And 4!
After the gold medals brought back from Beijing in 2008, from London in 2012 then that, frustrating, in silver won in Rio in 2016, France qualified, this Thursday, for its 4th Olympic final.
The 4th also for the captains Nikola Karabatic and Michaël Guigou.
A record!
At the end of a long and terrible suspense, the Blues came to the end (27-23) of a carefree team from Egypt.
We expected a bitter, close, indecisive duel, we were served.
A month ago, in a preparation match for the Games, at the Coubertin Stadium in Paris, the Blues had to wait until the last second and a 7m throw from Kentin Mahé to win (31-30) against to those same Egyptians.
The scenario, this Thursday at Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, was just as unbreathable.
47 ': 21 - 18 |
The Blues are always well applied in defense! @Nedim_Remili shows the way and we believe in it 💥 !!! # BleuetFier # Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/kBvsMT4KjG
- French Handball Teams (@FRAHandball) August 5, 2021
Untenable, insatiable since the start of the tournament, where it was only beaten by Denmark, the reigning world and Olympic champion, Egypt attacked the match with its foot to the ground. Not at all impressed by the stake of a first Olympic semi-final in its history, it surprises France at the start of the meeting and offers itself a first gap (1-5, 6th). Stunned but not sunk, the Habs react quietly, with their experience, and stick to the score after a quarter of an hour of play (7-7, 15th then 13-13, 30th).
The match is a terrible and suffocating tug-of-war between the two teams.
Each selection responds to the other, neither of them manages to make the break.
We must wait until the last quarter of an hour to finally see the players of Guillaume Gille, criticized when he took office in 2020, take the lead (21-18, 46th).
In goals, Vincent Gérard is intractable in his cages, imperial.
With 17 saves, he is the keeper of the blue house, the big man of the match.
A clever lob from Ludovic Fabregas offers 3 goals in advance 4 minutes from the buzzer.
Its 200th selection goal allows France to open the doors to the final.
🇫🇷🤩 IMMORTAL !!!
The French handball team is still enjoying it by qualifying for its 4th Olympic final in a row after its victory against Egypt (27-23) #FRAEGY pic.twitter.com/LjAX5IVm31
- Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) August 5, 2021
Saturday at 2 pm French, the Blues will face the winner of the other semi-final between Denmark and Spain.