Facts: The middle round of the handball EC
Norway–Sweden, Saturday 12/11 at 20.30.
Hungary–Sweden, Monday 14/11 at 20.30.
Croatia–Sweden, Wednesday 16/11 at 18.00.
Two teams advance from the intermediate round to the semi-finals. All teams take with them the points they played for in the group stage against other advancing teams. Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia have beaten each other and therefore take two points each. Before Sweden’s match against Norway, the table looks like this:
1) Norway, 2 games played, 4 points, +19 in goal difference
2) Denmark, 3, 4, +2
3) Slovenia, 3, 4, -1
4) Sweden, 2, 2, +9
5) Croatia, 3, 2, -14
6) Hungary, 3, 0, -15
Norway is the reigning world and European champion, a team with world-class players in every position.
In Sweden’s last two EC matches, against Denmark and Slovenia, the opposing team’s goalkeeper has been the team’s best player.
It must not happen again.
Swedish star Jamina Roberts has played with both Katrine Lunde and Silje Solberg.
— I still haven’t solved the riddle of how to score on them. It becomes easy to have great respect for them, just that we are talking about them now indicates that they are good and that you have respect for them. But I think maybe you should try to let it go and not paint them as ghosts and do your homework and see the possibilities instead, says Roberts.
Swedish coach
The Norwegian team is also aware of the important role of goalkeepers.
— It is quite obvious that Silje and Katrine have a level that no other goalkeepers have in this tournament, says Nora Mørk.
Swede Mats Olsson is Norwegian goalkeeping coach tasked with preparing Katrine Lunde and Silje Solberg for Saturday’s match in Ljubljana.
— We have an equally good grasp of all the players. We keep track of all the shots fired in the tournament, he says.
Norway’s Swedish goalkeeper coach Mats Olsson believes he has a good grasp of the Swedish shooters.
Against Denmark, Tyra Axnér came on in the second half, and completely turned the game around with nine goals. Norway is thus forewarned.
“It was positive that Tyra got that opportunity against Denmark instead of against us, so we got the opportunity to look at it a bit so it doesn’t come as a surprise to us,” he says.
“I think we have it figured out”
Olsson does not think Sweden can surprise Norway with new players.
— No, I don’t see that. They’ve all been on the track now. (Nina) Koppang has gotten some playing time, but I don’t see her coming in and doing a Tyra. We think we have it all figured out, then every match becomes a brand new match, it takes on a life of its own.