DAfter a convincing start to the main round of the European Championship, Germany’s handball players danced wildly across the floor – and national coach Markus Gaugisch also had a big smile on his face. With the strong performance at 36:28 (17:13) against the Netherlands, the DHB selection reported back impressively at the final round and raised new hopes. “It was important for the team and a reward for what they have invested so far. Everyone made their contribution today,” praised Gaugisch.
Thanks to the clear success in the duel with the 2019 world champion on Friday evening in front of 389 spectators in Skopje, the DHB team got the first two points in the second phase of the tournament, in which Olympic champions France and Romania are the other opponents. “I’m really happy and proud of the team. That was a great performance,” said DHB sports director Axel Kromer.
Like replaced
After five defeats, it was Germany’s first win against rivals from the neighboring country in a good two years. Like the Dutch women, Germany now has 2:4 points and, after the disappointing preliminary round, is aiming at least to reach the game for fifth place again. This requires third place in the main round group II. The best German throwers were backcourt player Alina Grijseels with eight goals and left winger Johanna Stockschläder (7).
The DHB selection presented itself after the move to the North Macedonian metropolis compared to the weak performance at 21:23 in the preliminary round final against Spain. “We arrived sad and upset, but we wanted to start from scratch here at a new location against new opponents,” reported Luisa Schulze after the final whistle. “This success is incredibly important.”
The German team made a few mistakes again at the beginning and was quickly three goals behind at 2:5 after five minutes. But this time the Gaugisch players were undeterred. With a 4:0 run from 5:8 to 9:8, a lead was achieved for the first time in the middle of the first half, which gave additional security. The defense was compact and in attack the chances were used more consistently than in the previous games. As a result, the DHB team also acted in a concentrated manner and, above all, was convincing in a combative manner. The reward: three minutes before the break, the cushion was three goals at 16:13. And it got even better, as the improved Julia Maidhof extended the half-time lead to four goals.
After the change, Germany even pulled away by five goals at 21:16. But this rhythm did not continue at first. Some lack of concentration immediately reduced the lead to two goals. However, the Dutch women also acted incorrectly because the German cover was constantly putting pressure on them. This is how ball wins, which were used with fast counter-attacks to easy goals, were achieved again and again. In addition, goalkeeper Katharina Filter was a strong support with numerous saves.
In the middle of the second half, at 27:23, things still looked good for the German handball players, who continued to extend their lead in the final phase and were able to celebrate an unexpectedly clear victory in the end. “We acted with a clear head and the agreements were right at the back. The team did it in a very disciplined manner,” summed up Gaugisch.
