Iceland upsets Germany to stay alive at the 2011 Handball Championships – Handball News
The ongoing 2011 World Women’s Handball Championship in Brazil has been an event with many twists and turns. The Iceland women’s national handball team was considered to be one of the favourites. Their team management and skills have been a reason they performed well in the qualifying rounds and made their way into the tournament. They had a stunning victory over Germany on December 7, 2011.
For Iceland, they had a winning start when they played their first match of the 2011 World Women’s Handball Championship. They defeated Montenegro by 22-21 and made their way into the competition. What awaited them in the tournament was embarrassing. The Icelandic women’s handball team, who have been the debutantes into this competition, could not bear the pressure which their opponents gave them. Iceland lost to Angola by 24-28 which was a defeat the Icelandic team might have averted had they not been either too overconfident, or came under pressure by the Angolans.
The Icelanders’ position in the Group A standings further decreased when Norway’s women’s handball team defeated the debutante Icelandic team. The Norwegian’s were on top of their game as they defeated Iceland by 27-14. For Iceland, this defeat would certainly have been an eye opener. Their entry into the handball championships for the first time was ending in smoke and they had to fight back to keep that place in the tournament.
On December 7, 2011, Iceland was playing their fourth match in the group stages of the competition. They faced Germany’s women’s national handball team. The German team has been a heavy contender in the world of handball for years. They won the 1993 World Women’s Handball Championship and have retained a top ten place in the championships from 1993 to 2009. They came third in 1997 and 2007. They have also been great contenders in the European Championship from 1994 to 2010.
For the Iceland team, facing the Germans was a daunting task indeed. Both teams were on the top of their game with Germany eyeing a win over Iceland, who has been having a rough time in the tournament. The Icelanders played extremely well and defeated the Germans 26-20. For Iceland, Karen Knutsdottir, their middle back player scored nine goals while for Germany, their left back player, Franziska Mietzner, scored eight goals. In the end, Iceland dominated Germany in what was an upset win in the 2011 World Women’s Handball Championships. Iceland has now won two games in the tournament and lost twice. They have four points in total and need to win against China to stay in the tournament.
Tags: