The 2020 Women’s European Handball Championships continues today with 2 matches each from Groups A and C. Here are the video links, odds and some preview articles that were written before these matches were played.
Note for U.S. fans: Today there are no live matches on beIN Sports Xtra.
Sunday, 6 December All Times Local (CET) / US ET is -6 hrs) Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Group A (Herning, Denmark)
Group favorites France pulled out a win in their first match against Montenegro and a win vs Slovenia will set up a showdown vs Denmark on Tuesday. Hosts Denmark will also try to stay undefeated against the same Montenegrin team that gave France trouble. Group A Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
18:15 Slovenia vs France (-5.5) (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
20:30 Montenegro vs Denmark (-3.5) (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
Group C (Kolding, Denmark)
Match Day 1’s upsets have mad Group C really, really interesting as the standings are currently upside down with underdogs Serbia and Croatia with 2 points and favorites Netherlands and Hungary trailing. Will order get restored today? If so, the final match day could be real entertaining with every side having a clear chance to advance. Group C Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
16:00 Serbia vs Hungary (-1.5) (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
18:15 Croatia vs Netherlands (-5.5) (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
The 2020 Women’s European Handball Championships continue with match day 2 for Groups B and D, plus a catch up match in Group C between the Netherlands and Serbia. Here are the video links, odds and some preview articles that were written before these matches were played.
Saturday, 5 December All Times Local (CET) / US ET is -6 hrs) Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Group B (Herning, Denmark)
Russia are huge favorites to move to 2-0-0 in the Group while Spain and Sweden will play in a match that could determine 2nd place in the Group and who will take points into the main round. Group B Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
18:15 Czech Republic vs Russia (-8.5) (Live on ehfTV ) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
20:30 Spain (-1.5) vs Sweden (Live on ehfTV and beIN Sports Xtra: How to watch Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
Group D (Kolding, Denmark)
Poland and Romania clash in a match that’s likely to determine 3rd place in the group while Germany takes on Norway in a battle of unbeatens Group D Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
16:00 Poland vs Romania (-3.5) (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
18:15 Germany vs Norway (-6.5) (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
Group C (Kolding, Denmark)
For awhile there it looked like Serbia’s two positive COVID tests results might lead to more positives and the team getting sent home. Fortunately, the rest of the team has tested negative twice and the match will go ahead, albeit a day later than planned.
20:30 Netherlands (-3.5) vs Serbia (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
Drew Donlin and Leon will take on the World’s top club, Barcelona at 6:00 AM (US ET). Worth getting up early for on a Saturday morning.
Yes, the Women’s European Championship continues this weekend, but at the same time, there’s still plenty of Men’s pro club action. And, get this Americans will be playing against Barcelona and Veszprem this weekend. I can hardly believe it. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
Spain Liga Asobal: Barcelona (-12.5) vs Leon (Saturday, 1200 CET): Link
Circle Runner, Drew Donlin plays for Leon. Leon takes on undefeated and probably the best handball club in the world right now, Barcelona in Barcelona.
Hungary K&H League: Veszprem vs. Gyöngyös (Saturday, 1615 CET): Link (VPN may be required)
Pal Merkovszky is a backup GK for Gyongyos. Wow. Americans taking on 2 of the top clubs in the world on the same day. Who da thunk it.
Germany HBL 2: TuS Fürstenfeldbruck vs. TSV Bayer Dormagen (Saturday, 1930 CET): Link (VPN required)
Ian and Patrick Hueter play for Dormagen. 8th place Dormagen will look to pick up 2 points vs last place TuS Fürstenfeldbruck
Other Matches this Weekend
EHF European Competitions: ehfTV
There are no EHF club matches this weekend, but plenty of Women’s European Championships action. which will start this Thursday, 3 December. However, there are plenty of on demand matches from this past week’s Men’s Champions League. Options include Flensburg v Szeged (English commentary); Veszprem v Kiel; and Aalborg v Barcelona
Title holders France take on Montenegro in Group A action.
The 2020 Women’s European Handball Championships starts today with 2 matches each from Groups B and D. Here are the video links, odds and some preview articles that were written before these matches were played.
