From our special correspondent in Tokyo
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Magic !
For four years and its world title at home in 2017, the France team had not won anything.
A shortage of only four years, but which will have seemed an eternity for players accustomed to dominating the planet.
But in Tokyo, for the last of the tandem of Experts Michaël Guigou-Luc Abalo, the Blues have found what was the lifeblood of their success: a stifling defense, which completely thwarted for forty minutes a Danish machine that has yet become the benchmark. handball in recent years.
For great men the great matches
As a symbol, this final opened with a goal from Mikkel Hansen, which was immediately followed by an achievement by Nikola Karabatic. Big men have big matches. As such, Denmark had another very valuable asset, its goalkeeper Niklas Landin, author of three superb parades in a row, including one on a seven-meter throw from Hugo Descat. But despite the recital of its last rampart, Denmark did not manage to take the ascendancy. On the one hand, because the French porter Vincent Gérard was not to be outdone. And also because the Danes were losing unusual balloons for them. Thus offering the possibility for France to lead after a quarter of an hour of play (6-4). The blue defense was then doing wonders to disrupt the game usually so well oiled of the title holders.And they, on the verge of asphyxiation, had to rely on the inevitable Hansen to find solutions.
The Danes first under the snuffer
Lean, the solutions, because the Scandinavians continued to inexplicably lose balls on passes in the stands. And it took a final seven-meter throw from Hansen - his 5th personal goal - for Denmark to not reach the bar of ten goals scored at the break. Rare. And France took the opportunity to take its ease on the scoreboard, thanks in particular to the excellent entry of Kentin Mahé (14-10). And the second half to start with… yet another lost ball for Denmark, on the ropes (17-11, 33rd). But which gradually resurfaced on the offensive level. Except that opposite, the Blues also found solutions on the offensive plan, with a danger coming from everywhere which made the Scandinavians go crazy (22-18, 45th).Denmark only held on to Hansen's broad shoulders in attack, Landin's saves in defense and… a double numerical superiority.
Unbreathable atmosphere and iron defense
Exit for two minutes very severely, Abalo was quickly joined by Mem for a voluntary foot logically sanctioned. It did not take more for these devils of Danes to come out of their box, whereas five minutes before they seemed powerless (22-21, 22nd). The atmosphere then became unbreathable in a particularly animated Yoyogi Stadium for a speaker supposedly behind closed doors. Every goal scored was worth gold, literally and figuratively. Each save too, like that of Yann Genty on Hansen's penalty five minutes from time. Like this goal from Descat, on an excellent offset which gave the Blues a little air (24-22, 57th). But it all hinged on a last Danish attack. Or rather a final French defense, and a final lost ball, recovered by Ludovic Fabregas whodispatched in the empty goal (25-23). France is Olympic champion for the third time in four editions, after Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. Magic, we told you ...
