22:50 – Thank you
Thank you all for following us for this semi-final of the European Handball Championship which will have seen France fail against Sweden. On Sunday, the Tricolores will look to raise their heads and win a bronze medal against Denmark.
22:48 – The story ends there
There were a handful of seconds left and the referees returned the ball to the French who saw an almost unexpected opportunity to equalize in a breathless final. The opportunity to redo the blow of Denmark, to turn a match that had eluded him for a long time. The ball was quickly mounted with Mem who in contact served Fabregas. Heckled by the return of Chrintz, the pivot rolled up and went to the ground to shoot. Springing from his goal, Palicka went quickly to the ground and sat on the ball which passed between his legs. Full of resentment and relief, imperious, the Swedish doorman lifted his grip and saw the bench sink into jubilation. On the other side, the mines were low and eyes were turned towards the ground. Like last year at the Egyptian World Cup, the France team saw its dreams of the final and its title hopes vanish, annihilated by Sweden. The Danish jump to conclude the main lap did not find any extension because there were too many wanderings.
Yet everything had started wonderfully for the men of Guillaume Gille, back on the bench after his period of isolation. Indeed, the first minutes saw the Blues impose their rhythm and undermine the Swedes, who remained in the locker room. The defense rose strongly and disrupted the opposing shooters, when the attacks were sharp and the Olympic champions quickly broke away to lead by four goals. We thought the lesson of the start of the match against Denmark had been retained, but the beautiful French start was a fan. For no apparent reason, the pace dropped, and Palicka began to take more space in his goal and took it upon himself to punish the Habs. Author of a first goal taking advantage of the empty cage of Gérard, the Swedish goalkeeper chained two new goals in quick succession after class saves on Nahi and Mem, becoming for a few minutes the top scorer of the semi-final. An incongruity which said the bad management of the French numerical inferiority and the lucidity of the Swede. Sealed by their goalkeeper, the Swedes broke free and Gottfridsson entered the scene. An inspired manager, the centre-half took control of the rhythm and gave the Blues an ordeal, between sudden shooting, percussion, perforation and luminous pass, like a blind serve for Darj. It was he who with an arrow at the siren brought the gap to four goals at the break.
Perhaps the goal too many, the one that will have missed at the end of the match. Because the second period was complex. Unrecognizable, the blue defense did not find the right fuel and gave too much leeway to Gottfridsson and Carlsbogard (10 and 5 goals). It took all the ardor and energy of Minne, author of eight goals, as well as the reliability and composure of Descat from the penalty spot, to keep the Blues within reach. Hope came when Gérard finally pulled out a stoppage just over four minutes from the end of the match, his third and last, in an evening of mismanagement (3/28, 1/9 for Pardin, editor’s note), before Minne does not bring his world back to a length. But this time, the miracle would not take place. In the process, Porte was guilty of a headline and was expelled breaking the strong time tricolor. The last minutes gave a glimpse of a tiny hope and saw the Olympic champions offer something else and increase their aggressiveness and exert all-terrain pressure. Palicka (12 saves) was responsible for extinguishing the last spark of revolt against Fabregas. The Blues, valiant but too weak in defense, had just missed out on the final and the prospect of a possible fourth European title. It is up to them to remobilize to get the bronze medal because any reward has values and merits. The great stories switch to small nothings, and this time, the last chapter will be written without France.
22:38 –
“We played this game very well. In the first half, we started very well. We suffocated them. What we can’t manage is our game at one less where we take almost three goals in quick succession. which hurt us a lot. Behind, in the second half, we fought, we found solutions in attack and in the end, we managed to come back… It’s infuriating. We’re proud of our performance but disappointed because coming to die at a goal is so hard”said after the defeat against Sweden, Nikola Karabtic, who was playing his 70th match in the competition (a record) at 37 years old.
22:35 – “We missed a small goal”
“Clearly the defense was in great difficulty. It’s complicated to win a match when you concede so many goals. What I remember is that despite that, the state of mind is irreproachable. In the second half , we are there, we feel that it is possible. I make a mistake with this red card when we are in a strong moment. It is sport. Tonight, we missed a small goal (.. ) We’re not going to feel sorry, we still have a medal to go and that’s not nothing”coldly analyzed the captain of the Blues Valentin Porte, at the microphone of beIN Sports.
22:33 – France-Denmark, episode II
With this defeat of nothing, France is forced to play the small final, as four years ago. It will again be against Denmark, who were dominated by the reigning double European champions Spain, earlier in the day.
22:29 – “It’s frustrating”
“What is tiring is that Gottfridsson did what he wanted from start to finish. It’s been several times that when a player imposes his rhythm, we can’t get out of it. frustrating because we had started well in defense and we were a little disunited. In the end, they pushed and found rather comfortable solutions. I can only regret that we did not find solutions on Gottfridsson “reacted Vincent Gérard with pain.
22:22 – France will not go to the final
Despite a last attempt to equalize, the France team yielded in the semi-finals of the Euro against Sweden (33-34). Despite a good start to the game, Minne and his teammates let their opponents take the reins. Carried by Palicka and Gottfridsson, the vice-world champions never allowed the Blues to get back into the game despite a jump in the last moments. The band of Guillaume Gille fails at the gates of the final where Sweden will face Spain.
END OF THE MATCH ???????? 33 – 34 ????????
The BLUEs will have fought a good battle but finally lost at the gates of the Final.
All is not lost for the French who will have a revenge against the Danes for the Bronze medal ✊???? pic.twitter.com/j3Ldhs6KBl– French Handball teams (@FRAHandball) January 28, 2022
22:21 – Fabregas misses the equalizer
While the Swedes lose another ball, the Blues go up the field with less than ten seconds to play; He gives Fabregas who in contact gets rid of the marking and comes to try the last chance shot. On the ground, Palicka stops the attempt and sends Sweden to the final (33-34).
22:19 – Lenne for hope
Lenne comes to bring the Blues to a goal on a ball lost by the Swedes in the middle of the field (33-34).
22:17 – Palicka, the final blow?
Palicka may put an end to the hopes of the French. In numerical superiority, the Blues manage to serve Fabregas at the edge of the zone. The pivot sways but sees Palicka explode from his alignment and close the angle to him, stopping the shot with a superb parry with his right foot. There is one minute left and the Swedes lead by two goals and the ball in hand (32-34).
22:16 – Nahi has a goal
Offset on the left wing, Nahi does not tremble against Palicka and brings the Blues to a goal (33-32).
22:15 – Lagregren takes two minutes
While Minne drove him crazy, Lagergren is guilty of a blow to the face of the Nantes back. Two minute suspension.
22:14 – Pellas hurts
In numerical superiority, Pellas is served behind Mem and deceives a helpless Gerard. The Swedes took a two-goal lead 2’30 from the end of the match (31-33).
22:13 – Door excluded
Porte ends a nightmare evening for him by being sent off for a tie in defense.
22:12 – The Minne show
After Gérard stops, Minne continues his demonstration. He frames his defender and goes on the outside to take the interval and leave no chance to the opposing goalkeeper and bring the Blues to a goal, 4 minutes from the end (31-32).