I’m beginning to understand the huge time gaps left between knockout matches at these Olympics as we saw yet another game to beyond the distance, this time with France defeating Sweden 31:28 after extra-time to advance to their third consecutive women’s final.
While the crowd produced an electric atmosphere, the players were producing a nervy one in the opening 10 minutes, riddled with missed passes, missed shots and just five goals on the board as both goalkeepers, Laura Glauser and Johanna Bundsen produced six saves each.
Midway through the half, Sweden opened up a 7:4 lead but there was a nagging feeling that it should have been more. France were all over the place, Bundsen was saving everything and Sweden were letting great chances go to waste. This wouldn’t last forever, France would get their act together.
Nathalie Hagman is often accused of not being able to deliver on the big occasions. Yes, she can score 19 goals against Kazakhstan, but can she do it on a hot Thursday in Lille?
Well, while chaos reigned supreme all around her, Hagman had the coolest head and sharpest arm around, scoring six goals in quick succession to keep the scoreboard ticking over for Sweden.
It’s a goalkeeper’s world
Sweden took a 12:10 lead with them into the break. It could have been much more, if not for the brilliant 11 saves by Glauser, matching Bundsen in a first half dominated by the pair of keepers.
While the first-choice goalkeepers owned the first period, the beginning of the second was the second-string’s chance to shine. Hatadou Sako and Evelina Eriksson came in and made two penalty saves each in the opening seven minutes, adding further doubt and chaotic energy to the occasion.
France coach Olivier Krumbholz threw out a variety of combinations in the first half but nothing really clicked. Meline Nocandy, Estelle Nze Minko and Laura Flippes were the back court entrusted with getting things going for them at the start of the second half and they immediately delivered.
But they still ran into some difficulties against the Swedish defence, who hustled and harried and turned over way more possessions than anyone was expecting. Sweden had weathered the early onslaught and still came out ahead, leading 21:17 with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Bundsen was still making big-time stops, while Glauser was not, so on came Sako and it was as if a forcefield was generated around her goal, nothing was getting near the back of the net and it gave France a route back in. Tamara Horacek slotted home a penalty to make it 24:24 with six minutes remaining and this was a real test of character now.
Kristin Thorleifsdottir stepped up from nowhere, scoring a penalty and a long-range effort to give Sweden a lead in the final minute before Horacek spared France’s blushes and sent us into yet another extra-time in Lille.
Another gear
The onus was now on the hosts to go and win it from here and they were up to the task. In a matter of who would blink first, it was Sweden with two shots off the crossbar and a Sako save from Blohm. France capitalised and took a 29:26 lead.
Sweden needed something special but instead, they received a pair of suspensions and all France had to do was ride out the clock and enjoy the adulation of the crowd.
The women who saved the home nation’s handball dreams have a date with destiny and another Nordic foe in Saturday’s gold medal contest.