Danes start slow, finish fast

Jesper Jensen saw his Denmark side make it five wins from five matches at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship in Spain as, following a slow start, his side eventually overcame the Czech Republic 14:29
 
MAIN ROUND GROUP III
Czech Republic vs Denmark 14:29 (9:12)
 
Even before they had thrown a ball on Friday, Denmark had already sealed a passage through to the quarter-finals of Spain 2021 thanks to Germany seeing off the Republic of Korea in the early match at the Palau d’Esports in Granollers.
 
That security of passage may have been the reason for a slow – by Denmark’s standards at Spain 2021 at least – start, or it could have been Jan Basny’s 5-1 defence, but either way, it took five minutes for the perfect Danes to even get on the scoresheet and by the time they did, through winger Emma Friis, they were already 0:4 down.
 
Denmark had won the past five meetings between these two European sides but the Czech Republic had other ideas about that record as they nearly caused a rare, early Danish time out.
 
However, thanks to Sandra Toft in goal (eight first half saves), plus a strong defence making five blocks amongst other parts of the Danish wall construction and a 0:5 scoring run to take their first lead after 12 minutes (6:5), they got back in their groove, preventing the Czech side from scoring for nearly seven minutes and causing them to take a time out after just 13 minutes.
 
Jensen then took a time out himself (7:7, 18th minute), but even with a double suspension for his side – missing Mie Hojlund due to an issue with her foot – there was no concern.
 
Just 21 goals had been scored at the break, the Danes with 12 of them and they were not in the mood to concede much more than the nine in the first half – preventing the Czech side from scoring for a long period again, their 10th coming with nearly 38 minutes on the clock (10:15).
 
The lead extended to 10 (23:13) with 10 minutes remaining as Toft ended with 18 saves (56%) and the hummel Player of the Match for her efforts. Czech shotstopper Petra Kudlackova ended with one less save (17) but her 44 shots faced compared to 32 from Toft highlighted just one superior element the northern European side have as their progression through to the last eight guaranteed a better ranking from Japan 2019, where they finished ninth.
 
Denmark face Germany on Sunday (12 December) in their final Main Round Group III game with the winners finishing top of the group and facing the runners-up in Main Round Group IV which will be either Spain or Brazil.
 
hummel Player of the Match: Sandra Toft, Denmark