Note: While all the matches are on ehfTV you might want to consider watching the beIN Sports Xtra feed as well. beIN Sports Xtra is free and my experience is that the picture quality is better and more reliable. It also makes watching 2 matches at the same time easier. How to watch beIN Sports Xtra: Link
Friday, 4 December All Times Local (CET) / US ET is -6 hrs) Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Group A (Herning, Denmark)
18:15 France (-5.5) vs Montenegro (Live on ehfTV and beIN Sports Xtra: How to watch) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
20:30 Denmark (-4.5) vs Slovenia (Live on ehfTV) (beIN Sports Xtra may pick up this match as well since the Netherlands – Serbia match was postponed) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
Group A Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
Group C (Kolding, Denmark)
18:15 Hungary (-5.5) vs Croatia (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
20:30 Netherlands vs Serbia (Postponed to Saturday; A player for Serbia tested positive on Thursday (the rest of the team tested negative and will be tested today and Saturday prior to the match) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
Group C Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
The IHF and USA Team Handball have posted the 35 man provisional roster for the 2021 World Championships. Here are some break downs of the roster by age, where athletes first learned handball and by position.
USA Provisional Roster (Youngest to Oldest)
U.S. Provisional Roster (Youngest to Oldest)
The ages on the 35 man roster range from 16 to 36 with an average age of 23.9. This is surely one of the youngest teams every for the U.S. and this is due to quite a few younger dual citizens list on the provisional roster. Almost a third of the roster (11 of 35) are under 21 and could form the nucleus of a pretty decent Jr team.
USA Provisional Roster (Nation Where they First Played Handball)
U.S. WC Roster (Where they First Played Handball)
All of these athletes are Americans, but the U.S. is a large nation with a global population. Estimates vary, but as many as 9M American citizens live in another country so it’s no real surprise that some of those 9M learned to play handball where they grew up. In fact, 80% (28 of 35) of the U.S. roster originally played handball in 13 different countries. Germany leads the way with 7 athletes followed by Sweden with 5. Other nations: Denmark (3), France (2), Bosnia & Herzegovina (2), Croatia (2), Austria (1), Colombia (1), Egypt (1), Hungary (1), Israel (1), Norway (1), Spain (1).
(The fact that the U.S. has so many dual citizen athletes is sometimes seen as controversial, but it shouldn’t be. I addressed this reality and its implications for the U.S. National Team and the sport’s development previously in a series of commentaries Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
In terms of the 7 U.S. athletes that were raised stateside, 3 athletes (Hamm, Kennedy and Donlin) are products of Collegiate Clubs, 3 athletes (Lee, Reed and King) are products of the former Auburn Residency Program and 1, Gary Hines, was a product of an Atlanta based youth program and the Condors club.
USA Provisional Roster (By Position)
I’ve broken out the provisional roster by each position listed for the athletes on the roster. I’ve also taken a stab at projecting the 20 man roster. As, often is the case, this was a relatively simple task for the first 15 or so, but much more difficult as one gets nearer the cut line. Further complicating the task are these factors:
Some of these athletes have never played for the U.S. before (and, I’ve never seen them play before).
Some of these athletes have been playing regularly and some athletes haven’t been playing at all due to the pandemic. This could clearly boost the chances of athletes who are already in game shape.
The coaching staff might factor in long term plans for the U.S. and this could give a boost to a younger player’s consideration.
Generally, rosters contain 2 at every position and then a couple of extra players. With an expanded 20 man roster it’s tougher to project which positions will take 3 or more athletes.
That said, here’s my depth chart at each position with the athletes in green getting my nod. Again, I’m flying somewhat blind here, but we’ll see how close I come. For sure, I don’t envy the tough, real decisions the coaching staff will have to make.
USA WC Roster (Left Wings)
Sam Hoddersen was a steady performer at the PANAM Games, but projecting the #2 is challenging. Lukas Hansen is an unknown quantity, but plays on the youth team for one of Denmark’s top clubs, Frederica. And, he’s even played a few matches for their pro team in Denmark’s top level of play. Michael Lee and Michael King were alternates For the PANAM Games and will also get consideration. Juan Felipe Zabala Carvajal plays for Inter Miami and I’m not familiar with his play. A further wild card: Gary Hines has shown that he can play this position as well.
USA WC Roster (Left Backs)
Abou Fofana is the projected starter at Left Back and Gary Hines will also likely play some there as well. Hines could also, however, ending up playing Right Back like he did at the PANAM Games or Left Wing as well. I see Seb Wheeler as the 3rd option here ahead of the other Left Backs listed.
USA WC Roster (Center Backs)
Ian Hueter is the key to the U.S. offense and has been playing well this season for his club team, Dormagen. Alexandre Chan Blanco is the biggest newcomer to the U.S. roster and leads his Liga Asobal club, Cisne, in scoring with 79 goals this season in 14 matches. He’ll play some at CB, but I’m thinking he might also be moved to RB as well. Certainly, he is in playing form and the U.S. will need to find a spot for him. I think Amir Seifert is the 3rd option here, but, a case could also be made for Aaron Hamm, who played at Jr Worlds. Also, Michael Williams makes a return after a long absence. He was a key player on the 2011 PANAM Games squad, but I haven’t seen him play since.
