Sweden shock processed
DHB women walk to the best World Cup place in 16 years
December 15, 2023, 1:51 p.m
They missed out on the World Cup medals, but the tournament is still not over: Germany’s handball players coped well with the setback against Sweden. Thanks to a convincing performance against the Czech Republic, the consolation prize is still there.
Character test passed, consolation prize awaits: Germany’s handball players have their sights set on fifth place at the World Cup. Two days after the quarterfinal knockout. The team of national coach Markus Gaugisch easily defeated the Czech Republic 32:26 (14:12) and has already secured its best World Cup placement in 16 years before the final duel with Montenegro or the Netherlands. “The first step has been taken. It wasn’t that easy to get out of there after the negative experience against Sweden. That’s why the win today was important – no matter how it came about,” said Gaugisch.
Shooting star Viola Leuchter became the best thrower for the selection of the German Handball Federation (DHB) with six goals in the Jyske Bank Boxen, whose medal dream was shattered on Wednesday against the Swedes (20:27). The DHB team showed a mature performance against the Czech Republic, especially after the break. “I’m happy that we won the game like that. It was extremely important that we get back to a certain high after the Sweden game,” said Leuchter: “We noticed something in the first section that something was emotional missing. I’m really happy that we did better in the second half.”
The last time Germany achieved a place in the top six at a World Cup was when they won the bronze medal in 2007. The final performance at the World Cup in Scandinavia will determine whether the DHB women will fight for a ticket to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris next April in a supposedly easier qualification tournament.
Full throttle from the start
Germany hardly needed any start-up time at the unusual kick-off time of 11.30 a.m. In contrast to the Sweden game, when Gaugisch’s team didn’t score a goal for almost the entire opening quarter of an hour, the DHB women were immediately awake and gained a lead. The 0:1 (3rd) was the only deficit in the ultimately one-sided game.
Nevertheless, the Czechs, who surprisingly advanced to the knockout rounds, held their own for a comparatively long time. The DHB team temporarily pulled away to five goals in the first section with a score of 7:2 (12th). But too many missed throws in their own attack meant that the game remained open until the break.
After the break, Germany picked up the pace again. With a 4-0 run, the DHB women gained a six-goal lead for the first time, which brought a lot of security and significantly slowed down the Czech defense. Gaugisch only made occasional changes. Leuchter, who is only 19 years old from Leverkusen, received a lot of playing time, demonstrating her qualities on the offensive and, unlike in the previous tournament, was also used in defense. In front of a dreary backdrop of only around 200 spectators, there was no more tension in the second section.