After the first three games at the home European Championship, anything is still possible for the German national handball team. Despite the recent 30:33 defeat against France, national coach Alfred Gislason’s team can reach the semi-finals on their own, although they will be eliminated early in a few days. What gives reason for hope and what causes concern when looking at the DHB team?
Against record world champions and Olympic champions France on Tuesday evening in Berlin, the German handball players showed a performance that once again confirmed the impressions of the last major tournaments. In the end it’s not enough against the really big handball nations, the top favorites at the World and European Championships around France, Denmark and Sweden.
The DHB team also held up well against the French star ensemble and was even ahead again after 49 minutes with 27:26. But then France mercilessly exposed the biggest deficits in the German team’s game and were simply cleverer and more ripped off in the final phase.
What gives the DHB selection hope for the semi-finals before the four main round games against Iceland, Austria, Hungary and Croatia?
Germany at the home European Championship: That gives hope
Juri Knorr as a real leader
Germany’s handball players finally have a real leader and middle man at a world-class level again. In recent years, Juri Knorr has become more of a leader in the middle of the backcourt and leads the way with his performance and body language.
Consistent from the seven-meter mark and deliberate in the build-up game, the 23-year-old has already scored 24 goals and is leading the European Championship top scorers list alongside the Spaniard Aleix Gomez. Against France he was again Germany’s best thrower with eight goals. If the lion middleman plays with such agility and variety in the main round, he can lead his team to the semi-finals.
Double support in the DHB goal
It’s no secret that Andreas Wolff has been one of the best goalkeepers in Europe for years. For a successful tournament, it is essential to have a powerful number two in the goalkeeper team.
In addition to his achievements in the HBL for the Rhein-Neckar Löwen, David Späth also excelled in the DHB dress when he stood out in the U21 team’s celebrated World Cup title.
In contrast to the deeply relaxed Andi Wolff, the 21-year-old youngster has great emotions and can carry an entire hall along with him. A factor that could come into play even more in front of almost 20,000 spectators in Cologne.
Euphoria on and off the record
It’s true in the German team! Both the players and national coach Alfred Gislason have repeatedly emphasized the functioning team spirit, which is particularly visible on the substitution bench of the DHB selection: When teammates score goals, the entire reserve almost always jumps up and celebrates the successes of the supposed internal competitors.
The DHB selection impresses with great mentality and full commitment to get the local spectators excited about handball at the European Championships in Germany. These qualities could become decisive in the four main round games, where the big tournament favorites will not be waiting in the coming days.
Germany at the home European Championship: That’s worrying
Lack of penetration from the half positions
The biggest deficit in the German attacking game was mercilessly exposed by the French on Tuesday: against the big opponents in world handball, the German national team is once again lacking penetration in the backcourt this year. Especially from the half positions there is a lack of return in the crucial phases. This insight is not new; it has accompanied German handball for years.
France’s 6-0 formation became more and more defensive as the game went on, presenting Köster, Häfner and Co. with clearly visible problems. When the Olympic champion got a better handle on the circular game with captain Johannes Golla, it heralded the decisive phase in favor of the French.
Lack of width in the squad
The performance gap in the German squad is still too great – that has also been no secret for years. While top nations like France can offer a complete second seven with virtually no loss of quality, the DHB squad lacks this breadth.
The best indication of this: Against the French, the regulars Johannes Golla, Julian Köster, Lukas Mertens, Juri Knorr and Timo Kastening were on the plate for most of the game, while the other side was busy making changes. National coach Alfred Gislason has also publicly admitted that he lacks the necessary alternatives at the top level in his team: “We are trying to build up the team broadly and that is going quite well. But for some people France is already one very big hurdle.”
Technical errors in crunch time
The best of the best stand out, especially in the last minutes of the game, when things get decisive. The Germans continue to make too many mistakes, especially in the much-quoted crunch time.
Slight ball losses in attack, missed throws from the best throwing positions, positional errors in the defense: If anything is to happen with the semi-finals for the DHB selection, these sources of error must urgently be eliminated in the final phase.
Mats Yannick Roth