Germany ease to victory over Uruguay

15 Jan. 2021

Germany ease to victory over Uruguay

As expected, Germany defeated IHF Men’s World Championship debutants Uruguay at the Dr Hassan Sports Hall in Giza this evening with a 29-goal victory.
 
GROUP A
Germany vs Uruguay 43:14 (16:4)
 
Ahead of this game, Uruguay coach Jorge Botejara said that Germany were “outside of their capabilities’ and so it proved, but his side can be proud of finally making their debut in the competition, confirming handball as the only team sport in the South American country to have had both men’s and women’s senior teams appear at a world championship.
 
And Federico Rubbo will go down in their handball history. The left back capitalised on a fantastic save from Felipe Gonzalez, who denied Uwe Gensheimer from seven metres, delightfully lobbing over Johannes Bitter in the German goal from the left wing, after the Uruguayans had carefully worked the ball out to him.
 
However, by that point, they were already down 1:3 (sixth minute) and with a passive defence, the Germans took delight in shooting at every opportunity as Gonzalez faced 26 shots in the opening 30 minutes, saving 10 to earn him the Player of the Match award. By the time Uruguay scored their second, the Europeans had already scored a further five (2:8 – 18th minute).
 
Bitter himself proved insurmountable with nine first half saves (69 percent save ratio) as coach Botejara used all his players to try and stop the German attack, but they pushed forward to a seven-goal lead (8:1, 14th minute) and then 12.
 
Germany coach Alfred Gislason rested Marcel Schiller, Timo Kastening and Marian Michalzcik in the first half with goalkeeper Silvio Heinevetter making his Egypt 2021 bow in the second period and Kastening had an impressive spell, scoring nine times. Regular goalkeeper Andreas Wolff did not make the 16-man squad.
 
“We didn’t give Uruguay any chance to cause us problems, and our defence was very good,” added Gislason. “We are very happy to be here, but we have to improve every game and we cannot allow ourselves to miss 10 shots in the first half like today.”
 
“It was a very difficult game for us as most of our players are amateur,” said Uruguay coach Jorge Botejara. “I liked our rhythm and intensity today it was the best we could do, but everybody could see we lost too many balls.”
 
As the second half progressed the Uruguayans got tired and the Germans were ruthless, clocking up 27 goals, taking a 20-goal lead for the first time in the 43rd minute (27:7) as they look to their next challenge, against Cape Verde on Sunday, while Uruguay face another European side in Hungary.
 
hummel Player of the Match: Felipe Gonzalez, Uruguay