Handball
The Olympics are getting closer: DHB team with opening win against Algeria
Contributed ten goals to the win against Algeria: Renars Uscins (l). photo
© Swen Pförtner/dpa
Germany’s handball players are taking their first step towards the Olympics. In the ultimately easy victory over Algeria, the DHB team still revealed weaknesses. Now Croatia is waiting – and an old friend.
Germany’s handball players have their mandatory task at the start of the season Olympic qualification tournament fulfilled and celebrated an easy victory against outsiders Algeria.
The team of national coach Alfred Gislason, whose contract will only be extended until 2027 if he takes part in the Olympics, won in Hanover against the World Cup penultimate team 41:29 (16:13). In front of 10,099 spectators, Renars Uscins was the best thrower for the German Handball Association with ten goals. “It wasn’t a perfect game. We threw away too many balls. The defense was sometimes too full of holes. We need to improve our performance against Croatia,” said Germany’s top scorer. Captain Johannes Golla stated: “There were sometimes too many mistakes. The fact that it was still so clear in the end obviously gives us a good feeling for the game against Croatia.”
After a day’s break, the DHB team continues on Saturday with the duel against the Croatians trained by former national coach Dagur Sigurdsson. “It’s going to be tough. I’m excited to see what Dagur plans to do with the troops,” Golla said. Germany lost at the European Championships at home to probably the strongest opponent in the group of four – Sigurdsson was not yet on board with the Croatians. On Sunday there will be a meeting with Austria, who were able to wrest a draw from the German selection in January.
Anniversary for Wolff
“As Germany, we should try to win the qualification,” said U21 world champion Nils Lichtlein as a goal. Handball dwarf Algeria shouldn’t be a big hurdle on this path. Too many lack of concentration when trying to score, too big gaps in the defense: the African representative initially made things relatively easy for the DHB team.
After a comfortable initial phase with a friendly game feel, the German selection became more and more on a roll. Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff contributed a lot to the early five-goal lead (11:6) with impressive saves in his 150th international match. The starting point for good counterattacks was the defense around the inner block duo Johannes Golla and Julian Köster, who had already impressed at the European Championships.
Half-time score “not really reassuring”
After a convincing start, more and more mistakes crept into the German game. Backcourt giants Sebastian Heymann and Uscins missed several great chances, so that the lead shrank from seven to four goals (13:9) and later to three (16:13). Sports director Axel Kromer called the lead at the break “not really reassuring”.
At the start of the second half, Gislason relied on his regular players again and sent playmaker Juri Knorr, among others, onto the floor. However, the German director was denied twice by the Algerian keeper and the guests came within two goals (18:16).
Angry Gislason whips the DHB team
Gislason raged on the sidelines and gesticulated wildly. The emotional Icelander’s reprimand worked and his team restored their old lead of six goals (25:19). The European Championship fourth-placed side now stabilized and took advantage of its chances more consistently in the middle of the second half.
Uscins turned things up in the final stages and gave Germany a ten-goal lead eleven minutes before the end. The eighth victory in the eighth duel with the Algerians was now assured. In the end the result was clear, but the German team still needs an improvement in performance against Croatia.