Some observations of the refereeing issues at the EURO 2012

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Christer Ahl

Norwegian referees Abrahamsen/Kristiansen had a very solid EURO 2012 and confirmed this impression in the final

An event like EURO 2012, with a concentrated number of difficult games involving the best referees of Europe, is often a good opportunity to take stock of both the overall quality of the current level of refereeing and of the specific situations and problem areas that may warrant attention. Therefore, even if undoubtedly both Sandor Andorka and his EHF colleagues, as well as my former IHF colleagues paid close attention to the referee performances, I hope that they will not mind my offering some unsolicited input. In doing so, however, I should note that the internet opportunities this time were not ideal, as there were many parallel games and the ‘on demand’ feature for watching games afterwards mostly functioned rather poorly.

I have already commented that the quality of play in EURO 2012 perhaps was not as high as one had hoped, and that many top players sometimes seemed to lack their usual energy and motivation. But from a refereeing standpoint, it may have been more relevant that an unusually high proportion of the games were very close and exciting in terms of final results. Also, there was some added excitement in the sense that there was not just a competition for EURO medals but also for a chance to obtain one of the slots in an Olympic qualifying tournament. Also, the format of EURO, where results are carried over to the next round, means that there are very few games where the results have less importance. All this contributes to put pressure on the referees, as does the reality that there were really TWO home teams with loud and fanatic spectators, namely Serbia and Macedonia.

Possibly this may have contributed to the feeling I had that in many games some of our most experienced referees showed a hint of being overly ‘diplomatic’ or cautious. Of course, while we want our referees to be bold and confident, essentially ‘whistling for what they see’, without worrying about the reactions to their decisions, we do not want them to be robots or in an ‘autopilot’ mode. They need to take into account the ‘temperature’ of the game and their decisions in previous similar situations, so that they can maintain consistency and control. But we do not want them to look as if they primarily think of how they can avoid problems for themselves with their decisions. By this I mean the tendency to interrupt quickly instead of giving advantage or letting a situation develop fully; or the temptation to whistle ‘cheap’ free-throws for the attacking team, instead of taking a tougher decision to give a 7-meter or a 2-minute penalty, or alternatively a decision in favor of the defenders.

There was a clear indication that the referees, collectively, had been instructed to pay more attention to offensive fouls. I agree with this approach, as it creates more fairness and balance and encourages the defenders to avoid excessive, desperate methods. And I saw many excellent decisions. But such a focus can be a bit dangerous, if it cannot be implemented with full consistency. There were now situations where it was impossible to understand how the referees could find reason to decide offensive foul, and on the other hand also clear such fouls that were not detected. So the good intentions were somewhat undermined by the difficulties in maintaining a clear line.

Similarly, many of the referee couples demonstrated a very good sense for detecting passive play, in part by being alert to the situations where there were tactical reasons for a team to ‘hold back a bit’. But it does not then look so good when other couples seem more ‘blind’ to the tactics that they should be able to detect. The same applies to the irritating habit of some players in being theatrical, in attempts to mislead the referees. This may involve pretending to have been fouled or at least exaggerating the impact. It is not enough to avoid falling for this behavior; you must also show that you do not tolerate it and even punish it. Some referees did not handle this firmly enough.

The decisions involving personal punishments was clearly the main area where ‘diplomacy and caution’ entered into the picture. It becomes a bit too obvious, when the referees are very correct and systematic early in the game with the ‘yellow cards’ and the 2-minute penalties, but then later on, in the critical phase of a close game, they seem to close their eyes also in the case of dangerous and careless fouls. This may involve pushing against jumping or running players, or it may be related to ‘wrestling’ against the pivot on the 6-meter line. Players will lose respect for the referees if they see such situations where the courage is lacking.

Another temptation for ‘diplomacy’ exists when the referee does not really see if a defender is inside our outside the 6-meter line when facing a jump shooter. Somehow, it seems as if the referees find it easier(!) to give a 7-meter than to call an offensive foul. But I also think the referees (and perhaps the instructors) may ‘forget’ the wording of rule 6:2c: “entering the goal area does not mean just touching the goal-area line, but clearly stepping into the goal area”.

