TOPS
Impassable Hallgrimsson
The dazzling performance of the Icelandic goalkeeper will still have delighted some French people… near Nantes. The future rookie of H simply disgusted the tricolor attack, making nine saves in the first period (47%), including several high class in front of Richardson (25th) then Porte (29th). The young 21-year-old goalkeeper continued his recital in the second half, delivering a masterful save in front of Tournat (46th) before going out and then coming back to defeat Minne (51st), his future partner. A 15th save 7 meters in front of Descat to top it all off and pocket a well-deserved man of the match trophy.
Magnusson, armed arm of a fiery youth
The 24-year-old Icelandic right-back perfectly embodies the promising generation of Icelandic handball.
Faced with the young Scandinavian team, reorganized for the occasion (8 cases of Covid-19 on the Icelandic side), the Blues experienced a real shipwreck in Budapest (21-29).
And Omar Magnusson has a lot to do with it.
Author of ten achievements (10/13), the Magdebourg player mystified the tricolor defense throughout a first half where he also almost caused the exclusion of Grébille (28th).
Imperial at 7 meters (12 7-meter throws converted at Euro 2022), he lowered his foot a little in the second half (2 goals), where his friend Viggo Kristjansson took over (9 goals).
LiveLes Bleus sink against Iceland and close to exit
FLOPS
Mem discouraged
A game to forget for Dika Mem. Muzzled by the physical intensity of the Icelanders, the FC Barcelona player foiled for the entirety of the meeting, where he did not live up to his status as a new nugget of French handball. Only one small goal (40th) before reconnecting with penalizing ball losses for his team (three in total). Discouraged even before shooting then in failure a few seconds later (45th), the right-back of the Blues symbolized a team which had difficulty in revolting.
Absence of revolt… and imminent elimination?
“
In the second half, the attitudes were different but the damage was already done
”, reacted Erick Mathé, the assistant coach of Guillaume Gille (absent because positive for Covid-19), at the microphone of
beinSports.
However, the simple reading of the gap at the break (-7) and at the end of the match (-8) suggests that the Blues never managed to react.
If Minne, already very prominent against the Netherlands (10 goals), was able to sound a semblance of revolt (5 goals), the Blues often stammered their handball in front of the solidity and the Icelandic success.
And this exit from the road brings the Olympic champions closer to elimination while Iceland has a much more favorable schedule ahead of it (Croatia, Montenegro) than France (Montenegro, Denmark).