- Handball players shock France and dream of a medal
Thrilling Crime Drama with a Happy Ending: Germany's handball team has continued its successful run at the Olympic Games, securing a spot in the medal round with a victory over European champions and Olympic title holders France. In front of a heated handball crowd of around 27,000 fans, coach Alfred Gislason's team lived up to its gold medal ambitions, defeating the hosts in Lille 35:34 (29:29, 14:17) after extra time.
Trailing by six goals at the start of the second half, and with a one-goal deficit and possession of the ball in the final seconds of regular time, Germany looked like the likely loser. However, Renars Uscins scored the equalizer in the dying seconds. The young star was the top German scorer with 14 goals.
Germany had lost to France in both the European Championship in January and the World Championship last year. With their first competitive win against France since 2013, the German team also avenged the DHB women's team, which had fallen to the French in the quarter-finals the day before.
The first medal for the German handball team at a major tournament since the bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016 is now within reach. In the semi-final on Friday, the team led by playmaker Juri Knorr will face Spain, which defeated Egypt in extra time. In the preliminary round, the DHB team had won 33:31 against the Spaniards, securing their place in the knockout phase.
France's exit also means the end of the career of three-time world handball champion Nikola Karabatic. The 40-year-old star, who has won three Olympic gold medals and four World Championships in his trophy-laden career, is retiring for good.
Football Atmosphere with Booing
A German victory was already in the air before the match started. Confidence was high, not seen in a long time, especially after the Gislason team had won a test match against France in July. But this time, the DHB team was playing against an entire nation. The atmosphere at the football stadium of OSC Lille was even more intense than the women's team match. Many German plays were accompanied by booing from the fans.
The German defense lacked presence in the early stages. At the same time, goalkeeper Andreas Wolff disappointed, allowing the hosts to score easily from the circle. In offense, playmaker Knorr and right-back Uscins were bold, but overall, efficiency was lacking. Additionally, France's goalkeeper Vincent Gerard saved more than ten shots in the first half alone. Only when David Späth replaced Wolff in the German goal did the team's goalkeeping improve.
French Professional's Unsportsmanlike Conduct
The heated atmosphere in the stands was also felt on the court. France's starting player Dika Mem was lucky to receive only a two-minute suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct against Uscins. After Uscins was already on the ground, Mem pushed him down again.
In front of IOC President Thomas Bach, the DHB team made up a six-goal deficit (14:20) after the break and earned the late equalizer in the final seconds. The extra time remained dramatic, but the better ending was for the German team.
In the post-match press conference, the German coach Alfred Gislason expressed his delight at finally catching up with France's handball dominance, mentioning the victory as a significant step towards their gold medal ambitions.
Amidst the boos and intense atmosphere at OSC Lille, the German handball team managed to put aside their past losses to France and focused on catching up in the score, ultimately resulting in a thrilling victory.