USA WC Roster (Right Backs)
Overall, I found this position the toughest to project. For the PANAM Games, coach Hedin chose to have Gary Hines play quite a bit of RB which was a bit out of position for him. In theory, none of these players could make the roster in favor of left backs and center backs moving over to right back. If, however the U.S. chooses to go with a left hander at this position, Benjamin Briffe is the most experienced option. He played a few years in France’s highest pro league, but he is currently living in the U.S., and thanks to the pandemic, he’s unlikely to be in game shape. Jonas Stromberg is an up and coming player that is showing progress and Adam Elzhoghby is another experienced option. There’s something to be said, as well, to having an Egyptian American on your roster at a WC that is played in Egypt.
USA WC Roster (Right Wings)
Ty Reed, currently training in Flensburg, is the obvious starter here, but it’s not clear who his back up will be. Max Binderis is a known quantity, but I have no idea as to pedigree of the newcomer, Nicolai Weber.
USA WC Roster (Circle Runners)
The U.S. has it’s most depth at the circle runner position so I see the U.S. taking 4 or even 5 players at this position. I’ve seen both Hueter and Donlin play several times this year and I give the overall edge to Hueter here. Donlin, however, has been making great strides while playing backup at Liga Asobal side, Leon, so he will see plenty of playing time. Domagoj Srsen is a bit of a question mark since he’s not actively playing. Still it’s hard to see a defensive specialist who’s played for Zagreb and Hannover not making an impact. Paul Skorupa edges out Alex Binderis, but I wouldn’t be surprised if both are taken.
USA WC Roster (Goalkeepers)
The U.S. goalkeeper situation is also fairly clear. Rene Ingram (IFK Kristianstad) and Nicolas Robinson (Elverum) were the U.S. GKs during the PANAM Games and are both training with Champions League clubs thanks in part to the Forum Club Handball. I haven’t seen Pal Merkovsky play, but he appears to be the backup GK for Gyongyos which is professional club that plays in Hungary’s top league. It will be interesting to see how he stacks up against the other two keepers.
Previous Articles Assessing the USA Men’s Player Pool
Spain was the big surprise team last December at the World Championship. Can they do it again? They take on a Russian team missing some star power in the match of the day.
The 2020 Women’s European Handball Championships starts today with 2 matches each from Groups B and D. Here are the video links, odds and some preview articles that were written before these matches were played.
Thursday, 3 December All Times Local (CET) / US ET is -6 hrs) Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Group B (Herning, Denmark)
18:15 Russia (-1.5) vs Spain (Live on ehfTV and beIN Sports Xtra: How to watch) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
20:30 Sweden (-5.5) vs Czech Republic (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Paul Bray)
Group B Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
Group D (Kolding, Denmark)
18:00 Romania vs Germany (-2.5) (Live on ehfTV) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
20:30 Norway (-11.5) vs Poland (Live on ehfTV and beIN Sports Xtra: How to watch) Match Video (On Demand): Link (Commentary: Clayton Lucas)
Group D Daily Preview at the Euro 2020 official site: Link
The 2020 EHF Women’s European Handball Championships start Thursday, 3 December. Here’s some info on how to watch, what the odds are, and this time around, just one prediction.
How to Watch
All matches will be available for viewing on efhTV, the European Handball Federation (EHF) online web streaming platform. Availability, however, might be restricted in nations that have a TV network contract. Depending on how each contract is structured some matches on ehfTV might be geo-blocked in some countries. (Note: ehfTV is free of charge, but requires online registration.)
In the U.S. the beIN Sports network has the TV rights and to start the tournament they will be web streaming matches on both their free channel (beIN Sports Xtra) and their pay channels (beIN Sports Connect). As the tournament progresses some matches may be on their traditional cable/satellite channel. The beIN Sports schedule can be seen here: Link
There are multiple ways to watch beIN Sports Xtra including Roku, Xumo, Redbox, Samsung TV Plus, Fanatiz, Pluto TV and “Over the Air” in 15 U.S. markets. More info: Link
How to Watch on Roku
To watch on your Roku, go to your home screen and look for the “Roku Channel” icon. It’s a streaming channel just like Netflix or Hulu and should be readily available. (If not, you can add it just like you would any other channel.) Click on the Roku Channel icon and then scroll down until you see “beIN Sports XTRA” icon. Click on it and the channel should start playing. It’s live so, there are commercials just like what you would see on a TV channel.
