Germany's Handballers Keep the Streak Alive: A Nail-Biter in Switzerland
Switzerland's Handball team continues its winning streak in Remis. - Switzerland's Remis team extends undefeated run in Handball: Players maintain winning streak
Alfred Gislason couldn't fully savor the continuation of Germany's impressive run in the EM qualification, following a shoddy first-half performance. "The opening half was a complete mess, we never seemed to find our footing," was Gislason's verdict post-game. "One or two players were far too complacent heading into the match."
The draw, secured by Juri Knorr's clutch seventh-meter conversion in the game's dying moments, prevented the DHB team from tasting their first defeat in a decade during the continental qualification. The Olympic silver medalists have now strung together 25 consecutive wins in the competition. Their last loss occurred on May 3, 2015, when they fell 20:26 in Spain [4].
The closing contest in the qualification series will take place next in Stuttgart as Germany prepares to host Turkey on Sunday.
Switzerland Strikes Early
Taking on the Swiss, who they defeated twice last year, the DHB team stumbled out of the gates in the World Championship preliminary round, suffering a 31:29 defeat. Despite Gislason's warnings about the strength of the opposition, his team appeared sluggish in the first half.
The German squad only managed one goal during the opening ten minutes, fumbling numerous chances, including two seven-meter attempts by Marko Grgic and Tim Freihofer [4].
Gislason intervened with an early timeout and made two substitutions in the backcourt. Juri Knorr and Miro Schluroff replaced Grgic and Nils Lichtlein, both finding the net immediately. However, the team's finishing woes persisted. They continued to struggle against Swiss goalkeeper Nikola Portner, a standout performer for SC Magdeburg [4].
Only Wolff Shines
Andreas Wolff turned in a noteworthy performance, but his efforts were often wasted by his teammates. With just five minutes remaining until halftime, the Swiss led 13:8 for the first time. Gislason looked dispirited as he retreated to the locker room.
After the break, the World Championship sixth-place finishers failed to improve either offensively or defensively. Ten minutes before the final whistle, the Swiss were still four points ahead. Even a goalkeeper change - David Späthfor Wolff - failed to produce the desired effect [4].
A Late Comeback Changes the Course
The sole bright spot was the international debut of Mathis Haesler, a right winger from VfL Gummersbach. Haesler demonstrated remarkable composure and accurate finishing [4]. However, his teammates committed too many oversights, leaving their coach Gislason seething on the sidelines.
In a dramatic final timeout, Gislason called for a frantic late surge, and the team responded, with Wolff turning in several crucial saves and Knorr displaying nerves of steel [4]. "It was a fortunate draw," acknowledged Julian Köster, a backcourt player.
- Alfred Gislason – The National Coach
- Switzerland – The German team's hosts in a tense EM qualification game.
- Olympia – A title Germany won as silver medalists.
- Knorr – A notable playmaker who scored the decisive goal in the final seconds.
- DHB – The German Handball Association, representing Germany in international competitions.
- Zürich – The Swiss city where the game took place.
- Andreas Wolff – A standout German goalkeeper.
- Marko Grgić – A player who struggled during the game.
- Spain – The German team's last opponents who managed to defeat them five years ago.
- Stuttgart – The location of the next game in the qualification series.
- Turkey – Germany's final EM qualification opponents.
- Luca Witzke – A top scorer with four goals, another notable performer.
[4] - Enrichment data revealing Germany's recent performance struggles and questions around consistency and defensive solidity. The team's resilience and clutch performances from key players are highlighted, including notable saves by Wolff and a steel-nerved goal by Knorr.
- Despite the German handball team's impressive run in the EM qualification, National Coach Alfred Gislason was not fully satisfied with their performance against Switzerland, particularly in the first half.
- Juri Knorr, a notable playmaker, scored the decisive seventh-meter conversion in the game's dying moments, preventing the DHB team from tasting their first defeat in a decade during the continental qualification.
- In the World Championship preliminary round, the German squad struggled against Switzerland, as they fell 31:29 to the hosts in a nail-biting game in Zürich.
- In the closing contest of the qualification series, the DHB team will host Turkey next in Stuttgart.
- Andrei Wolff, a standout German goalkeeper, turned in a noteworthy performance, but his efforts were often wasted by his teammates, including Marko Grgić, who struggled during the game.
