analysis
Denmark dominates handball and seems unreachable in the near future. But there is a lot that Germany can learn from the aliens and also from some other teams – a World Cup conclusion.
The bitter quarter-finals of the DHB selection against Portugal may even have a positive aspect at the World Cup in Denmark, Croatia and Norway. This also quoted again and again by the players themselves “Backpack” On her shoulders – it will weigh significantly less at the European Championship in the coming year and most likely also at the 2027 World Cup in Germany.
German appearances amazingly fun for fun
Apparently, the pressure and expectations according to the Paris Olympic silver have had a negative impact on the appearances of the Germans. In almost every one of the seven games, Alfred Gislason’s team came into its rhythm incredibly slowly, regularly seemed as if she had to shake a load first, with herself and the opponent, and then cope with her work victory in five of the seven cases.
She ultimately reliably did this against Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy and Tunisia. But the whole thing seemed largely fun. And that at a World Cup with a KO game like against Portugal, about the left wing Lukas Mertens actually said: “These are exactly the games for which each of us does this sport”. But where was the joy when the game ran?
Klein celebrates Italy, Bitter loves Portugal
ARD expert Dominik Klein puzzles in the Sportschau-Podcast “Handball on 1”: “My favorite story at this World Cup are the Italians. It was pure joy. Simply exemplary what charisma and looseness can suddenly perform a team at such a tournament very differently than with such a backpack of expectations as the Germans carried. Brakes, there is no uncertainty to be able to play freely. “
Portugal celebrates his podcast partner Johannes Bitter: “It was an incredible enrichment on how this team performed. They played so wonderfully throughout the tournament, with so much emotions, fun, will and courage.” He was missing all of this in Germany.
Denmark and Croatia also had pressure
From a DHB perspective, it could be seen that not much was expected from Italy and Portugal: Italy was qualified for a World Cup until this year, Portugal had never achieved a KO game. But did the Danes, especially as a co-host, previously have three times in series world champion and Olympic champion much more pressure than Germany? Or the Croatians in front of their own frenetic fans?
It should be noted that these teams deal with pressure differently than the Germans. Either Denmark, Croatia or France do not feel the pressure at all. Or you can even get intoxication, be carried by the favorite role and inspired, instead of suffering from it: a topic for the sports psychologists of the Germans, especially with a view of the home World Cup.
Gislason sees a role model in the Danish league
What Germany can learn from Denmark from the perspective of the national coach concerns the domestic league. Alfred Gislason explains a significant difference in the development of the players to the sports show: “This is logical for me. In Denmark, the boys come from the A-youth and first play two or three or four years with their clubs until they switch to Germany, for example. They play and play. And then have Of course, at the age of 22, 23, much more competition experience.
Apart from exceptional talents such as Renārs Uščins in Hannover-Burgdorf or Marko Grgic from THSV Eisenach, it is actually difficult for many young talents to get enough practice in the strongest league in the world. In terms of trust in the youth, Gislason itself does not go on with the best example.
Trust in the talent is expandable
According to his 11-goal gala against Tunisia, grgic only came to a short assignment in the first half in the quarter-finals. He threw a goal and made a mistake, then he braised on the bench to the end. It was similar with Nils Lichtlein. Gislason also ignored him in the crucial moments, although he had almost the same success rate at the end of the World Cup at the end of the World Cup (almost every seven minutes a goal) like top scorer Uščins.
Dealing with pressure, but trust in the young players are by no means the only aspects where Germany can work. Jogi Bitter: “For me, our two goalkeepers were winners. But I was disappointed with the interaction of the whole team, from the community flow who wears you through such a tournament – it wasn’t there.”
“Will, emotions and body language were missing”
Dominik Klein saw playful and mental problems: “We saw the individual strengths on the plate. But now we also have to install the outside again, which is also a question of how quickly the ball is played in the back. Defense has been missing the last willingness, the will, the broadcast, body language and emotional.
The load control must also be questioned. Gislason said after the end of Portugal: “Of course, as a trainer, you want a lot more preparation time with the team. But of course that is difficult with the close schedule with Bundesliga and international competitions.”
Gidsel plays through, pause DHB stars
Two thirds of all Danes also play in this Bundesliga. And while MVP Mathias Gidsel largely worked through the World Cup nine times (average time around 54 minutes), Gislason spared his stars in the last main round game against Tunisia, so that they had a full five-day break before the Portugal game. However, they didn’t look fresh.