Finally, a specific situation where more work seems needed by both instructors and referees involves the shots from the wings. It is a situation where it is difficult to see clearly ‘who is doing what to whom’, but I also sense that clearer instructions are needed. The wing players more and more seem to be in the habit of getting (too) close to the defender, even intentionally trying to gain an advantage by causing body contact, rather than avoiding such contact. Often this is taken too far, and it causes an unfair disadvantage for the defender, or it leads to an unwarranted 7-meter decision. But sometimes it is just the opposite: the attacker does nothing wrong, and the defender seems to be passive with the arms down along the body, but a perfectly timed turn of the body makes the defender puts his shoulder into the shooter at the critical moment.

All in all, I do not have major concerns about the collective performances at EURO 2012, but I had probably hoped to see more consistency from one couple to another, and more convincing performances from the relatively more experienced couples. After all, most of the couples, although generally of a ‘new generation’, have already gained some experience from big events. But it is also a bit of the same situation as in the past: one or two problem areas from recent years are being handled better than before, but then instead some new situations (or supposedly resolved ‘old’ issues) are (re)appearing… The task of the referees is not easy, and neither is that of their instructors and observers!

Asian handball: Home team Saudi Arabia qualifies for World Championship; Korea wins gold

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Christer Ahl

Kyung Shin Yoon leads Korea to victory

The key match-up on the final day was clearly the bronze medal game between Saudi Arabia and Japan. Much to the delight of the large crowd of fanatic supporters, the Saudis managed to win by the score of 24-20 and secured the qualification for Spain 2013. The critical phase of the game seemed to be the early part of the second half, where the home team pulled away by as many as seven goals and never allowed the Japanese to get close again.

It was in a sense anticlimactic, when later on Korea lived up to its pre-Championship role as a favorite by defeating Qatar in the final. The final result was as close as 23-22 (10-11), but Korea in fact had a four-goal lead late in the game. Veteran star Kyung Shin Yoon is reported to have used his skills and experience to make a big difference in yet another important game.

Japan seemed remarkably feeble in both the semifinal and in the bronze medal game. In the semi-final they allowed Qatar to move ahead with 32-23, before the Qatari relaxed a bit and the final margin was reduced to 33-28. The Koreans seemed to be in for a similar fate in their semifinal, after having been so solid in the group play. They were behind 15-21 with only 15 minutes left, but a sudden 11-2 turnaround for Korea led to an eventual 27-26 victory.

In the placement matches, Iran took 5th place after defeating Bahrain 25-20, and the United Arab Emirates narrowly defeated the disappointing Kuwaitis with 31-29 in the fight for 7th place. Finally, in the game that involved the teams who had lost all their games in group play, Jordan managed to get a victory in the end, beating Uzbekistan 32-30.

It is noticeable that China did not participate in the event. Perhaps the rather weak performances of both the men’s and women’s teams in the Olympic qualifying just a few months ago had convinced the Chinese authorities to withhold their support. In recent years, Thailand had started participating in Asian Championships, but more recently they have disappeared again. And then one wonders when India will be able to put together a competitive team.

So following this event and the Olympic qualifying back in December, we now have a situation where Korea has captured the Asia places in the London Olympics for both men and women, with Japan being in the qualifying tournaments for both categories in a few months time. In other words, no West Asian team will have a chance to be in the Olympics this time. But after today’s results, we have Qatar and Saudi Arabia joining Korea for the Men’s 2013 World Championships.

For a more complete overview of the picture regarding Olympic and World Championship qualifying, you are strongly recommended to use the links in the right-hand margin on our home page to go to the great overview pages that John Ryan always maintain updated; the best source anywhere for this kind of information in one convenient location!

More about Kyung Shin Yoon: http://teamhandballnews.com/2008/05/2908-goals-the-kareem-abdul-jabbar-of-german-handball-heads-home-and-a-marketing-opportunity-is-squandered/

Schwenker and Serdarusic acquitted for now, but appeal already filed

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Christer Ahl

There is now a verdict in the well-known case, where Uwe Schwenker and Zvonimir Serdarusic, former THW Kiel manager and coach, respectively, were accused of bribery, embezzlement and fraud. The accusation dates back to a Champions League final in 2007 between Kiel and Flensburg, where they supposedly would have used club funds for payments to the referees in the game, in an attempt to influence the outcome. The prosecutor had requested prison terms to the tune of 17-18 months, in addition to rather substantial fines.

The process lasted four months in the local court in Kiel, and 17 witnesses were called in. From a handball standpoint, it is important to note that, from the outset, there has been general agreement that the game actually was played, and refereed, in an absolutely correct way, without any indications of manipulation. This, of course, has always been an important conclusion as far as the referees, Baum and Goralczyk from Poland, are concerned. However, this in itself would obviously not constitute evidence against the possibility of an attempt to influence.

