Andreas Wolff’s outstanding 22-save performance laid the foundation for a low-scoring and scrappy semi-final win as Spain run out of magical comeback dust.
There’s a lot of complaining in the handball world about the same teams meeting each other in the semi-finals and finals of major championships but that cannot be said about these men’s semi-finals at Paris 2024.
Spain and Germany have only met once in a semi-final, back in the 1998 EURO, while Denmark and Slovenia had never met at this stage.
Both Germany and Spain came back from the very brink of elimination on Wednesday before emerging victorious in extra-time, which must have left both thinking that it was their destiny to reach the gold medal match, a game Germany last reached in 2004, while Spain have been consigned to four semi-final failures.
One for the purists
Germany were welcomed onto the court by a wave of hisses and boos by the bitter French fans in attendance, but they were soon replaced by joy among the German support with two early goals and a pair of Andy Wolff saves.
Wolff was a bit-part player in the quarter-final, brought off after 0 saves from 9, but he looked a different animal today. Hovering around 50% throughout the first half, he was making life difficult for the team whose purpose is to make life difficult for their opponents as Germany enjoyed a healthy lead for much of the first half.
When the sides met in the preliminary round, it was a free-flowing contest with heaps of goals, while this game had a real semi-final feel. You could cut the tension with a knife as the two teams tried to outmuscle each other, resulting at times in overcooked shots and heavy hits.
For all of Germany’s apparent dominance in the opening 30 minutes, Spain did what they do best and found a way back into the game, forcing turnovers and luring Knorr and Uščins into uncomfortable positions, leading to a 5:1 run in the final seven minutes of the half and a 12:12 draw at the break.
Renārs to the rescue
The third quarter unfolded in the same pattern with Germany starting strong to build a lead, driven on by six goals from Uščins after his barren first half. Spain’s response saw Rodrigo Corrales come in between the posts with immediate impact, while Ian Tarrafeta orchestrated the comeback in attack.
All-square at 22 with 10 minutes to play after Uščins skies a penalty over the crossbar and that tells us, if we didn’t already know, that this is going down to the wire.
Perez de Vargas’ stint on the bench didn’t last long and he was now locked in a battle, 40 metres apart, with Wolff as it felt that every goal in the final 10 minutes could be the last.
And Casado’s goal in the 53rd minute was Spain’s last. Wolff and his defence completely shut up shop as Germany held on to secure a spot in the final.