So, why might you watch beIN Sports XTRA instead of ehfTV?: Well, your experience may vary, but last year my picture was crystal clear HD. Not to mention, no HDMI cable and laptop hook up.
All Matches with English Language Commentary
Paul Bray informs me that he will be providing commentary for Groups A and B in Herning while Clayton Lucas will be in Kolding for Groups C and D. Presumably that will continue for the Main Round and then Bray will likely cover the Finals as well.
Player Interviews: The Uninformed Handball Hour has conducted several interviews leading up to the tournament:
As with other recent tournaments I plan to have a short daily post with the schedule and odds for the matches that day. I will also include some direct links to articles previewing the matches. That way if you don’t have a chance to see the matches live you can always start with the daily preview without finding out the scores by accident. I will also post direct links to the on demand matches that were played that day as soon as they are available (typically a couple of hours after the match is played).
Tourney Format: The European Championships will start with round robin play in 4 groups (A,B,C and D) with 4 teams each. After the preliminary groups the top 3 teams from Groups A and B will form Main Round Group I and the top 2 teams from Groups C and D will form Main Round Group II. Matches with common opponents will carry though to the Main Round. The top two teams from Groups I and II will then qualify for the semifinals.
Overall Odds: The bookmakers have Norway as the clear favorite with France, Russia and the Netherlands projected to join them in the semifinals.
Matches in Herning: Here are the odds for Groups A/B and then for Main Round Group I. Group A is pretty straight forward while Group B is projected to have Sweden, Spain and the Czech Republic battling for the two spots behind Russia.
Matches in Kolding: Here are the odds for Groups C/D and then for Main Round Group II. With Croatia and Poland seen as big longshots to make the Main Round, one might argue that the Main Round starts immediately.
A Prediction
What can we say about this tournament… other than that it should be unpredictable. Why so?
Multiple top players missing due to injury
Very little real preparation for the teams participating
Sporadic individual preparation for players due to club match postponements
Potential for positive tests during the tournament
All of these factors should lead to a very wide open tournament. Why, if there are COVID problems in either the Herning or Kolding bubbles this tournament could get crazily unpredictable. Regardless, I don’t think we’ll get a good idea as to which teams have adjusted to these unique circumstances until a couple of matches have played. I could be wrong, but I think we could be in for some real surprises.
Team USA’s Rene Ingram plays for IFK Kristianstad.
The 2020 EHF Women’s Handball European Championships start Thursday and I’ll have my usual preview with streaming links and odds posted soon. But, there’s still plenty of men’s club handball matches to watch this week as well. Here’s a summary of the next 3 days.
American Athletes in Action
EHF European League: IFK Kristianstad (-3.5) vs Tatran Presov (Tuesday, 1845 CET): Link
Goalkeeper, Rene Ingram, plays for Kristianstad. Ingram subbed in for a penalty shot last week. I say we give him a half vs Tatran Presov to see what he can do.
EHF European League: Fivers vs Leon (-2.5) (Tuesday, 2045 CET): Link
Leon will look to stay unbeaten vs Austrian side, Fivers. Side note: Several players on the Fivers side will likely be part of the Austrian national team side that will the U.S. on 14 January at the World Championship
Liga Asobal: Puerto Sagunto vs Leon (-4.5) (Thursday, 2010): Video Link
A busy week for Leon continues. On Saturday they take on Barcelona.
French ProLigue: Dijon (-4.5) vs Angers (Thursday, 2030) Video Link
Abou Fofana plays for Angers. A draw this past weekend got Angers out of last place. They need more points to edge their way out of the relegations zone
Six matches on tap this week. Veszprem vs Kiel is the big match on Wednesday. If Kiel is going to make a run for a round of 16 bye they need to start that run with a victory here. On Thursday Paris S-G is pretty much in the same situation. They are a disappointing 3-0-3 in Group Play and a victory vs Group leaders Kielce could jump start a return to the top. No spoiler preview: Link
Aalborg vs Barcelona (-7.5) Brest (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
Veszprem (-1.5) vs Kiel (Wednesday, 1845 CET)
Meshkov Brest (-3.5) vs Elverum ( (Thursday, 1845 CET)
Paris S-G (-1.5) vs Kielce (Thursday, 1845 CET) <<English Commentary>>
Flensburg (-1.5) vs Szeged (Thursday, 1845 CET)
Zaporozhye (-2.5) vs Celje (Thursday, 1845 CET)
Liga Asobal
Liga Asobal: Puerto Sagunto vs Leon (-4.5) (Thursday, 2010): Video Link
