Both Japan and Korea took their games against the mighty European nations of Netherlands and Russia respectively to additional time but both the Asian sides lost when they could have won, such are the small margins between success and failure in handball.

EIGHTH-FINALS

GETEC-Arena, Magdeburg

Russia vs Korea 36:35 (6:5, 30:30, 16:13)

For someone reading that Russia qualified through to the quarter-finals of another IHF Women’s World Championship it may come as no surprise, as in the 2000s they have finished no lower than seventh in the eight editions from 2001, winning it four times. But they came within the woodwork of the goal of exiting the competition in normal time, winning in the end after the first period of additional time.

Evegeny Trefilov’s team led for the entire first half, ending with a direct red card for goalkeeper Viktoriia Kalinina after she clashed outside the area with Sojeong Yu. Thankfully, Yu recovered, and thankfully for Russia, they took a three-goal lead into the second period (16:13) and did not go behind until the 58th minute, when Migyeong Lee scored her ninth goal of the contest (29:28). 

A few harsh words were said by Trefilov in the subsequent time out and his side promptly equalised, but with the score all-square at 29:29, Korea hit the bar and post and then had a shot in the final seconds saved as the game went into additional time (30:30).

Again, Korea hit the post early on, but their European opponents took a two-goal lead (32:30) and kept the lead until the 70th minute, despite some nervous moments. 

“The Korean team dominated with their right back and central player and put us in a lot of danger today,” said Trefilov after the game. “It was a very difficult game for us and the result could have easily gone the other way for us. The whole game wasn’t very good for us.”

Best player of the match Kseniia Makeeva also admitted that luck was on her side. “Thanks to all my teammates and coaches, we were very lucky to have won in the end,” she said. “We need to find out our mistakes in order to improve for the next match, but we’re very happy that the tournament continues for us.”

“All our players tried their best and I want to thank them all,” said Korea coach Jae Won Kang. “We didn’t have a lot of players left to put in this game, so the ones playing were exhausted, but we couldn’t change it. 

“We played Russia in the past and it was great to play against them again. We changed our defence compared to the past and it worked. I want to thank all of my players.”

“I feel very sorry for all my teammates and coaches,” said Korea’s Eun Hee Ryu, who was clearly emotional in the post-match press conference. “This world championship is not the end for us and we are looking forward to better matches in the future.”

Player of the Match presented by adidas: Kseniia MAKEEVA (RUS)

Japan vs Netherlands 24:26 (4:6, 20:20, 10:10)

When the opposition goalkeeper wins the best player of the match award when your team wins, you know you have been in a contest and Helle Thomsen and her Netherlands side had been in just that, as the Denmark 2015 silver medallists scraped past Japan after overtime.

Ulrik Kirkely’s Japanese team were disciplined and effective throughout the game, but their attack could simply not match the class of their goalkeeper Sakura Kametani (39% save rate), who plays her club handball in Norway with Katrine Lunde. 

Like the first eighth-final of the day in Magdeburg, the Asian side were behind for most of the first half, but the impressive Kametani, fittingly, put her side in front for the first time, at the end of the first half following a save and then throwing full-length down the court into an open net. It should have stayed at 10:9 to the Japanese going into the break, but the Netherlands know every second counts in handball and Danick Snelder managed to grab a goal (10:9) and then draw a foul from the Japanese moments later for a two-minute suspension on the buzzer.

Despite that disappointment, Japan struck first in the second half (11:10, 32nd minute) as the second period of normal time saw both teams exchange runs of goals and could not be split at the end of 60 minutes as Kametani again made a crucial save in the final 60 seconds with her leg when Netherlands were under pressure to score with passive play being signalled. 

But in the first period of overtime, Japan started with the ball and missed their first attack, and then threw the ball needlessly out of a play in a later move in the first five minutes. With just over 20 seconds left of the first period, Netherlands went two up (23:21) and despite Kirkely putting all seven players in attack, Japan just fell short at the final hurdle.

“Next year Japan will have a very good team,” said Thomsen after the game, “and they will be even better at the Tokyo Olympics, but my team did a very good job and they fought until the end.”

Netherlands’ player Lois Abbingh agreed with her coach. “Japan played really good, but I think we were also very good and the defence we did a very good job today. We failed in attack because Japan were very well prepared for our game, but in the last attacks we managed to score in the right moments, it wasn’t easy for us.”

“We have tried every day to learn from our experience in Germany,” said Kirkely. “I think we can take a lot home from this world cup and we will be able to prepare ourselves even better for next time.”

“We are very disappointed at the moment but in 2019 we have the world championships and maybe we can win then,” said Japan player Aya Yokoshima.

Player of the Match presented by adidas: Sakura KAMETANI (JPN)