Stupid things to do against one of the world’s best handball teams:
+ Avoid scoring for more than seven minutes.
+ Get rid of both of their middle sexes.
+ Received a sending off in the tie with only minutes remaining.
It was like Sweden really tried to lose the Olympic premiere. It just didn’t work.
I still wonder what just happened, says Sweden’s Linn Blohm after Thursday’s shock victory, 32-28.
In a swinging first half, goalkeeper veteran Johanna Bundsen initially lined up saves, and also scored a goal. Sweden had a three-goal lead for a while, but Norway came back and turned the lead 17–15 after 30 minutes.
“Saving Us”
The second half then started disastrously for Sweden who did not score for over seven minutes. That Norway was still within reach in terms of goals – most of which led the Norwegians with 19-15 – the outfield players can thank the Bundes for.
She saves us in many situations today. I think we step up the defense in the second half and get them where we want them. But they still get the ball forward all the time and once they get to one hundred percent positions, Bundsen takes them. Without her, we wouldn’t have won, says Linn Blohm.
Just when Blohm went on his third two-minute early in the second half, Sweden ran out of middle sixes. The other, Sofia Hvenfelt, had already left with an injury in the first half.
But it feels like it was the best thing that could happen today, that I got the red card because something happened there. Everyone just came together as a team and drove on. So I actually sat there and just enjoyed, I got goosebumps. Everything that we have trained on, everything worked, says Blohm.
Middle freshman Carin Strömberg and right freshman Emma Lindqvist had to substitute and did it with honor. At the same time, Nathalie Hagman gained speed under her feet.
With well over 800 national team goals under her belt, she knows how to find the net. Basically single-handedly, she took Sweden back into the match and equalized at 22-22 with 17 minutes left to play.
Now I probably think it’s best with middle sexes in that place, but today I think things work and then a lot goes our way. Today we have flow, and then it was enough to win against Norway, says Hagman.
Job expulsion
Right up until 27-27 it was completely even. Then Emma Lindqvist was sent off with only minutes left to play, and Norway had the chance to decide.
Instead, Nina Koppang and Jamina Roberts each scored a goal in a numerical disadvantage and gave Sweden a two-goal lead.
With less than two minutes left, Nina Koppang punctuated the match with Sweden’s 30th goal.
Sweden eventually won 32–28, thus defeating Norway for the first time since 2017.
Next for Sweden, Germany awaits on Sunday. The Germans started just like Norway with a surprising loss, 22-23 against South Korea.
Facts: This is how the handball tournament continues
Group A: Norway, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea.
Group B: Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, Angola.
The top four in each group advance to the quarterfinals.
Sweden’s matches (all in Paris):
July 25: Norway 32–28.
July 28: Germany (2 p.m.).
July 30: Denmark (9 p.m.).
August 1: South Korea (11am).
August 3: Slovenia (4 p.m.).
Quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches will be played in Lille on August 6, 8 and 10 respectively.