The German national handball team won its first test match before the World Cup. The DHB selection defeated Brazil on Thursday evening in Flensburg with 32:25 (13:13). However, success required a significant increase in performance after a sleepy initial phase.
In an encounter in which national coach Alfred Gislason made a lot of changes and gave many players playing time, the Germans lacked rhythm for long periods of the game. Hannover’s Renars Uscins, backcourt player Marko Grgic, Lukas Zerbe and Lukas Mertens were the best shooters for the German team with four goals each in front of 5,569 spectators in the sold-out campus hall.
Striking: The “first suit” – the regular staff of the Olympic silver medal team from last summer around Flensburg-born Juri Knorr and Uscins – seems to be doing quite well again shortly before the World Cup (January 14th to February 2nd). sit.
“I think we can take the well-coordinated spirit we had from the summer with us.”
— Renars Uscins
Behind this, there was still a lack of dynamism, agreements and processes, which is only somewhat surprising after only two sessions with the entire team at the training camp in Hamburg. No problem for Uscins, who called the test “valuable” in an interview with NDR, “because we had time to develop our depth in the squad, which we didn’t have in the form last year.” At the beginning the team “wasn’t grippy, but the rest of the time we did well.”
With a view to the upcoming tournament, he believes “that we can take the well-rehearsed spirit from the summer with us.” And perhaps that is also a good omen: The DHB selection also kicked off the successful year of 2024 with fourth place at the home European Championships and second place at the Olympic Games in France in Flensburg – at that time they managed a 34:33 win against Portugal.
Weak start for the DHB selection
“Whether we continue to have fun depends, of course, on what results we get and how we play,” Gislason said before the game. At the beginning of the encounter in Flensburg, from his team’s point of view, the fun was very limited – due to his own fault. The team was erratic in attack and lacked grip on defense. There was a lack of movement and coordination.
The result: a three-goal deficit after 13 minutes (3:6). Gislason took a timeout and it had an immediate effect with two quick goals from Marco Grgic and Lukas Stutzke (5:6, 14th). The defense also became more aggressive and goalkeeper David Späth also had his first save in the 17th minute. The Rhein-Neckar Löwen keeper stood in goal for Andreas Wolff from THW Kiel, who had become a father that morning and was sitting on the bench but not on the pitch (Gislason: “Originally he wanted to play too”).
The “Olympic suit” fits better
Gislason changed cheerfully and gradually brought in more of the “regular staff” from last summer’s Olympic tournament in France. And: This “suit” fit much better. Knorr did a fantastic pirouette just in front of the Brazilian circle and passed to Uscins, who coolly scored to make it 9-9 (23′).
Playing in the circle also worked much more often now. In a co-production between two TSV players, Uscin’s pivot played Justus Fischer, who delicately put the ball into the goal as it fell to make it 10:10 (25th). Since the Brazilians were not unduly impressed by the more determined game of the German team, the game went into the break with a draw (13:13). After all: Uscins deserved the unofficial title of “goal in the first half” with a beautiful goal in the corner. A tough half-time blast (30th).
Uscins again and again
At the beginning of the second section, a few mistakes and inaccuracies crept into the Gislason team’s game. Nevertheless, the brilliance that the team had shown last year on the way to Olympic silver flashed again and again, at least in individual moments: Uscins played a wonderful no-look pass to Captain Johannes Golla at the circle, which Flensburg scored Germany’s first two-goal lead (18:16, 39′).
Germany – Brazil 32:25 (13:13)
Goals Germany: Grgic (4), Mertens (4), Uscins (4), Zerbe (4/1 seven meter), Fischer (3), Golla (3), Kastening (3), Köster (3), Knorr (2), Lichtlein ( 1), Stutzke (1)
Goals Brazil: Dupoux (4/3 penalty), Rodrigues (4), Carvalho (3), Da Silva (3), Borges Santista (2), Oliveira (2), Hackbarth (1), Monte (1), Langaro (1)
Viewers: 5,569
As the game went on, the German team gradually pulled away. This was also because the Brazilians seemed shocked for several minutes after an injury to their playmaker Bryan Monte (40′) – he had twisted his ankle – and could no longer find their way back to their game.
Germany makes it clear
The Hanoverian Joel Birlehm came into the goal for Späth and took several shots away from the South Americans. And the Germans had increasingly “unlocked” themselves up front – physically, but also mentally. Magdeburg’s left winger Lukas Mertens scored the DHB selection’s first five-goal lead (24:19, 47th), Berlin’s Nils Lichtlein scored the 30th German goal (30:23, 56th).
On Saturday (4:20 p.m.) the dress rehearsal for the World Cup finals in Denmark, Norway and Croatia will take place in Hamburg in the second duel with the Brazilians.
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Sports current | 09.01.2025 | 8:17 p.m
