A return to the final at home after 69 years? Sweden try to battle through without their talisman

27 Jan. 2023

A return to the final at home after 69 years? Sweden try to battle through without their talisman

Sweden are hosting the IHF Men's World Championship for the fifth time in history and they have never finished outside the top 5 in any of those competitions. This time around, the Scandinavian side are in the semi-finals and have started the competition with seven wins in a row for the third time in history.

But they have only won the trophy as hosts once, in 1954, in the second edition of the world handball flagship competition. Will this make it the second time, in front of a packed Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, where virtually all the people in the stands are dressed in the traditional yellow shirts?

The answer is not easy, especially as the last four teams standing are four European powerhouses which also made it through to the semi-finals at the previous edition of the competition, Egypt 2021. In fact, it is the first time in history that the semi-finals are the same as in the previous edition, and only the second time that the same four teams feature in back-to-back semi-finals at the IHF Men's World Championship.

For Sweden, though, this time it is personal. They have a whole country behind them, and the capital Stockholm is donning the celebration apparel, with the final weekend in the Tele2 Arena being advertised on billboards throughout the entire city, basically inviting all fans to come and cheer for their favourites.

The road to the final for Sweden goes through France, the reigning Olympic champions, whom the Scandinavian powerhouse face for the third time in three years in the semi-finals of a major international tournament after Egypt 2021 and the EHF EURO 2022. Both times Sweden won.

"It is going to be fun. France are a hard nut to crack, but it is nice to meet them again. We will be pitted against a very physical team. They will probably be the best team that we will face in the competition so far," says line player Max Darj, one of the leaders of Sweden's defence line.

That defence line will be seriously tested, but here is where Sweden have a proper advantage against France or any other side in the competition at Poland/Sweden 2023.

Sweden's goalkeepers – Tobias Thulin and Andreas Palicka – have been nothing short of outstanding in the competition so far, ranking first and third in terms of saving efficiency at Poland/Sweden 2023. Experts say that anything stopping 33% of the shots a goalkeeper is facing is a good performance.

Then how about Thulin's 48% efficiency – with 32 shots stopped from 66 faced – or Palicka's 40% efficiency after saving 53 shots from the 132 he faced? Overall, Sweden's goalkeeping department has a 39% saving efficiency, leading the pack in the tournament, with France in fourth place with a 34% saving efficiency.

But coach Glenn Solberg urges caution and tells his players to pay attention on both sides of the ball, especially in defence.

"I don't think we can talk about a mental advantage, despite our last two wins against France. I think they are hungry for revenge rather than afraid to face us. And we are not afraid of any opponent either. But we have respect for France as a team and for what they have achieved over a long period of time," says Solberg.

The coach's plans have been totally turned upside down by an injury suffered by captain Jim Gottfridsson, the MVP of the EHF EURO 2018 and the EHF EURO 2022, who got a fractured finger on his non-throwing hand, the left one, in the seventh minute of the quarter-final against Egypt and will miss the final weekend at Poland/Sweden 2023.

"The verdict was quite clear. It was a fracture. I was sad yesterday and there were a few tears. I could only sleep for 90 minutes," said a dejected Gottfridsson.

"It is also necessary to stand up now. It is against the wind that a kite takes off, and so it is this time as well. It's not the last time I played handball, so I must help my team now."

Knowing Gottfridsson, who did not shy away from designing the play that helped Sweden clinch the title at the EHF EURO 2022 during the final timeout last January, he will surely be involved in some capacity in the match against France, knowing his penchant for understanding the opponent's weaknesses.

His place will likely be taken by Felix Claar, who offers a dual-pronged threat, both as a facilitator and as a shooter, with Claar scoring 19 goals so far, the fifth-best performance in Sweden's team at the 2023 IHF Men's World Championship.

Yet Gottfridsson's absence will likely be crucial for Sweden, who will have to play even better to compensate for the absence of their talisman. However, with the fans in the stands, things will get a lot easier.

While it may seem like there is not very much to lose for Sweden now that they have made it to the final weekend, a thought is still lingering in the back of their minds: they have not qualified for the final in a tournament they have hosted since 1954. So after 69 years, Sweden can be there again if they win against France.

A nice but tough spot to be put in.