The German handball players are leaving Germany – and that is good news. After the next confident performance in the 30:23 (17:11) against Brazil, the World Cup tournament continues in the Netherlands, the semi-finals take place in Rotterdam.
Germany got off to a dream start, Lisa Antl already gave them a clear 4-1 lead – and then it became clear who was particularly important to watch out for among the Brazilians. Bruna de Paula is considered one of the best backcourt players in the world, and she showed why that is so in the first few minutes. With her strong individual actions and three goals, de Paula brought her team back to 3:4.
DHB women clearly shape the game with calm
The German women then found themselves outnumbered, but instead of an equalizer there was a signal effect for the rest of the game. National coach Markus Gaugisch’s team “won” this situation and then moved away. Driven primarily by Viola Leuchter, Germany extended their lead; with her fourth goal with a perfect throw rate, the 21-year-old made it 9:4 (13th minute).
Afterwards there was a weak phase, Brazil reduced the lead to 9:7 – but then Antje Döll came into the game and with her first two goals she gave the team a four-goal lead again (19th). During the time out, Gaugisch said that his team was acting too hectic and demanded: “Play quietly.” Döll, who scored the third German goal in a row, for the second time from a seven-meter penalty (12:8/23.), continued to lose her calm. Overall, she improved her top rate in the tournament to 14 converted out of 16 attempts.
But Döll had problems from the field, the Brazilian goalkeeper Renata Lais de Arruda was not only able to fend off several balls from the left wing – so the South Americans still stayed in the game to some extent. But it remained clear, also because Katharina Filter showed her class in the German goal at the right moment, she saved a total of three throws in the first half, including shortly before the break – Nina Engel was able to make it 17:11 (30th).
Filter shines again in the German goal
The German team seemed to have everything under control and even increased the lead to 20:12 through Jenny Behrend (35th), but then several mistakes crept in. De Paula was able to reduce the score to 15:20 with her fifth goal (38′), but the exceptional Brazilian player was injured in this situation and had to go to the bench for the time being. And because without her, her team is basically doing a lot less, the shortening was just a brief flash in the pan – Germany restored their seven-goal lead.
With Filter, one player in particular stood out during this phase. In the first eleven minutes of the second round she parried four shots and confirmed the outstanding impressions of the tournament with a rate of 38 percent of balls saved so far. And with this security behind her, Annika Lott was able to put aside almost all doubts about reaching the semi-finals with a score of 23:15 (43rd), despite a few missed chances by the DHB team.
Brazil gets close, but then Engel scores decisively
But after that the worm was in, with a 7:2 run Brazil came within three goals (25:22/52.). For the first time it seemed as if the game could really turn over. What was very important was that Nina Engel hit a very difficult throw to make it 26:22 when the outstanding Arruda got her hands on it again (53′). Vogel then increased the difference to five goals again (55th) – and that was the decision.
Behrend stepped up, the hall in Dortmund was upside down and no one doubted anymore that the German team would now be traveling. From the semi-finals onwards, all games will take place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and it is now clear that the DHB women will be among the best four teams in the world for the first time since bronze in 2007.
On Friday it’s either against France or Denmark, on Wednesday from 9 p.m. it will be decided who will next try to stop the German women (who have clearly won all games so far) in this tournament, after Brazil also had no chance at 30:23. Also because Filter, who was named the best player of the match, parried a total of 14 balls.