- The late showdown: Handball players in quarter-finals
Matchwinner David Späth joyously raised his arms after Germany's early qualification for the Olympic quarter-finals, then his teammates celebrated him extensively. Thanks to the outstanding performance of the 22-year-old, the DHB team celebrated a dramatic 33:31 (20:18) win against Spain and can continue to dream of a medal.
"The team played a phenomenal game. The guys gave their all," said coach Alfred Gislason, praising Späth's performance: "David saved some crucial balls. That was a great performance from him. He's an incredible mood booster and gave the defense another boost."
Group win in sight
After their third win in four tournament games, the DHB team leads Group A with 6:2 points and now has good chances of advancing as group winners. This would provide an optimal starting position for the rest of the tournament. The last preliminary round opponent is Slovenia on Sunday.
"Awesome. That's just a great feeling. The final phase was very exciting, but we stayed calm," rejoiced Julian Köster, and praised Späth: "Incredible. He brings the emotions in." Left wing Rune Dahmke also thanked the goalkeeper of the Rhein-Neckar Lions: "David helped us a lot today."
Against Spain, the German Olympic team found its way back to the strength that brought the dominant opening wins against Sweden and Japan. In front of around 5,700 spectators, Renars Uščins was the top DHB scorer with eight goals in the duel against the two-time world and European champions.
How much does the setback against Croatia still affect them? That was the big question before the match. Gislason had demanded a performance improvement in almost all areas. His players promised a more aggressive appearance and wanted to "not be nice anymore."
The plan initially worked, and the efficiency was almost 80% in the initial phase. The DHB team went into the two-on-one situations much more confidently and successfully disrupted the opponents' attacks.
Andi Wolff has to leave early
Only goalkeeper Andreas Wolff couldn't find his rhythm and was replaced early by his eleven years younger colleague Späth. "Andi wanted too much. He started to speculate, which he usually doesn't do," Gislason explained the early change between the German goalposts. And Späth delivered. With three saves, he immediately put the German fans into ecstasy.
When Spain took their first timeout after about 15 minutes, Germany was leading 10:7. The DHB team could have increased their lead, but lacked precision against the experienced southern Europeans in some finishes. After the DHB team had to accept the temporary equalizer, playmaker Juri Knorr increased his presence on the court and took on more responsibility. Shortly before the half-time siren, the captain scored the 20:18 lead.
Double man-down is punished
Simple ball losses at the start of the second half cost the lead within seconds. Köster, who is still far from his top form at the Olympics, missed from a promising position. "I'm not quite in the tournament yet," Köster admitted.
The "Germany, Germany" chants from the audience grew louder. On the court, an intense battle unfolded. Trailing for the first time in a while, Germany found themselves two men down (23:24). But Spaeth prevented Spain from pulling away with brilliant saves. In the end, Germany turned it around and joyously celebrated their well-deserved victory.
The German team will face Slovenia in their final preliminary round match, aiming to maintain their leading position in Group A. After his exceptional performance against Spain, Rune Dahmke praised David Späth, thanking him for his contributions during the match.
In the thrilling encounter with Spain, Germany overcame their setback against Croatia, displaying improved aggression and efficiency in their attacks. David Späth, replacing an underperforming Andi Wolff, made several crucial saves, including one during a double man-down situation, which proved crucial in securing their victory.
