TOPS
Inflict 20 goals in one period on Norway. Without having the time to delve into the great history of women’s handball, it is safe to say that it must not have happened often to the Scandinavians to suffer such a surge and take on water defensively in this way. . Maybe never. But the first period of this final will remain as the magnificent symbol of the immense progress made by the Blues in attack. And the incredible variety of talents they have at their disposal because this offensive recital was not the work of one or two players, but of an entire collective who played extremely fair on placed attacks, with extraordinary shooting efficiency. knowing that opposite were two of the best goalkeepers in the world.
In the semi-final, Denmark paid dearly to know that Norway never gave up, even with six goals behind at one point. Suddenly, during this final, when the Scandinavians came within one length of the Bleues ten minutes from the end, a shiver ran down the spine of all the French supporters. But to reassure them, Olivier Krumbholz, never shy of tactical genius, did not hesitate to bring out a young 20-year-old right back named Léna Grandveau. Already seen several times to her advantage during this World Cup, the Nantes player would experience her moment of glory by scoring four goals and making an interception in eight minutes which broke Norway definitively. And the future belongs to him.
Whether in the quarters, in the semis or during this final, the French team displayed impressive mastery, leaving the feeling that nothing could happen to them. So, this Sunday, when Norway took a two-step lead after twelve minutes, the response was quick and the gap was quickly reversed in favor of the Blues. Same in the second half when the Scandinavians came back to one length ten minutes from the end, the French had no time to doubt that they had already regained a three-length lead. As if tactically they always had the answer. As if, too, they were sure of their strengths, their qualities, their solidarity. The phrase “the group lives well” has rarely been used as well as to talk about this French team.
FLOPS
Surprisingly, despite the defeat, the Norwegians did not get through. To see this, you just need to take a look at the statistics to see it. Certainly, Henny Reistad did not put on the same show as in the semi-finals against Denmark – when she scored 15 goals on 17 shots – but 5 out of 6 is nothing to be ashamed of this Sunday. Just like Nora Mork’s 8 out of 10 and Stine Oftedal’s 6 out of 7. On the other hand, and this is to the credit of the French defense, where the beating hurt the Scandinavians more, it was in terms of ball losses. With 18 misplaced balls en route, the Norwegians lost their technical splendor. So much the better for the Blues who knew how to make good use of it.
