A highly dangerous playmaker, a very strong goalkeeper – and stable nerves: Germany’s handball players have passed their dress rehearsal and are starting their World Cup mission to Poland and Sweden with a tailwind.
The team of national coach Alfred Gislason defeated Iceland, who placed sixth at the European Championships, on Sunday (January 8th, 2023) in the second endurance test within 24 hours with 33:31 (19:14) and gained valuable self-confidence five days before the start of the tournament.
Outstanding actors were Juri Knorr and Andreas Wolff. The 22-year-old middleman Knorr became the best German pitcher with 13 goals and tore the more than 10,000 spectators in Hanover from their seats with his spectacular game. In addition, keeper Wolff showed himself in World Cup form with a number of saves.
“Of course it makes us feel good”said Knorr, “But you have to keep the ball a bit flat and you shouldn’t set your expectations too high.”
When it came down to crunch time, Germany, the 2016 European champions, turned up the heat. The “second suit”, on the other hand, causes concern. Because as with the 30:31 defeat the day before in Bremen, Germany lost the thread on Sunday after a clear lead. Gislason said: “The first suit fits very well, but the width is missing.”
Golla complains about simple mistakes
“It’s good to end the preparations with a win. Now we’re happy that things are getting serious.”, said Johannes Golla. However, the captain complained about too many simple mistakes and a few misses: “That must be a warning to us that something like this could break our necks.”
When coach Gislason substituted at half-time and also took Wolff off the field, the Icelanders, where Omar Ingi Magnusson from SC Magdeburg and captain Aron Palmarsson (Aalborg, formerly THW Kiel) were rested, needed just ten minutes to equalize. But Knorr and Wolff brought the German team back on track in the closing stages. There are also concerns about veteran Kai Häfner. The left-hander limped off the field in the closing stages. Häfner was injured during an attack and was then treated while lying behind the German bench.
Positive energy
Thanks to the well-deserved success on Sunday, the selection of the German Handball Federation (DHB) entered the final meters of their tournament preparations with positive energy. The 10,043 fans in the sold-out arena in Hanover gave the team a standing ovation.
“We’re all in the mood for the tournament to finally start“Knorr said before the start of the dress rehearsal against the World Cup “secret favourite” (O-Ton Gislason) – and put his words into action.
The middle man proved to be the linchpin of the German game from the start on Sunday and shone as a prudent pacemaker and passer as well as a reliable goalscorer. In the first period alone, Knorr scored nine times.
Fine-tuning in the Sports School Barsinghausen
Golla and Co. will spend the next few days putting the finishing touches to the sports school in Barsinghausen. On Thursday, the German team will fly by charter flight to the preliminary round venue in Kattowitz, where the World Cup adventure against Asian champions Qatar will kick off the following day. Other opponents in the battle for the main round are Serbia on January 15th and Algeria on January 17th.
In the first test on Saturday, the German team had proven its suitability for the World Cup for a long time. Knorr in particular played well up to the 23:17 lead, before Gislason made a few changes and Iceland passed in the final minutes. “The second suit is not yet in place,” Gislason complained afterwards and described the defeat as “instructive”.
Germany – Iceland 33:31 (19:14)
Goals: Knorr (13 goals/8 penalty kicks), Köster (5), Golla (3), Häfner (3), Kohlbacher (3), Groetzki (2), Steinert (2), Mertens (1), Weber (1) for Germany
Gudjonsson (8), Kristjanson (8/3), G Kristjansson (5), Jonsson (3), K Kristjansson (2), Arnarsson (1), Elisson (1), Gislason (1), Smarason (1) , Vioarsson (1) for Iceland