World Championship test a success: DHB women win against Hungary
The German women's handball team gained confidence for the World Championship in Scandinavia with a commanding test match victory against Hungary.
Around three weeks before the highlight of the season, the DHB team won 29:25 (14:9) in Munich's Olympic Hall and celebrated their seventh win in a row. In front of a large handball crowd of around 10,000 fans, backcourt player Emily Bölk was the best German scorer with six goals.
"It's great that we were able to continue our winning streak. That helps us to develop the confidence to win games. It was a good performance by the team," praised national coach Markus Gaugisch on ZDF and added: "The game in front of this crowd was an incredible experience for all the players."
The DHB team initially benefited from numerous technical errors by the visitors and quickly built up a four-goal lead. However, inconsistencies crept into the Germans' attacking play. The fact that the hosts nevertheless went into half-time with a comfortable lead was down to goalkeeper Sarah Wachter. The 23-year-old from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund saved seven shots from the Hungarians in the first half.
Some regulars playing abroad not present
After the break, the game developed on an equal footing. The visitors now increasingly found a way through the German defense and were able to close the gap to two goals with around 15 minutes to go. Germany coach Markus Gaugisch reacted with a time-out as his team's play became increasingly error-prone. In the final phase, the DHB team stepped up the pace once again, meaning that the victory was no longer in danger.
As the match was not part of the international calendar for the "Day of Handball", the DHB team had to do without some of its regular players who were playing abroad, such as goalkeeper Katharina Filter. The injured Alicia Stolle was missing at the back.
The World Championship in Denmark, Norway and Sweden begins for the German handball team on November 30th with a match against Japan. Other group opponents are Iran and Poland. Two test matches against Sweden are scheduled beforehand.
The absence of some regular German players, such as goalkeeper Katharina Filter, who were playing abroad, didn't impede the DHB national team's victory against Hungary in a test match. Despite missing key players, the handball team continued their impressive winning streak, with Emily Bölk scoring six goals in the 29-25 victory.
Source: www.dpa.com
