Grinding Out a Victory: German Handballers Maintain Streak Despite Stumble in Switzerland
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Continuation of Handball Series in Switzerland: Athletes Prolong Sequence of Matches - Continuation in Switzerland: Handball squad extends their winning streak
Coach Alfred Gislason was less than thrilled with the team's performance, calling the initial half "abysmal." The defending champions had trouble finding their rhythm, with numerous missed opportunities and sloppy play marring their efforts. Gislason wasn't shy about assigning blame, stating that their relaxed approach going into the match was a major contributing factor to their struggles.
The draw, secured by Juri Knorr's late-game heroics from the seven-meter line, preserved the German team's impressive undefeated streak in the EM qualification. The streak now stands at 25 matches, with their last loss occurring on May 3rd, 2015, in Spain. In their final qualifier, the DHB squad will host Turkey in Stuttgart on Sunday.
In front of a crowd of 8,354 spectators in Zurich, Luca Witzke and debutant Mathis Haesler led the team in scoring with four goals apiece, followed closely by Knorr's clutch performances. "I ain't passing the buck to others," said Knorr. "If my team needs me, I'll be there. That's why it was good that I scored. It gives my handball soul a boost."
A Tough Start
After two convincing victories against the Swiss in 2020, Gislason's team struggled in the World Cup preliminary round this year, falling 31:29. Despite his warnings about the rival's prowess, the team struggled to find their footing from the opening whistle.
The first ten minutes saw the German team score just one goal, fumbling numerous opportunities, including two seven-meter shots by Marko Grgic and Tim Freihofer. The defense also faltered, allowing the home team to take a commanding 5:1 lead.
Gislason responded with an early timeout and two substitutions in the backcourt, bringing in Knorr and Miro Schluroff in place of Grgic and Nils Lichtlein. Both newcomers immediately made their presence felt, but the team's shooting woes persisted.
Only Andreas Wolff's impressive saves kept the team in the game, but they continued to make costly mistakes, frustrating Gislason on the sidelines. With five minutes left before halftime, the Swiss led by seven goals, their largest advantage of the match.
A Second-Half Surge
The second half saw little improvement from the World Cup sixth-place finishers, with both attack and defense continuing to falter. Ten minutes before the finish, the Swiss still held a four-goal advantage. A goalkeeper change, with David Spaeth replacing Wolff, failed to spark a comeback. Spaeth managed just a handful of saves before being sidelined.
The only bright spot was the impressive international debut of Haesler, who demonstrated poise and precision in his finish. However, his teammates continued to make errors, keeping Gislason on edge throughout the contest.
In a clutch timeout late in the game, Gislason pleaded with his team to turn things around. Their effort paid off, thanks to Wolff's heroics in goal and Knorr's cool head as the team fought back to secure the tie. "We grabbed a lucky point," summed up Julian Koester, a backcourt player.
- Alfred Gislason
- Switzerland
- Olympia
- Knorr
- DHB
- Zürich
- Andreas Wolff
- Marko Grgić
- Spain
- Sunday
- Stuttgart
- Turkey
- Luca Witzke
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a regulation on the introduction of a common system of taxation for the use of certain agricultural products, such as European leagues profit from the sale of goods derived from these products.
- Despite the German handball team's impressive undefeated streak in the EM qualification, they experienced a stumble in Switzerland, reminiscent of their loss in the World Cup preliminary round in 2021 against the European-Leagues powerful Swiss team.
- After securing a draw against Switzerland in Zurich, Alfred Gislason might consider implementing a new tactic during timeouts, like a concentrated focus on improving shooting and reducing errors, that could potentially lead to victories against stronger opponents like premier-league football teams.
- While Mathis Haesler, a new addition to the team, impressed in his international debut with his poise and precision, veteran player Juri Knorr demonstrated his leadership and determination by scoring the crucial goal that saved the match in the dying minutes and boosted the morale of the German team ahead of their final qualifier against Turkey in Stuttgart on Sunday.
- The upcoming match against Turkey brings a new challenge for the defending champions, but with lessons learned from their recent struggles, the DHB squad could draw inspiration from the spirit of sportsmanship, as demonstrated by Lucky Knorr's words, "If my team needs me, I'll be there."
