In the opening game of the second handball league, TSV Bayer Dormagen managed a clear victory against Motor Zaporischschja. The Ukrainians are part of the league this year due to the Russian war of aggression.
The fact that the players from Motor Zaporizhschja had the opportunity to be part of the season opening in the 2nd handball Bundesliga on Thursday borders on a miracle. When the first Russian bombs fell on their Ukrainian homeland, the team was on the plane, narrowly escaping death. And now they can pursue their passion again – in Germany. This season, the top Ukrainian team will play as a visiting team in the 2nd league, there will be a table with Zaporizhia and one in which the team and the duels against them will not be considered.
Motor also had the honor of playing the first game, with TSV Bayer Dormagen visiting their temporary home in Düsseldorf. The traditional club only narrowly avoided relegation last season and had one point more than TuS Ferndorf, who now have to start in the 3rd division.
Open Zaporizhschja defense helps Dormagen
However, Dormagen presented itself much stronger than in the previous year. From the start, a very fast-paced and high-scoring game developed between Bayer and Zaporizhschja. The reason for this was also that the Ukrainians obviously don’t have their rhythm in defense yet, but are technically strong enough to score a lot of goals.
After eight minutes, Dormagen led 7:5 before the Ukrainians got better control over the opposing attacks. The fact that the equalizer (10:10) was achieved ten minutes later was also due to the fact that the guests threw a few free shots wide of the goal. And with Dmytro Horiha, Zaporizhschja had an outstanding man in their own ranks, after 20 minutes he had already scored six goals – with a 100 percent shooting rate.
Joshua Reuland from Dormagen managed the same feat with one goal less in the first half. The TSV left winger made it 17:15 with a penalty. The underdog went into the break with this lead against the Ukrainians, who previously stated that their goal was to finish first in the second division at the end of the season. No wonder the Ukrainian serial champions played in the Champions League last season and defeated SG Flensburg-Handewitt.
Bayer is also in the second round no nakedness
The second round started with a highlight: Jakub Sterba increased Dormagen’s lead to a three-goal lead with a Kempa trick. As a result, the scores repeatedly fluctuated between a difference of two or three goals, Bayer always managed to hold the lead. Dormagen went into the last third of the game with a 22:19 in the back.
Unlike before the break, the game was now characterized by two teams defending more strongly, and significantly fewer goals were scored. At the beginning of the game it took eight minutes for the first twelve goals to be scored, but now it was the same after 14 minutes.
Seesing the supreme man
Although Zaporizhia managed to keep the game close, there never was a series of three or four goals. And so there was no catching up, Dormagen was still leading after 50 minutes by three goals (27:24). The guarantee for this in this phase was the first 19-year-old circle player Aron Seesing, who could not be stopped by the Ukrainian defense.
With his sixth goal, he made it 30:25 and the preliminary decision in the game (53rd). In the end, Dormagen had the upper hand with 33:28 and celebrated a perfect start – although points are only at stake on Sunday against Dessau-Rosslauer HV, which can ultimately decide on promotion and relegation.
