Paris 2024 | Otherworldly comeback against Sweden lifts France into the big final

Down four goals with 15 minutes left to play, hosts France mounted a spirited comeback to make it for the third time in a row in the final of the Olympic Games, downing Sweden, 31:28, in extra-time.

It was the third consecutive semi-final in a major international competition lost by Sweden against France, with the Scandinavian side falling short once again, while the hosts secured a medal on their home court, at Paris 2024.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
SEMI-FINALS
Sweden vs France 28:31 a.e.t. (12:10; 25:25)

The previous two semi-finals between the two sides, the one at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the one at the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship, provided 56 and 65 goals respectively. But this match was far from what the two teams used us with in their previous two encounters.

22 minutes in the match, Sweden’s goalkeeper, Johanna Bundsen and France’s Laura Glauser each had 10 saves, for an efficiency of over 50%. And it was not about easy saves, it was all about one-on-one clinical stops, which really put a dent into the confidence of both sides in attack.

It was no surprise, then, that France had a 37% shooting efficiency, while Sweden boasted a 46% shooting efficiency at the break, as the game turned into a roller-coaster, with huge swings for both sides, where especially France missed the cut in attack in several crucial moments.

The hosts had a 4:2 save after 14 minutes, as Glauser closed up shop between the posts. But then Sweden scored five goals in quick succession, in only four minutes and 42 seconds, with the momentum swinging into the Scandinavian side’s way, as they took a 7:4 lead.

France bounced back immediately, with Sweden falling in their attack, but eventually, it was the Scandinavian side which was ready to deliver a shock, as they were more consistent, albeit with a few misses themselves, to push to a 12:10 lead after 30 minutes, while right wing Nathalie Hagman led her side with six goals, half of Sweden’s tally in the first half.

Therefore, there were only 30 minutes in which France could salvage something from the match and secure a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Propelled by 24.688 fans in the stands of the Stade Pierre Mauroy Stadium, the reigning champions cut the gap to a single goal in the start of the second half and even had the chance to tie the match.

But then, they turned the ball over again and a pair of saves from Bundsen, who had 12 saves and a 50% efficiency in the 34th minute, saw Sweden create another three-goal lead, 15:12, as France’s attack was too haphazard, despite creating plenty of clear-cut chances.

It went from bad to worse for France, which continuously turned the ball over uncharacteristically, as the pressure got the best of Olivier Krumbholz’s side, only one day later after the men’s team also was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the men’s handball competition at Paris 2024, due to a huge turnover from Dika Mem with six seconds to go in the match.

Thanks to a combination of fantastic defence and some great shots from left back Tyra Axner, who scored twice in the second half, Sweden improved their lead to four goals, 21:17, with 14 minutes to go, as France looked down and dusted, in desperate need of a clear mind to orchestrate that attack.

Estelle Nze Minko did try her utmost, scoring seven goals, but the urge to be the problem solver also saw the France captain miss 11 shots, including three in one-on-one situations with the fantastic Bundsen. But somehow, after their defence started to finally get some stops, France were still in it, cutting the gap to a single goal, 21:22, with eight minutes to go.

They tied the score and even had the chance to go up, but yet another turnover from Tamara Horacek hampered that effort. Yet Sweden could not deal the final blow, with France having a good efficiency in the last minutes of the regular time, with backs Tamara Horacek and Meline Nocandy each scoring at free will.

The two teams traded goals until the end, and it was France which eventually managed to tie the score last, thanks to Horacek, pushing the match into extra-time, after the hosts finally held fort, with the regular time ending in a tie, 25:25.

And from that moment on, it was only France.

Pushed by the fans, France got some saves from Hatadou Sako, who replaced Glauser late in the second half of the match, including two in one-on-one situations, when Sweden created problems for France’s defence with a seven-on-six attack deployed by coach Tomas Axner, with four backs on the court.

A 3:0 run to end the first half of the extra-time helped France to establish their largest lead in the match, 29:26, with only five minutes left for the Scandinavian side to mount a comeback. However, tired legs kicked in and in the space of only 18 seconds, Nathalie Hagman and Kristen Thorleifsdottir conceded two-minute suspensions.

Shorthanded, Sweden tried their utmost, but eventually fell short, as France scored six goals in extra-time, and 14 of their 31 goals in the last 25 minutes of the match, after they had only 17 in the first 45. All of this while Sako saved three penalties and had eight saves throughout the match for an outstanding performance and a 53% saving efficiency.

France have now won three of the four semi-finals played at the Olympics and qualified for the gold medal match for the third time in a row, while Sweden lost their second semi-final and are heading to the bronze medal match for the second time in a row, after Tokyo 2020.