The Hungarian women’s handball team will play its last semi-final match against Denmark, which was considered a chance for the final victory, in Rotterdam at the World Championship. Both teams have already advanced, the only question is who will be first and second. We talked to the captain and the players before the clash between the second and third places of last year’s European Championship.
“The kind of uncertainty I experienced against the Japanese on Friday was unprecedented in the last two years”
said the captain, Vladimir Golovin, who won everything at the youth level with the backbone of the team. He emphasized that they did not underestimate the opponent, because this cannot happen at this stage, anyway, the Japanese defeated the Croatians at the European Championship. The 26-26 Hungarian draw against them was important because if the Japanese had won, there is a good chance that they could have gone to the quarterfinals instead of us.
The Hungarian team had a similar match two years ago against the Croatian team, when they were also at a six-goal deficit, then something clicked, both the defense and the attack were restored.
Because of this, the specialist had a feeling of deja vu, although this time his team did not win. They also met the Japanese in the Olympic qualifiers and won by a landslide, but that Hungarian team has been replaced in several places since then.
“I hope there will never be such uncertainty again, I’m trying to figure out what needs to be done so that we don’t end up in a situation like this again. What happened is history, we can’t change it. It’s not true that we didn’t want to, but something didn’t work, the majority didn’t understand what was going on around them. In some places, I also saw the shame in the eyes, as the gap grew. When the Japanese left by six, our game wasn’t pretty after that either, but at least it was effective Then we didn’t have to think about anything, just do what we know 7 on 6, use the wingers and defenders.”
Golovin didn’t hold ball training on Saturday, he was more focused on recharging himself so that a mentally strong team would go on the field against Denmark, and even more so against the French or the Dutch on Wednesday. In this event, the quarter-finals are the key match, but you have to get there.
Anett Kovács arrived during the World Cup and scored important goals – Photo: Zsolt Szigetváry / MTI
Anett Kovács scored rare important goals when catching up against the Japanese (after 14-20), who returned home from the Norwegian preparatory tournament before the World Cup due to a minor injury, and was already training in Esztergom when they were informed that she was to go to the Netherlands, because Vivien Grosch was definitely needed.
“Sitting on the bench, I saw so much that we had to aim for the upper corners, because the Japanese goalkeeper offered the short side, where he then defended. We shouldn’t overthink these situations. I had mixed feelings, because it was a draw worth a win, and I’m not sure that we’re happier if we win by one goal. The next day, Saturday, we were able to be happy that we were among the eight. But even before that, with the Danes we have to show that there is more to us,” Kovács said.
Goalkeeper Zsófi Szemerey attributed the team’s two-facedness and fluctuation to the fact that this is their ninth game in a short time, and they are a bit tired. However, this must be set aside for the continuation. According to him, it is very important that whoever was accompanied by his family members to the Netherlands could now spend a few hours together.
Petra Tóvíz, who played a successful game as a linebacker and played the most important role in the defense, approached from the point of view that the match against the Japanese took a lot out of them physically and mentally, they still felt a sense of loss, and she also remembered the meeting against the Croatians two years ago.
“What was the basic goal, the quarter-finals, we reached. We are looking forward to the last meeting with not eight, but seven points, but I, for example, did not know that the national team did not reach the top eight for twelve years. There is nothing left but to find a way to get into flow. We can make an attempt to do this against the Danes.”
Simon Petra used the word “point save” for what happened against Japan. The fire was in him the whole time, he urged his companions that if they were already standing at the door, or even half a foot inside, so that they wouldn’t be kicked out.
Simon Petra in the match against the Japanese – Photo: Zsolt Szigetváry / MTI
This did not make him sleep well, he tossed and turned for a long time, his goals came up, but also the images of the last Japanese attack, when Réka Bordás had to stop Natsuki Aizawa, and he did that as many times as needed. Simon Petra doesn’t read comments for the sake of his mental health, he only has an idea of what this match caused at home.
“We ruined it, we saved it. We could have been angry if we beat ourselves up.
Because of the feeling that he almost failed, we were bitter, there was silence in the dressing room, we let him down. Vova came in and said why are we hanging our noses, why are we struggling, when the national team has not made it to the eight for twelve years. And then we dropped it. In the first place, after midnight, we shouldn’t care about the match we played, because we can’t change it anyway – concluded Simon, who successfully passed the civil law exam at ELTE during the World Cup. “Obviously, we have to carry on the good things, and against the Danes, here is the opportunity to gain a little confidence, because I also felt the wavering.” Then on Wednesday, a life-and-death match can come, the semi-finals are not given away for free, you have to take the opportunity away from someone. We can get into the top four.”
