Paris 2024 | Late surge helps Republic of Korea shock Germany

Germany, who are back at the Olympics after a 16-year break, led by four goals midway through the second half, but the Republic of Korea showed character in the last quarter of the match and snatched two points, with a shocking 23:22 win, in the biggest surprise of the competition so far. 

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES – PRELIMINARY ROUND
GROUP A
Germany vs Republic of Korea 22:23 (10:11)

The opening stage of the match featured the two teams trading goals, as neither side could pull clear by more than one goal. In the ninth minute, they were still level at 3:3, but then Germany were dominant for a while and took a two-goal advantage twice, 5:3 and 6:4.

However, it did not take long for the Koreans to bounce back. Midway through the first half, they drew level at 6:6, and soon a goal from line player Kang Eunhye saw the Asian side pull in front, 8:7.

The Republic of Korea’s centre back Kang Kyungmin enjoyed a superb first half, scoring five goals from six attempts, and also adding some assists to her tally. Her impact helped the Asians to create a three-goal advantage, 12:9, yet they failed to score during almost six minutes before the break, and goals from Emily Bölk and Alina Grijseels helped Germany to slash the gap to just one goal at half-time.

Both teams’ goalkeepers had surprisingly little impact in the opening 30 minutes, and while Sarah Wachter replaced Katharina Filter in Germany’s goal after the restart, it did not change much. However, her teammate Antje Döll scored a couple of times from her left wing, and her effort helped the Europeans to take control of the match. As they were up 16:14 in the 44th minute, the Republic of Korea’s coach, Henrik Signell called for a timeout, but Germany only increased the gap to 18:14 in the next couple of minutes. 

Still, the Asians did not give up. They changed their tactics and used a seven-on-six attack, which helped them to fight back, putting pressure on their rivals in this hard-fought encounter. Suddenly, the Republic of Korea gained momentum, and while Kang Kyungmin was less prolific than before the break, it was the experienced right back Ryu Eun Hee who led by example. 

Following a 4:1 run, the Korean side pulled in front six minutes from full-time, 21:20. Their goalkeeper, Park Saeyong, finally had an impact, making two important saves late in the match, and the Asians still led by one goal with one minute left, 22:21. Then Kang Kyungmin scored her sixth goal in this match to make the score 23:21, and Grijseels’ goal from the penalty line did not change much, as the Koreans jumped for joy after the final whistle, after their 23:22 win.