Handball - DHB women reach World Championship main round: "Absolute must-win"
The German handball players did not look really satisfied as they high-fived each other after their effortless World Cup victory against Iran.
Despite a mixed defensive performance, the DHB team also won their second preliminary round match against the blatant outsiders Iran 45:22 (25:12) and booked their ticket for the main round ahead of time. The best German scorer in Herning, Denmark, was Johanna Stockschläder with eight goals.
"We won by a clear margin, nobody was injured and everyone had their workload," said national coach Markus Gaugisch, summing up the resounding victory. All players were used. Co-captain Alina Grijseels spoke of an "absolute must-win", which was also well deserved.
Germany had won their opening match on Thursday, narrowly beating Japan. The final preliminary round match on Monday against Poland should then be about the important group win. The teams will take their points from the preliminary round into the main round. There, Germany is likely to face title contenders Denmark, Serbia and Romania, among others, in a group of six. The top two teams will qualify for the quarter-finals.
Iran not a real touchstone
The DHB team had to play Iran for the first time in its international history. This is only the second time the Asian team has taken part in a World Cup. Their only goal is not to finish last. Their main problem is their lack of international experience. With goalkeeper Fatemeh Khalili, only one player plays abroad.
And so it was clear even before the duel that handball dwarf Iran would not be a real touchstone for the DHB team. Whether in one-on-one situations, attempts from the backcourt or in terms of speed, the Asians were inferior in every respect.
And yet the German team found it harder than expected in the first few minutes in front of 1,800 spectators. In attack, the DHB women occasionally failed against the Iranian keeper, while in defense, as against Japan, the team did not play well. The underdogs repeatedly scored through the circle in the early stages - the German defense was more compact in the second half.
"We're not satisfied with the defense in the first half because we let them play too much," complained Grijseels. Coach Gaugisch agreed with his leading player: "We would have liked a few solutions defensively to have been a bit easier".
Difference in class clearly noticeable
The fact that the victory was never in danger was also due to gifts from the Iranians. The fourth-placed team in the Asian Championships used seven outfield players in possession, leaving their own goal empty. At the same time, the underdogs conceded many easy turnovers and the DHB players were able to score easily from their own half. "That's simply unorthodox. But then we scored the counter-attacks with ease," said Gaugisch.
The difference in class became more and more noticeable as the game progressed. Iran were completely overwhelmed by the pace of the Germans. The game in front of almost empty stands looked more like a training match than a World Cup match as the game progressed.
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Source: www.stern.de
