DHB men also win second match against Egypt
Double success in the big test run: With a 28:27 (17:12) win in the second duel against Olympic fourth-placed Egypt, Germany's handball players have boosted their confidence ahead of the upcoming home European Championships, as have the DHB women, who beat Hungary 29:25 (14:9) around three weeks before the World Championships.
In front of 10,911 spectators in the sold-out Munich Olympic Hall, the team of national coach Alfred Gislason put in a successful performance over long periods and in many situations hinted at its potential for the European Championship finals from January 10 to 28. The best German scorers were right winger Timo Kastening with eight goals and director Juri Knorr (7).
Spannend, packend, erfolgreich! 💪🇩🇪
Alles in allem: ein toller Tag des Handballs! 🙌#GEREGY #WIRIHRALLE #aufgehtsDHB #Handball pic.twitter.com/1L7f0ddPF5— DHB_Nationalteams (@DHB_Teams) November 5, 2023
After his successful international debut last Friday in the 31:31 draw in the first duel with the African champions, U21 World Champion David Späth was allowed to start between the posts of the German goal.
However, the 21-year-old was initially a non-factor as the German defense struggled to find a foothold and the Egyptians exploited the gaps that presented themselves. At least things improved in attack. The DHB team was repeatedly successful, especially on the wing.
Späth becomes the acclaimed match winner
Midway through the first half, the DHB team managed to open up a three-goal gap for the first time. Captain Johannes Goll, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Sunday, scored to make it 11:8. Now the defense was also better - and behind it Späth provided additional security and emotion with a number of saves. The home side went into half-time with a five-goal cushion. "The team performed superbly. We are satisfied," summed up DHB CEO Mark Schober.
After the changeover, the German team, now with oldie Silvio Heinevetter in goal, remained focused and aggressive. Director Knorr carefully pulled the strings and skillfully set up his teammates time and again. The 23-year-old from the German cup winners Rhein-Necker Löwen also excelled as an enforcer. As a result, the team was initially able to hold on to its secure lead.
But then mistakes began to creep in. Egypt managed to equalize the score at 25:25 with just over six minutes remaining, but Späth came back in the final phase and became the acclaimed match winner with a number of brilliant saves.
DHB women boost their confidence
The DHB women had previously celebrated their seventh win in a row in the third-to-last World Cup test and gained confidence for the tournament in Scandinavia. "It's great that we were able to continue our winning streak. It helps us to develop the confidence to win games. It was a good performance by the team," praised national coach Markus Gaugisch.
Backcourt player Emily Bölk was the best scorer with six goals for the German team, who will face Japan in the World Cup opener on November 30. Other group opponents at the finals in Denmark, Norway and Sweden are Iran and Poland. The DHB team will play its last two test matches on November 24 and 26 against Sweden.
Source: www.dpa.com
