The Swiss defend confidently against Montenegro and score plenty of goals.
Keystone
The Swiss handball team’s hopes of reaching the main round of the European Championship are alive. Coach Andy Schmid’s team beat Montenegro 43:26 in their final preliminary round game and now have to hope that Slovenia will come up trumps.
The game against Montenegro was a test of maturity for the Swiss after they had lost 35:38 to Slovenia on Sunday after leading 23:14. On the one hand, they had to win by as much as possible to keep their hopes of making it through to the main round alive. On the other hand, a win was important with a view to qualifying for the World Cup, as it would simplify the path.
The Swiss passed the maturity test. They routinely reeled off their routines in attack. After going 6:5 ahead (9.), they scored four goals in a row to make it 10:5 (13.). From 18:15 (26′) to 22:15 (30′), they again scored four goals in a row. The score was 22:16 at the break and the Swiss side did not concede a goal for almost ten minutes after the break, stretching their lead to 13 goals at 29:16 (40′). And this time the SHV team did not let up – on the contrary.
Four Swiss players deserve special mention: Goalie Mathieu Seravalli, Luca Sigrist, Lenny Rubin and Gino Steenaerts. Seravalli, who had not been trusted in the first two games, saved 12 shots after coming on as a substitute and recorded an incredible 48 percent save rate. Sigrist and Rubin scored ten goals each, with the former only missing one shot. Steenaerts was successful eight times.
Thanks to the resounding victory, the starting position for the Swiss is now simple: if the Faroe Islands lose to Olympic fourth-placed Slovenia, they will advance to the main round.