The German women’s U17 handball team announced a good start on the 30th (last time) by defeating North Macedonia 31-18 in the first Group B preliminary match of the European Women’s 17-year-old handball championship (W17 EHF EURO 2025) at Bemax-Arena, Podgorica, Montenegro.
The match was played on coach Gino Smits’ 61st birthday, and the players gave the coach the best birthday present with a victory.
From the beginning of the game, Germany pushed its opponents with a solid defense and quick attack. Four minutes into the match, Pia Kastner and Mira Bender scored back-to-back runs to take a 4-0 lead, and then North Macedonia followed briefly with a 4-4 tie.
사진 확대 Photo by European Women’s 17-year-old handball championship preliminary match between Germany and North Macedonia, photo source = German Handball Association
Germany scored five goals in a row after the timeout, bringing the mood back to life and finishing the first half with a big 18-8 lead.
In the second half, Germany completely overwhelmed North Macedonia’s physical strength and finished the game 31-18. In particular, young players showed outstanding performance, with Jette Dürk making a 10-point difference (16-6) with a fastball.
There was a big difference in shooting efficiency. Germany had a 69% shooting success rate, while North Macedonia had only 32%. However, in the 7m draw, he left a somewhat disappointing record with two points out of five attempts.
Goalkeeper Louisa Werner, who was put in at the start of the second half, cut the flow with two double saves, and Lisa Lammich calmly scored a goal in a fastball situation.
Coach Gino Smitz expressed satisfaction on the website of the German Handball Association, saying, “As it was my first game, I was a little nervous, but the players showed good performance.” “Technical mistakes should be reduced, but the defensive organization and overall game management are satisfactory,” he said.
Germany will play Portugal in the second group match on August 1 (local time). Portugal lost 26–31 to Slovakia in their first match.
[Kim Yongpil, MK Sports Reporter]