Thanks to a tactical trick from coach Herbert Müller, the Thuringian HC still has every chance of reaching the final in the fight for the championship title. Now the almost impossible should be made possible next Saturday in Blomberg.
Herbert Müller is a veteran in the coaching business and has a lot of skills. The 63-year-old once again demonstrated in the second semi-final game against HSG Blomberg-Lippe that he keeps a cool head even when his back is against the wall and remains creative. Müller had his team play almost the entire game with their own 7-on-6 attack, thus creating constant outnumbered situations on the board.
Müller’s tactical trick works
“It was risky. We knew we had to do something extraordinary,” he said in an interview with SPORT IM OSTEN after the game. A few minutes earlier, his team had witnessed the thrilling exchange of blows against the main round winner in the Salza Hall, which was bursting at the seams with more than 1,300 spectators, until the final siren 29:28 won and thus forced a playoff in the fight for the final.
In addition to the 13 saves by goalkeeper Laura Kuske, the inventiveness of director Natsuki Aizawa and the eleven goals by top scorer Johanna Reichert, it was also Müller’s tactical trick that made the feat possible despite a temporary four-goal deficit. During the week he and the team rehearsed various variations to pull Blomberg’s tooth. And that also meant having to play with an additional field player at the expense of the goalkeeper when she had possession of the ball. “We wanted to play 7 against 6. That stuck during the week. Sometimes it just makes sense to stick to your line,” explained Müller.
THC shakes his Blomberg trauma away
That’s how it was – unlike in the first game, Blomberg was quite clear 31:25 won – this time an equal affair in which both teams “advertised women’s handball”. It was a razor’s edge ride right up to the end before Lotta Heider scored the decisive goal 20 seconds before the end and gave THC, which has repeatedly struggled with form fluctuations this season, its first win against HSG in the fifth comparison this season.
“That’s the most fun playing handball,” beamed winning goal scorer Heider afterwards and looked ahead to the decisive third game next Saturday (5 p.m. in the live ticker) in Blomberg: “Everything is possible now. Next week the form of the day will decide. But after today’s game I’m quite sure that we can do it next week.”
Blomberg is a force at home
Without a doubt, the Thuringians will need their newfound self-confidence. Because the HSG is a force at home and, despite the setback, goes into the final game as favorites. This season, the East Westphalians are undefeated in front of their own fans, winning all ten home games in the main round.
The last home defeat came in the playoff final last year against the former industry leader HB Ludwigsburg. But: “Every series has an end at some point,” emphasized Müller. “I know we have a chance, but a lot has to come together. We have to approach it with the idea that it’s only one step away from the final. You can’t play games like that, you have to win them.”
After the spectacular win against Blomberg-Lippe, the Thüringer HC players swore themselves in for the decisive third game.
“Superstar” Reichert is still ailing
The first thing on the agenda for his protégés on Monday (May 4, 2026) is regeneration. The playful approach is then refined. It is clear to Müller that the opponent “must not get going” as in the first game, when THC made too many easy mistakes and was punished for their low throwing efficiency, especially in the second half.
A lot will also depend on top scorer Reichert. Once again. The Austrian, who left in the summer, is still ailing and was barely able to train last week. On Sunday, too, she remained pale at first, before she became more confident as the game progressed. “She is our superstar,” emphasized Müller: “If we want to win something, she simply has to work. Then we have a chance against everyone.”
Final against Dortmund or small final against Bensheim/Auerbach
Speaking of opportunities: THC still has two of them this season: In addition to its first championship title in eight years, the club can also defend its title in the European League. It says weekend 16th/17th. The final tournament will take place in Dijon in May. A week later, the final series for the German championship starts. The opponent has already been decided in Borussia Dortmund, who defeated Bensheim/Auerbach in two games in the semi-finals.
The THC wants to reach the final on Saturday in Blomberg and maintain the dream of two titles in one season. For keeper Kuske, one thing is certain, only the maximum counts: “Both have their charm – so why not get both?”
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