Before the final: -All matches have a life of their own
The handball girls have been together for four weeks and many have taken place both on and off the court with both the Intersport Cup and the EC in Slovenia. National team coach Tonje Larsen points out that the team has had an increase throughout the period.
– In defense it has only pointed one way. Many of the players have not been together before, but are starting to figure it out now. The same applies to the attacking game, we have managed to develop that. Well, it’s just one match left, and then we have to make it up, says Larsen.
In the first match of the Intersport Cup in Stavanger, the team lost badly against the Netherlands. The girls didn’t like it.
– We got one on the nose and went to the basement for a bit after that wallpaper. But we got up after that and became more united. It doesn’t flow by itself and we really had to work for it. In the EC, it has been close matches from the main round onwards with tough and varied opposition, Larsen thinks.
Then came the two-goal loss against Denmark in the last match in the main round, and thus the team lost the group victory, while the Danes could celebrate victory against Norway for the first time in a year.
– We had a loss, so it became a “group together” which led to us standing stronger together in the semi-final. We put in a lot of work ahead of the semi-final and wanted to show that we can do so much better than we showed against the Danes. I think we will rise convincingly in the semi-final against France, boasts the coach who has himself been in a number of finals in his active career.
As last year, it will be the final of this year’s championship, but this time with major changes in the Norwegian squad.
– Compared to last year, many international matches are gone. It has entered many new girls who have taken their roles very well, because it is no simple task to replace such good players. We have spent some time putting the team together, and it looked really good against France in the semi-final, believes the national team coach.
As in 2002 and 2004, it will be the EC final against Denmark. In 2002 the Danes went to the top, but from 2004 it is Norway that has largely dominated the European Championships with gold in the years 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2020, as well as a silver in 2012. And there is no doubt that The handball girls want a new EC trophy.
– We must play wisely and manage the game in our own way. We know that Danes want to fight and fight, while we would rather run and play a different type of handball. So we have to try to get them into our tracks. Each match lives its own life – including tomorrow’s. And what has happened before has no meaning. So I have faith, says Larsen.
You can watch the final on TV3 at 20.30 Sunday, the bronze final between Montenegro and France starts at 18.00.
Read about the Handball girls and EC 2022.