Only in the final phase did the German women manage to reduce the deficit, but the Dutch team’s victory was never in danger. Fifth place in the final standings is important in view of the Olympic qualifying tournament in April.
The Dutch team can count on a more favorable classification in the battle for a ticket for the Games in Paris. The handball association NHV is a candidate to organize the tournament.
Angela Malestein was the top scorer on the Dutch side in the match against Germany with seven goals. Bo van Wetering and Larissa Nusser each scored five times.
National coach Johansson missed three important players against Germany. Circle player Nikita van der Vliet was ill, left corner player Zoë Sprengers was injured and captain Lois Abbingh was absent due to private circumstances.
Their absence barely had any effect on the game against Germany. The Netherlands dominated from the start and after fifteen minutes it was already 7-2. That score only continued to rise. Germany fought back in the second half, but the margin remained effortlessly at eight goals. It was only in the last minutes, when the Dutch players lost their concentration, that the opponent was given room to score a little too easily and make the deficit bearable.
The handball players can look back on a good tournament, as the team won eight of the nine matches. The Dutch team was unstoppable in the group stage and the main round, but their progress came to an abrupt end in the quarter-finals. Norway turned out to be a class better and won 30-23. The team recovered by first beating Montenegro in the remaining placement matches and secured the maximum possible fifth place with the win over Germany.