German handball players are playing for Olympic gold
The German handball team is playing for the gold medal at the Olympic Games. In a dramatic semi-final, the DHB team defeats Spain. Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff stands out in the 25:24 victory. This is the biggest success since the bronze medal in 2016.
The Hexer delivered: Thanks to their outstanding goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, Germany's handball team is reaching for historic Olympic gold. The German team defeated the World Cup third-place Spain in the semi-final in Lille with 25:24 (12:12) and is in the Olympic final for the first time since 2004.
In front of around 20,000 spectators on Friday, Wolff put on a magnificent performance. Whether with the arm, the leg at head height, or the shoulder: With crazy 22 saves and a percentage that was long above 50, the goalkeeper drove the Spanish shooters to despair - and paved the way to the final. Once again, the best German scorer was the quarter-final hero Renars Uscins, who scored all six of his goals in the second half.
The next thriller
In the final on Sunday (13:30 CET/ZDF and Eurosport), the young German team of national coach Alfred Gislason can now make history: Against the World Cup winner Denmark or Slovenia, who face each other in the second semi-final, it's about the first overall German Olympic gold, the first gold since the legendary DDR triumph in 1980.
"Everyone is very much looking forward to this semi-final against Spain," Gislason said before the game. But, as in the preliminary round victory (33:31) against the Spaniards and the epic triumph against France in the quarter-finals (35:34 after extra time), one would have to "deliver another big game".
The DHB selection followed the words of their coach and started almost perfectly. Above all, Wolff, who with eleven saves in the first half even evoked memories of his gala performance in the 2016 European Championship final (also against Spain). For six minutes, Germany remained without a goal, and Wolff had already saved six balls by the score of 6:3 (10.).
Dramatic finale
Even the brief Spanish interim lead (6:6) did not unsettle the German team and increased their lead to 10:6 with four goals in three minutes. When Wolff saved a seven-meter throw at 11:7 (23.) and later even caught a Spanish shot, Germany could have pulled away.
That they did not, was due to problems in the attack. The Spanish defense was excellently prepared, acted extremely mobile and did not let the hitherto best DHB shooter Renars Uscins develop. Because behind Gonzalo Perez de Vargas now came into the game better, the Spaniards came back and equalized with the half-time whistle.
The beginning of the second half belonged to Germany again. Because Wolff continued to hold bearishly and Uscins suddenly turned it on. With five goals within just over twelve minutes, the left-hander, who had scored 14 (!) goals against France, kept his team on track (20:18). But Spain did not let themselves be shaken off, even took the lead for the first time in the 51st minute - the final phase became the next nerve thriller for the German team with a successful ending.
Andreas Wolff's outstanding performance against Spain in the semi-final propelled Germany towards the historic chance of clinching the Olympic gold in handball. If the German team manages to secure Olympic gold, it will be their first gold since the legendary triumph in 1980.
