“This gives a good feeling. It’s nice to win against France like this, before it really happens,” says Estavana Polman (33) in the mixed zone after the victory over reigning world champion France (26-23). It is the last group match, both countries are already certain of the quarter-finals. Just like for peer Lois Abbingh, it is Polman’s last final tournament, and that in front of his own audience. “I enjoy every moment I am here, it is real
The interaction between the players and the fans had to get going in Ahoy. “If it was there, it was really there, but it could be more,” Polman said after the first match against Argentina. During half-time of the second match against Egypt, a speaker even asked the audience ‘on behalf of the players’ to make themselves heard even more.
But against France the crowd was frenzied on Monday evening. Partly thanks to the encouragement, the Netherlands took an early lead of five goals, and eventually defeated the French. “I think we played it very smartly. We haven’t really had a benchmark in this tournament yet. Today was really great,” says
The question now is how far the Netherlands can go. The home country’s goal is to finish in the last four, but for that they must first beat Hungary in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
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During the European Championship last year, Polman was left out of the selection by national coach Henrik Signell, but she is back in this World Cup. Polman, Abbingh, Angela Malestein and Kelly Dulfer are the only four active players who won silver in 2015, bronze in 2017 and the world title in 2019, in Japan. After that tournament, the International Handball Federation (IHF) asked the Netherlands to organize the World Cup. It culminated in this edition, in which the host cities are divided between the Netherlands and Germany.
In the years that the organization was preparing for the World Cup in its own country, with Rotterdam and Den Bosch as host cities, the performance of the Dutch handball women was somewhat disappointing. At every final tournament, the Netherlands failed before the semi-finals and top countries such as Norway, Denmark and France were too strong.
With three preliminary round matches and three matches in the main round, the Handball World Cup has a long run-up before teams can prepare for the quarter-finals. In any case, a first match “always takes some getting used to,” Dulfer said after the match he won against Argentina. But especially now, with nine thousand home supporters. “When it starts, there are also a bit of nerves. It is new to play a World Cup in front of a home crowd.”
Baila baila baila
In Hall 1 of Ahoy, the audience stands on the benches for goals and saves. Twenty-year-old World Cup debutant Judith van der Helm finds it difficult to get used to it: “The first time I was very impressed. Now it is a combination of being impressed with enjoying that all those fans are there for you.” At the same time, the Dutch have managed to maintain their focus so far: after a goal, players briefly look triumphantly into the audience, and then quickly take their position again. What will stay with her? Van der Helm laughs: Dutch songs such as ‘Baila Baila Baila’, shot in Ahoy gray, “really stick in my head.”
In the opening matches, the Netherlands had a few moments in which they were searching or lost focus, but no opponent was able to really make it difficult for national coach Signell’s team. Argentina, Egypt, Austria, Tunisia and Poland were all easily defeated.
Just like the audience, the Netherlands is also growing in the tournament. The Dutch team makes fewer technical errors, starts the match sharper, is more aggressive in coverage and scores more easily. The quick counter-attacks in particular are a weapon. Shortly after a save from Ten Holte or an interception from Dulfer, the ball is already in the hands of the fast corner players Bo van Wetering or Malestein. Both players score easily this tournament, Van Wetering now has 32 goals and uses four out of five shots.
With another group match against France on the programme, the quarter-finals had already been reached, but the Netherlands still saw the meeting with the defending champions as a measuring moment. The Netherlands last won in 2016 Les Bleus. “This victory shows that we can do a lot. It is the world champion who beats you and that is a very nice feeling,” said Ten Holte afterwards. A number of important saves earned the goalkeeper the title of player of the match.
Her request to the audience around the opening match was listened to, as Polman also experienced five matches later. The Netherlands has so far managed to gain an advantage from the home crowd, instead of increasing the pressure. “I sat on the bench against Poland and I watched the wave a few times, even though the match was in progress. During half-time I occasionally joined in with the music. It’s just a party.”
Now the quarter-final match against Hungary follows. “Everything has to be right and you cannot have an off-day,” says Polman. “Hungary is physically strong and fast, I think a bit comparable to France. Bring it on, we can’t change anything about the opponent. If we play like this, we can have everything.”
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