World handball: Germany’s winner offers France a new semi-final

This is a good habit. For the eleventh time since the beginning of this century, France is in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Even if the sport is not universal and remains essentially limited to the old continent, the performance is crazy. Since 2001, including this one, there have been 12 World Championships, a tournament that takes place every two years. The score is simple: thus, the Blues missed the last four matches only once, just 10 years ago, in 2013.

Whatever is happening now in this long and so far little exciting tournament, the 2023 World Cup was a success. Now charge the Blues to succeed, even triumph, which we will talk about for a long time. To do this, it will be necessary to pass the dangerous obstacle of the semi-final against Sweden in Stockholm. At home, at the same time, the Swedes ate the Egyptians raw (26-22). If all goes well, the winner of the other semi-final to be announced between Denmark, two-time world title champions, and Spain will have to be challenged on Sunday. As always, the four best teams in the world. France is still far from its seventh star. But it’s getting closer. And Nikola Karabatic, who played little on Wednesday, is two games away from equaling the all-time record for most singles world titles held by his friend Thierry Omeyer (5).

Thank you Remy Desbonnet.

Started a quarter of an hour late due to a double extension between the Spaniards and the Norwegians (35-34) on the same field, this hundredth Franco-German duel in the history of sports was fierce, tense, long unresolved. We expected this. The Germans didn’t come up with this game in vain: they remain formidable, even if it’s still a team under reconstruction. With Nikola Karabatic recovering from a sore leg but without youngster Thibault Brie, who suffered a hand injury, the Blues started by facing the German defence. We even took a big break for an aperitif (6-9, 13; 7-11; 15). The Germans scored all their shots. The Blues attacked the wolf: goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, who stopped everything for too long.

Not the best way to gain confidence, and for a moment a small ice drop rolled down my back. Too much scope in defense, no success in attack: something had to be done. The Blues did it to go back to 11-11 (18th). Then the game was rebalanced (16-16, 30s). After a still sluggish start to the second period, the Olympic champions finally and for the first time took a two-goal lead with 20 minutes left (22-20, 40th). Thank you so much, yes, thank you very much to Remy Desbonnet, the tricolor goalkeeper who closed the shop and put on a great game. “Put it on… it’s good!” the hero of the evening reacted at the BeINSport microphone. When you’re the goalkeeper for France, the challenge is to rise to the level of the guys in front. We read in melody little by little. »

At that time, nothing was won, but we began to breathe better. And as if nothing had happened, the Blues began to control (27-24, 50s), offering themselves an error without money-time. Before the victory, not everything was controlled, but not bad either. Ugh! With Stockholm furious against the Swedes, the Blues will have to be more consistent. They need to be their best within 60 minutes from start to finish if they want to reach the final. In the meantime, they are in the semi-finals and it’s good.