Dinah Eckerle saw the disaster coming shortly before halftime. As the Swede Isabelle Gulldén freestanding for the next easy goal came, the German goalkeeper looked pleadingly to her defensive colleagues. Do not make it so easy for them, Eckerle seemed to think.
13:18 were the German handball women back to the break, already at this time indicated that the World Cup in Japan would end with another defeat. At the end, it was even really clear, Sweden won the game for seventh place 35:24 and can still hope for the Olympics.
That had been the stated goal of the German team before the World Cup. In the meantime, it had even looked as if the rejuvenated after the knockout stages at the home World Cup 2017 team in a position to achieve more. After the mandatory wins against Brazil and Australia followed two prestige successes against Denmark and the Netherlands, a defeat against France and a draw against South Korea. The starting position for the first semi-final since 2007 was excellent - and was lost by the defeats against Serbia and Norway. So it was against Sweden for seventh place, which would have secured the participation in an Olympic qualifier tournament. It ended in a debacle.
HIROSHI YAMAMURA / EPA-EFE / REX
Without Emily Bölk (r.) And Kim Naidzinavicius runs little in the DHB team
"I'm stunned," said runner Julia Behnke. "It was an appearance that is absolutely unsatisfactory and disappointing." Eckerle even spoke of an "underground" game. The chance to qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008 was missed. Together with Emily Bölk in the king's position in the left back and with drawbacks with playmaker Kim Naidzinavicius Behnke and Eckerle had the DHB selection through the tournament.
Good defense alone is not enough in handball
The individual quality of this quartet was an important factor in the good start to the World Cup, together with the good defensive work, the seven-yard marksmanship of Shenia Minevskaja and the repeated ability to not be disturbed by arrears. This calm colored from the national coach to the entire team. Henk Groener, who has learned a lot from football legend Johan Cruyff, uses his emotions in a targeted manner and always communicates with the players in the time-outs calmly and deliberately.
Groener, who has been in office for almost two years, has led the national team out of a year-long crisis. The Dutchman relies on a compact 6: 0 defense, Eckerle is on the way to the world class as the successor of Clara Woltering set for years on the way and in the ball profits quick goals to be scored. The uncompromising defensive work worked well for long stretches, while the speed bumps it lacked.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
Handball national coach Henk Groener
The biggest problem of the national coach was the lack of depth in the squad. Behnke, Naidzinavicius and especially the only 21-year-old Bölk were irreplaceable. They got in the extremely physically demanding program with nine games in 14 days few breaks. This was the main reason for the loss to Sweden for Groener: "Today we had only energy for 20 minutes," he said after the game.
In addition, throughout the tournament fell the weak casting odds of the also set start players Amelie Berger, Antje Lauenroth and Alicia Stolle in the weight. However, there were no alternatives, especially in the field.
Missed Olympic opportunity will hurt for a long time
For the further development of the handball in Germany an Olympic qualification would have been very important. Anyone who participates in the Olympics receives a lot of attention, as team sports that are otherwise not in focus can catch up a lot.
The World Cup was treated in Germany almost to the exclusion of the public. Accordingly disappointed took DHB President Andreas Michelmann and Sport Board Axel Kromer on the bankruptcy against Sweden. "That's very bitter," said Kromer. "We missed an important goal that would have served us as a catalyst to bring women's handball forward."
FRANCK ROBICHON / EPA-EFE / REX
Emily Bölk has the potential to become world class
Handball threatens to get stuck in the niche where the sport is currently stuck. The TV contract with the free-to-air channel Eurosport does not change that much. Six Bundesliga games will be shown live in the coming months, the top match between the two best clubs in recent years - Thuringian HC and SG BBM Bietigheim - forms in March, the conclusion.
The two clubs were together with nine players in the 16-woman World Cup squad the foundation. But the Bundesliga is second-rate in international comparison. The dominating team of the past years is called Györi ETO KC and comes from Hungary, Thuringia and Bietigheim, although it managed partly in the main round of the Champions League, but lost there regularly. This is one of the reasons why Groener is calling for more international women to go abroad. Currently only Behnke (Rostov-on-Don) and Minevskaja (Brest) do not play in the Bundesliga, Eckerle and Bölk certainly have the potential.
So how is it going to continue with handball in Germany? The problems of the Bundesliga will probably not be solved for the time being, in the national team, however, agrees with the experienced Groener the direction. Except for Lauenroth, all players are under 30 years old. However, the national coach has to give the team an offensive game idea before the EURO 2020 in Denmark and Norway and the World Cup 2021 in Spain. Only with successes of the DHB selection there is the chance to leave the niche.
