Germany’s handball players have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in their own country. The team of national coach Markus Gaugisch clearly defeated Pan American champions Brazil in the quarterfinals with 30:23 (17:11). Around 10,500 people saw the success in the sold-out Dortmund Westfalenhalle.
Captain Antje Döll (6 goals) and Emily Vogel (5) were the best German throwers. The latter made it 3-1 with two quick goals at the start (3rd). As a result, the German team continued to pull away. At the back, the defense led by defense chief Aimée von Pereira showed agility and toughness, while the throwers around Vogel were successful at the front. Even the Brazilian sprint to 9:7 (16th) from a German perspective did not unsettle the DHB team and, thanks to four goals from Döll, they pulled away to 14:9 (26th) before halftime.
Katharina Filter impressed in goal with a strong second half. Even when Brazil came within three goals to 22:25 thanks to a 7:2 run eight minutes before the end, the DHB women remained relaxed.
Semi-finals on Friday in Rotterdam
“It’s like redemption,” said captain Antje Döll on ZDF. “Incredible,” Vogel marveled. “We really deserve to get into these finals. We’ll take this energy and this joy with us. We’ll just keep going and see what we can bring back with us.”
In the semi-finals on Friday, the German team will face defending champions France or third-placed Denmark. The medal games will be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The DHB team has confidently won all tournament games so far. The DHB women can now hope for precious metal at a world championship for the first time since they won a bronze medal 18 years ago. The last World Cup victory was more than 30 years ago: in 1993, the selection led by Emily Vogel’s mother Andrea Bölk won gold.
