“Manu” Mayonnade (Head coach, Netherlands) When you took on the job as head coach for the Netherlands back in February of this year did you anticipate that you would play the World Cup final in December? MM: Well, in my first meeting back in March – I think it was on a Thursday – I told the girls that the …
SEMI-FINAL – Spain 28:22 Norway By Chris O’Reilly One surprise result not enough for you? Here’s an even bigger one. Spain brought a halt to Norway’s rise in form, exposed their weaknesses and played out of their skins to reach their very first Women’s World Championship final and they made it look easy in the end, claiming a 28:22 win …
VIDEO: Mireya Gonzalez and Nerea Pena react to making history as they have brought Spain to their first Women’s World Championship final. The back-court pair tell Chris O’Reilly about their thoughts as they were on the verge of victory over Norway, the key areas of their 28:22 victory and why they will be crowned champions of Japan 2019 on Sunday.
SEMI-FINAL – Netherlands 33:32 Russia By Chris O’Reilly On a semi-final day where few expected anything but sound victories for Russia and Norway, we’ve been handed a surprise of the highest order as the Netherlands produce their scintillating style of play when it mattered most to overcome Japan 2019 favourites Russia in an instant classic. Before the match These two …
VIDEO: Dutch duo Estavana Polman and Debbie Bont spoke to Chris O’Reilly shortly after shocking tournament favourites Russia in a thrilling semi-final at Japan 2019. They spoke about the final minute of the 33:32 win, their rollercoaster ride over the past two weeks and the incredible spirit this Netherlands team possess.
7/8 place match – Sweden 35:24 Germany By Chris O’Reilly Sweden saved their best for last at Japan 2019 as they tore through the usually resolute Germans to secure a seventh-place finish at the World Championship and ruin Germany’s Olympic dreams with an 11-goal win. What was at stake? There were jokes made during the main round that if you’re …
“We are no longer a team which can be pushed aside easily” Before throw-off to the semi-finals in Kumamoto’s Park Dome on Friday evening, the match between Sweden and Germany will be in focus. For Team Germany the outcome of this game will be significant as a win will guarantee participation in a qualification tournament for the 2020 Tokyo …
“Every player knows the importance of this game and we want to win it.” It has been a grueling schedule for the German women’s national handball team at the 2019 World championship in Kumamoto (Japan). Already during the group phase the squad was facing handball powerhouses such as Denmark and France, a surprisingly agile Korea and the 2013 World champions …
Assessing the contenders for the crown By Chris O’Reilly After 90 matches in 11 gruelling game days, we’re down to the final four at Japan 2019. Just 120 minutes separate one of these teams from World Championship glory, but whose weekend will it be? Let’s take a look at the teams before Russia take on the Netherlands and Norway face …
“We need to be mentally ready for the bad moments” By Chris O’Reilly INTERVIEW: Ambros Martin has seen his Russia side cruise through their Japan 2019 campaign so far, notching up eight clear victories by an average of over 11 goals per game. On the eve of their semi-final clash with the Netherlands, we caught up with Martin to gauge …
