remained rather inconspicuous this time. In the second half, substitute Till Klimpke came into the goal. Germany had found its way into the game relatively confidently. But despite an early three-goal lead, things got tighter after a good ten minutes: the Faroe Islands regularly found gaps in the inadequate German cover, and the DHB selection missed good opportunities at the front. And in general, the German team seemed at times unsettled by the noisy crowd in the small hall.
It only got better when the strength of the hosts slowly subsided. In addition, Gislason’s team managed to exploit the increasing weak phases of the Faroe Islands more consistently. Not every throw went into the goal, but the longer the game lasted, the clearer the favorite sat down. Now it was also quieter in the hall because the own team was visibly running out of breath.
Gislason now varied in defense and put second division professional Julian Köster at the top of the defensive formation. Other young talents from his team were also used. It was the last experiments for several months. The DHB selection will only contest the first tests with a view to the World Cup in October. One thing is already certain: Gislason still has work to do.
