The home World Cup begins for the German handball players in nine weeks. The test games against the Netherlands showed ups and downs. Where are the DHB women?
The German handball players stood visibly relieved after the final whistle in front of the German fans and let the fans celebrate themselves in the Krefeld arena. The 27:22 victory against the WM-MIT GASTICE Netherlands was an important step in preparing for the tournament in nine weeks-and possibly a foretaste of the upcoming home tournament. A “Valuable victory”as Markus Gaugisch called him in the Sportschau interview after the game and another piece of the puzzle in his overall World Cup.
“I’m not interested in where we are”so Gaugisch on the question of where he is currently seeing the team. “I am concerned with improving what we address. And that the puzzle will become a stable construct in the next few weeks by putting another part in the picture in every training session.”
Fine grinding necessary
So far, the picture looks like this: The DHB team has already contested six test games this year, all against top-class opponents. The DHB women had to give up twice against France. In April, a victory and a defeat were recorded against Denmark, just like in the latest test against the Netherlands. While the DHB women were unable to convince in the first test, showed many technical errors and weaknesses in retreat, they visibly increased in the second leg in front of their home audience.
What does this mean for the remaining nine weeks until the tournament start? “We definitely have something to do,” summarized Captain Antje Döll after the game in Krefeld, “we showed good approaches. We have it in a flash. It is about calling it up constantly over 60 minutes.” Also back player Emily Vogel (born Bölk) sees it similarly: “There are still a few things that we have to file, but then, I think, it can be really cool.”
Longing goal Semi -finals
“Really cool” would mean that the German team moves into the semi -finals. The German handball players have been hoping to make the leap among the top four for years. Already at the last home tournament 2017, the semi-finals were the goal. At that time, the team ended the tournament in 13th place. In the following years the services increased, but it was not enough for the semi -finals. Sixth place at the 2023 World Cup the best placement of the past few years.
In 2013, Antje Döll and Emily Vogel were already part of the DHB contingent. The signs are others today, both say. The team has made great progress, the euphoria was different: “The feeling of what I had back then is not comparable to what it is now,” said Döll, “The tingling is already there.” The home advantage should become a decisive piece of the puzzle in the World Cup picture. “We play in front of a home backdrop, such a flow can develop. We also need a quantum luck and then we hope that the audience can fuel this happiness for a little,” says Vogel.
Nine weeks to the World Cup
In order to fill all other gaps in his puzzle, national coach Gaugisch and his team don’t have much time. In October there is still a course with two EM qualification games against Northern Macedonia and Belgium. After that, the German team will meet on November 17th for direct World Cup preparation and still test in two games against Switzerland, before it starts in Stuttgart on November 26th.
Serbia, Iceland and Uruguay are waiting there in the preliminary round. At the move it would go in Dortmund in the main round, where one would meet the three best -placed teams of Group D (Montenegro, Spain, Faroei and Paraguay). The DHB team would also contest the quarter-finals in Dortmund before going to Rotterdam for the final round.