[ad_1]
- Hungary 21–32 Norway
- Denmark – Russia 30-23
Norway was already ready for the semi-finals, but the team that beat team after team at this year’s European Handball Championship had no plans to slow down against Hungary.
Thorir Hergeirsson assembled a strong team early on, and Norway flew off the starting blocks. After six minutes, it was 5-1 for the Norwegian women. Several of the goals came after toxic counterattacks. The main ingredients were a fast and accurate pass from Silje Solberg and a cheeky finish from Camilla Herrem.
Norway kept pace for most of the round and led 9-17 at the break.
So red
In the second half, Norway struggled to keep up. Norway became passive, especially on defense. With 13 minutes to go, Hergeirsson ran out of time, and there he gave a clear message:
He just looked red from the Norwegian defensive play.
– We have been disappointed. We give way to duels. What is this? We are regressing. This is not the team I want here, said a clear Thorir Hergeirsson.
The Norwegians managed to get up again, and in the end they won 32-21.
After the game, Hergeirsson repeated his criticisms of Viaplay:
– It was a good first half. In the second half, we weren’t completely nervous. We relaxed in defense and changed a lot. We were well abandoned towards the end. It was good to start a little more and start more. It was a good review, and we got along that we got up at the end again, says Hergeirsson.
Camilla Herrem told Aftenposten that it’s easy to get discouraged when they lead so much, but she was still happy with Thorir’s thunderous speech:
– You have every right to make that speech there. None of us want to be disappointed. We need such alarm clocks from time to time, Herrem told NRK.
Complies with Denmark
Then they await the semifinals, and tonight it was clear that Denmark will be the opponent. The host nation had to beat Russia tonight, and they delivered to that degree.
As BT wrote at the beginning of the second round:
– It’s crazy what’s happening. Wow, Denmark.
Denmark managed to fight for a three-goal lead just before the break, and in the second half they were long leaning between a two-goal and four-goal lead.
Then he said bang. Russian women simply couldn’t beat the host nation, and in the end Denmark won 30-23.
Especially goalkeeper Sandra Toft was very impressive in the cage.
– I’m not very surprised that it’s Denmark now. They have played well throughout the championship. I was a bit surprised that they won by eight goals, but I didn’t fall off my chair to say so, Camilla Herrem tells NTB.
– It’s funny that it’s Denmark, Hergeirsson continues.
In the second semifinal they will face Croatia and Russia. The final is played on Sunday.