- France is waiting: Handball players in quarter-finals
Relief for Germany's Women's Handball Team as they Secure Quarterfinal Spot
Germany's women's handball team breathed a sigh of relief as they secured their spot in the Olympic quarterfinals, despite a nail-biting wait in the Olympic village. After suffering four losses in five preliminary matches, the DHB team clinched the fourth spot in Group A, thanks to a helping hand from their competitors, and booked their ticket to the knockout round. On Tuesday, they will face world champions France in the cauldron of Lille, aiming for a place in the semifinals.
"Perhaps the change of venue will do us good," said Xenia Smits, a German backcourt player, after a clear 18:30 defeat against European champions Norway in the final group game. "I didn't come here to be slaughtered. We need to rebuild that winning mentality," she demanded ahead of their move to Lille.
Germany's women only qualified for the quarterfinals thanks to Denmark's subsequent win over South Korea, and their superior goal difference against the equally ranked teams from Slovenia and South Korea.
DHB's sports director Axel Kromer was far from satisfied with the team's performances so far, but acknowledged that it's a results-driven sport, and the team is now in the quarterfinals. "We had hoped for more stability after the intense preparation," he added.
The German team had started with a surprising loss to South Korea, followed by setbacks against Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Only a convincing 41:22 win over Slovenia kept the 2017 World Championship sixth-place team in the hunt for Olympic medals.
To achieve their first victory over France since 2011, they will need more than just an improved performance. "It has to be completely different in the quarterfinals," demanded Smits. The anticipation of playing in the OSC Lille football stadium, in front of over 20,000 spectators, is immense.
Collapse After Promising Start
After a promising start with a 3:0 run, Germany's performance against Norway was disappointing, making a coup against France seem almost impossible. Coach Markus Gaugisch described his team's performance as "clearly inferior."
Two days after a promising performance against Denmark (29:30), Germany presented a disappointing display. After a strong start, their passes became inaccurate, and their finishing weakened. Only goalkeeper Katharina Filter had a good day, preventing worse with impressive saves. "Our appearance was not convincing. We were really overwhelmed. We can't present ourselves like this," criticized Smits.
For years, the DHB women have been trying to close the gap to the top teams like France, Denmark, or Norway. While they've been close in some matches, they lack consistency to truly defeat the best. Perhaps everything will fall into place on Tuesday against France. "The cards will be reshuffled," Smits promised confidently.
The German team's progression to the quarterfinals was partly due to Denmark's victory over South Korea, ensuring a superior goal difference over South Korea and Slovenia.
In the Olympic quarterfinals, Germany will face world champions France, aiming to improve upon their last victory against France in 2011.
