Luc Steins – why the smallest Dutchman is the biggest problem for Germany
German handball players disassemble Argentina into all its individual parts – the goal party in the video
The German national team put a big exclamation mark at the start of the main round of the World Cup. Against overwhelmed Argentines, the DHB team got into a frenzy, especially in the first half, and celebrated a huge victory. The highlights in the video.
The German handball players can reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup on Saturday evening with a win over the Netherlands. But the opponent plays one who regularly stirs up the industry: Luc Steins, a world-class middleman who is only 1.72 meters tall.
When the Netherlands team line up for the anthem, it always seems as if someone has joined the ensemble who doesn’t belong at all: Luc Steins is only 1.72 meters tall and, given the sport he plays, unusually slim. In the best handball teams in the world, there are often a few giants who easily tower over Steins by 30 centimeters.
But the playmaker regularly uses the supposed physical disadvantage to his advantage with speed and finesse. Before the World Cup duel with Germany on Saturday evening (8:30 p.m.), goalkeeper Andreas Wolff and Co. have huge respect for the smallest Dutchman in the 16-player squad. “For me, Luc Steins is one of the best middlemen in the world,” says Wolff. And left winger Rune Dahmke describes the selection driven by the director as a “whirlwind”. There are “players who do a lot in the Champions League and the Bundesliga, it’s going to be pretty difficult to defend.”
34 scorer points
Mainly because Steins is a skilful string puller who either attacks the defense at high speed and pushes through the smallest of gaps or finds the pass to a free-standing colleague in good time. He has scored 14 goals and provided 20 assists so far in the tournament. His incredibly strong development is also documented by the fact that he has been playing for the richest handball club in the world since 2020: Paris Saint-Germain. There he succeeded the three-time world handball player Mikkel Hansen as director this season.
Hard to grab: Luc Steins (centre) in the World Cup game against Norway
Source: dpa
In any case, Steins, 27, and his colleagues have already achieved something historic. Before the current global title fights, the Netherlands were represented only once at a World Cup. In 1961 the venture ended quickly after two bankruptcies against France and Germany. Now they have reached the main round for the first time.
And that despite the fact that just 50,000 people play handball in the country, which is characterized by football and speed skating. “I have a fantastic team, the players always want to develop further,” said coach Staffan Olsson, who used to be an outstanding right backcourt player for THW Kiel and Sweden’s selection for years. “Of course, that’s a lot of fun for me as a coach.”
THW legend Staffan Olsson has only been the coach of the Netherlands for six months
What: AFP
For the selection of national coach Alfred Gislason, the game in the Spodek in Kattowitz has a groundbreaking character: With a win, his team would make the early quarter-finals entry perfect before the final main round game against Norway on Monday (20:30). “The Dutch are really good, they switch from defense to attack very quickly,” says the Icelander. “We have to do a lot of things right to win.”
