In addition, the otherwise strong defensive, which Switzerland coach Andy Schmid even described as the “best in the world” before the preliminary round duel, showed unusual weaknesses. The agreement was often not right, and again and again the men around captain Johannes Golla were pulled apart too easily and thus gaps for opposing degrees. This was particularly striking in the first main round game against Denmark when the hosts’ world-class offensive played almost at will by the German back team-and the defeat, which was calculated, was unintentionally high with ten goals.
In the other games, it was often thanks to Andreas Wolff and David Späth that the DHB team did not get high and could do the games in the end.
The players made it no secret that the relief about the quarter -finals that were still achieved prematurely was therefore huge. “We are all very relieved,” said young star Marko Grgić openly. “We had a difficult preliminary and main round. Of course we were not able to call up our maximum,” continued Grgić. Therefore, the team is “very happy” to have reached the minimum goal quarter -finals.
The discrepancy between the Olympic form and the appearances at the World Cup was just as aware of the reason for this: “What was different at Olympics is that we did not have this pressure and not this expectation,” said the 21-year-old. At that time, for example, no one expected that Germany strikes France in the quarter -finals. “We had the Underdog role. That helped us a lot to play easily and freely,” said Grgić. “Now at the World Cup we are vice-Olympic champion, and you can expect more from us and we automatically expect more from us. Sometimes this can lead to us to tense and want too much.”
But the cramp now seems to be solved. Because not only fishermen and lights knew how to entertain after the quarter -finals. National coach Gislason was also at the press conference for a moody moment when, after a hymn of praise on a little, he grinned two strong shoulder tapsters to the young star sitting next to him and thus brought his blush into the face. Scenes that would have been almost unthinkable a few days ago.