After the convincing start in the main round of the European Championship, Germany's handball players danced exuberantly across the floor - and national coach Markus Gaugisch also had a big smile on his face.
With the gala appearance at 36:28 (17:13) against the Netherlands, the DHB selection reported back impressively at the finals and raised new hopes. "That was important for the team and a reward for what they have invested so far. Everyone made their contribution today," praised Gaugisch.
"That was a great performance"
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 scored the first two points in the second phase of the tournament, in which Olympic champions France and Romania are the other opponents. "I'm totally happy and proud of the team. That was a great performance," said DHB sports director Axel Kromer.
After five defeats, it was Germany's first win against their arch-rival from the neighboring country in a good two years. Like the Dutch women, the DHB selection now has 2: 4 points and, after the disappointing preliminary round, is at least aiming for the game for fifth place again. This requires third place in the main round group II. Even the semi-finals are still possible - at least in theory.
"We showed great handball and stayed cool. That was a big improvement compared to the preliminary round. I hope we can continue there. Let's see what we can do," said co-captain Emily Bölk. "We still have two very difficult games ahead of us against France and Romania. But if we play like this, anything is possible."
DHB selection as exchanged
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 win 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 protégés 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 form 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 Oranje 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 DHB team, which continued to extend the lead in the final phase and finally celebrated an unexpectedly clear victory. "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.
