The “game of games” called it Bob Hanning, Vice-President of the German handball Federation. The first Ball was not thrown on Tuesday evening. But it was the stuff of epic Handball battles. Germany against France, these are stories that belong to the most Gripping, what this Sport has to offer, the last in 2016 in the Olympic semi-finals with the better end for the French – and, of course, the Thriller from the world Cup semi-final in Cologne in 2007, which was the birth hour of the German sports myth.
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Christian Kamp
sports editor.
F. A. Z.
In the presence of so much not stand still on the game, but a groundbreaking game, it was all for the Germans, a Mentality and a quality sample of a special kind – the Team of Christian Prokop on the 60 minutes seen inventory in a way as it is not self-evident, especially after the low blow of the tie against Russia on the eve. But in the end, a sense of Déjà-vu stand still, which is the one from the eve of terror is still exceeded. At the last second, the French adjusted to 25:25.
The draw meant still that the team had solved by national coach Christian Prokop of the connection ticket to Cologne, for the main round. However, in view of what was possible against the world champion, faded almost to a accounting success. Now it is time to process another late precipitation. 25:24, led the Germans, they had the Ball, and it was a play not a Minute more. But then Fabian Böhm made a serious error, France was still in possession of the ball and with a little start-up to compensate.
To comfort Prokop and his team were not in the first Moment. “We have delivered a great game, a huge fight, we would have deserved the victory. But in the end we have not rewarded us again”, said captain Uwe Gensheimer, the draw felt like a defeat. But with a little distance you will see a performance you perhaps even Greater than the last accepted. Because that was really Impressive from a German point of view: How the team continued to struggle in this game on a knife-edge against the champion of the world, Nikola Karabatic was not in the squad, as a collective, and how this time other into the breach jumped, as Gensheimer could not put as last in the scene: Fabian Wiede and Martin Strobel, Hendrik Pekeler. On Thursday, it is now against Serbia and then to Cologne. “We will shake it off quickly,” also said Gensheimer.
A small template had taken care of the somewhat surprising 25:23-the victory of the Brazilians against Russia in the afternoon: So that was as good as it is clear: In the case of a primary round collection of the German the lost point from the previous day would probably fall into the weight. The interesting question, though, was how the Germans had the 22:22 to the Russians physically and mentally cope with. It is one of the hardly obvious impositions of the hand ball, that the operation, within little more than 24 hours continue to apply even if Procopius had tried at the Positive side: no time to be thinking. The answer would be no verkopfte, was on Tuesday quick to clear. Emotional energy should be released, wherever it went.
had The German high-voltage set. In the case of any successful action, the Bank jumped up high, gensheimer crack the colleagues Wiencek, after the had stopped a Frenchman, and a replacement Shell animated the audience. In combination with a Two-goal lead that was an electrifying Start for the Germans. But it was also against France without a But – one you know well already at this world Cup. While on the cover I could count, and in particular goalkeeper Wolff showed itself from its best side, on the Offensive first, not to say. Some missed shots, especially of faeth, and misunderstandings, thwarted the effort and, ultimately, the lead. After a good quarter of an hour the French were for the first Time in the front, 5:4.
