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BEST: Sandra Toft impressed with a 55 save percentage in the round she played against Spain. Photo: HENNING BAGGER / Ritzau Scanpix
KOLDING (VG) (Denmark-Spain 34–24) Sandra Toft was standing like a wall. The dream of the European Championship medals lives on for Denmark. Norway can get the Danes as a semi-final opponent on Friday.
Basically, Denmark is the opponent that handball girls love the most. Toft & co. has been hit 13 times in a row. But now the host nation is moving into Herning.
– A challenge might be to have a good pair of goalkeepers in Toft and Tina Reinhardt, says Bent Svele, TV 2 handball expert, to VG. Former Larvik player Toft saved 12 of 22 shots, 55 percent, from Spanish shots before the break. Thus, the game was decided and Toft watched the second half from the substitute bench.
– She shows world class, says Lærke Møller – Danish TV pundit 2. Toft has struggled with hip problems towards the European Championship and says she notices five matches on the fringe.
– But I stay better if I have a little pain, says the goalkeeper who plays daily for French Brest.
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To reach the semi-finals, Denmark must beat Russia. It is played in parallel with Norway’s game against Hungary on Tuesday night. With a Russian victory, France can become Norway’s rival in the semi-finals.
In any case, Svele prefers Denmark.
– I think Denmark is easier to find than Russia and France. A team that Norway knows well. They were defeated in two matches just before the European Championship in matches in which Norway thought they had a lot to do. So, self-confidence is in place against the Danes, says Svele.
Stine Bredal Oftedal has not suffered a defeat with Denmark since a preparation match for the European Championship in 2014.
– Until now, it would have been a pleasure to meet in Denmark. But when we are in a semi-final, it becomes difficult whatever happens. For now, I think we’ll win whoever we get no matter who it is, the captain says offensively.
Nora Mørk scored on penalties but had a lot of trouble shooting when Norway beat Denmark 27-25 and 29-26 at Vejle a week before the opening of the European Championship.
– It was useful to get both games against Denmark. “We did not play well and we did not convince, but we won,” emphasizes Mørk, who has elevated both the game and the shots several levels in the five games of the European Championship.
She believes that both the current Olympic champion Russia and the current European champion France are better than the Danes. France beat a fairly controlled Denmark 23-20 last week.
– We know that Russia and France can be one step away from Denmark. We have to reach our top level anyway. They look really strong, says Mørk and takes nothing for granted in the final of the European Championship.
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Esbjerg coach Jesper Jensen led Denmark for the 10th time and is in the process of controlling a national team that has not won a European Championship medal since losing the final to Norway, with Katrine Lunde in the team, 16 years ago.
– We do a super fat performance, describes the central Line Haugsted.
In addition to Sandra Toft, rear Mia Rej was good with her six goals in world runner-up Spain. Trine Østergaard showed solid form with five goals from the right wing. Denmark was strong on counterattacks, but also made many mistakes in a match in which the two teams together made more than 30 technical errors.
Russia is now waiting. Denmark must win to reach the semi-finals.
“We are in very good physical condition and we are looking forward to that game,” says Jesper Jensen.
