Hard Olympia-Opening - Sweden's rivals: Handball players are involved now
Curious students on a field trip wandered through the Olympic Village with Germany's handball team in their quiet yellow outfits. The mandatory sightseeing program in the new quarter on the northern outskirts of Paris put the DHB selection definitively in Team Germany mood.
"The first impressions are all positive. We have found very, very nice accommodations. The Team D feeling was huge from the very beginning," reported Captain Johannes Golla and raved about the reception with applause in the German House. "At least that was a good sign that a great 'We' feeling is emerging again."
The DHB team wants to earn applause with a victory on Saturday (7:00 pm) and deserves it with an opening match against the EM third-place team, Sweden. "We obviously need a nearly perfect game, no question. We need to put up a good defense and need good goalkeeper performances," appealed team leader Golla to his teammates.
A good omen?
One must scroll deep in the national team archive to find the last German victory against the Scandinavians. In the summer of 2016, the DHB team won 32:29. It was also a duel at the Olympics. It was also the opening match. A good omen? For the German Handball Federation, a bronze medal would be no complaint this time either.
But where should the playmakers Knorr, Golla, and Co. find confidence? For Andreas Wolff and Kai Häfner, who are the only players from the German Olympic squad who know what it feels like to win against the Three Crowns Team, losses are present in their minds. As Steinert, a DHB professional, put it with a sigh, "Your worst level is insane. But we're there too."
No "Olympia Tourism"
The DHB professionals are generating confidence from the nearly perfect preparation phase. After wins against European champions France, Hungary, and first-round opponents Japan, Germany's handballers are in top form as they approach the season peak. "We still have fluctuations in the game, but the drops below are much smaller than in the past," analyzed Steinert, who wants to take a big step towards the quarterfinals with a win against Sweden. "Fewer ball losses, fewer tempo goals allowed, and more effective in the finish," demanded the pivot.
The DHB team doesn't want to leave anything to chance. External influences are to be minimized, and full focus on Sweden is the order. The lengthy opening ceremony tonight will therefore take place without the German handballers in attendance. "We can't afford to lose a few percentage points to Sweden. That's why we've spoken in the team about traveling to Paris to not be tourists and not make Olympic Tourism," explained Golla the team decision.
- Johannes Golla, the captain of the German handball national team, expressed his satisfaction with their accommodations during the class outing to the Olympic Village in Paris.
- The German Handball Federation (DBH) is aiming for a bronze medal in the tournament, citing a past victory against Sweden at the Olympics as a potential good omen.
- Andreas Wolff and Kai Häfner, two DHB professionals with experience against Sweden, have losses against the Scandinavians in their memory, creating a sense of pressure for the team.
- Christoph Steinert, another DHB professional, acknowledged that while there are still fluctuations in the team's game, they have improved dramatically compared to previous performances.
- The German handball team, eager to secure a place in the quarterfinals, has decided to skip the opening ceremony to focus solely on their match against Sweden and avoid any potential distractions.
- The handball team's preparations have been nearly perfect, with victories against Europeans champions France, Hungary, and first-round opponents Japan, positioning them as a strong contender in the tournament.