The court announced, on January 26, the verdict that Schwenker and Serdarusic had been acquitted. However, in doing so, the presiding judge specifically indicated that the reason for the decision was a lack of binding evidence. “The court is not convinced about the guilt of the accused; however, it is not convinced about their innocence either”, was the rather pointed statement. This seems to suggest that the evidence presented by the prosecutor had been found to be merely circumstantial.

The relief for Schwenker and Serdarusic did not last very long, however, as a few days later it was announced that the prosecutor had appealed the verdict. The lawyer of Serdarusic commented that “this should merely be seen as a routine procedure”. There is now initially a period during which the prosecutor must justify the appeal and the initial verdict must be further clarified by the judge. Thereafter, assuming that the appeal is not withdrawn, the federal court in Leipzig will decide whether it is inclined to hear the appeal. As some commentators have noted: ”the game may be going into overtime”…

EURO 2012: Crowd violence

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Christer Ahl

Zarko Sesum, victim of his own 'fans', recovering in hospital instead of playing in the final

Whenever one discusses disturbances and violence in a large crowd, one has to take care not to accuse and judge everyone in the crowd. Typically, only a small proportion is responsible. But, of course, one can be justified in wondering why so rarely those who are innocent and abhor the violence do so very little to try to prevent or at least to report the guilty ones and get them punished.

Often the problems among a group of fanatic sports spectators reflect more general trends in the society as a whole. When the notion of ‘hooligans’ began in English football, it could easily be traced to the desperation and unrest among the participants also in their lives away from football. In many instances, politics and religion enter into the picture. Rivalries between specific clubs often take violent forms. And not surprisingly, a history of previous wars and civil strife will then often live on in the area of sports. So it is not strange if the Balkans becomes a notorious region, although it may require some explanation as to why specifically the Serbs have done so much to deserve the worst reputation.

Without getting too far off track, one can remember the violence from Serbian fans that caused a European qualification game in football between Italy and Serbia to be abandoned in 2010. And there was even an incident in the Australian Open in tennis in 2009, in connection with a match between Novak Djokovic from Serbia and a Bosnian-born player representing the U.S. It is also hard to remember any football game between bitter Belgrade rivals Partizan and Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) that has not deteriorated into a serious battle in and around the stadium. But the worst situations tend to arise in connection with Serbian-Croatian encounters.

I have seen, and even supervised, many of those battles over the years in international handball, for instance in strange locations such as Ismailia, Egypt, where not many team supporters had found their way. So there the atmosphere was as peaceful in the stands as on the court. In last year’s World Championship in Sweden, the authorities had to put on special security measures to keep the Serbian and the Croatian supporters separated. But the frustrating aspect is that the crowds are not able to observe and follow the example of the players, who typically go out of the way to maintain respect for each other on the court, also in a physical and intense match where a lot is at stake.

Already prior to the semifinal game in EURO 2012, there had been serious events involving Serbian hooligans smashing cars and beating up Croatians who were traveling peacefully from a match in Novi Sad towards the Croatian border. And severe beatings in the streets of Belgrade were also reported, although in some instances it was suggested that Croatian provocations played a role. So the Serbian police clearly knew what they were doing, when they already prior to EURO 2012 announced strict security measures for the spectators. Not just were fireworks, trumpets, whistles, flags and banners on posts prohibited; the same held true for perfume and deodorant containers, cigarette lighters, plastic bottles and coins. This caused surprised reactions from ignorant visitors.

But prohibition is one thing and enforcement is another. The presence of 5.000 police among 20.000 spectators did not help. During the Serbia-Croatia semifinal an object was thrown, with the apparent target of either the Croatian coach or the star player Ivano Balic. It still remains disputed what the precise object was, but perhaps it was ‘simply’ a coin. Nevertheless, instead of hitting a Croatian, it happened to hit one of Serbia’s own key players, Zarko Sesum, in the eye. He started bleeding profusely and had to be taken to hospital on an emergency basis. Initial reports even suggested that he might risk losing his sight on that eye. And his participation in the final was of course ruled out. It is ironic that Sesum’s club team is Rhein-Neckar Loewen in Germany, i.e., precisely the club of Karol Bielecki, who did lose his eye-sight in a game, although through a pure accident and not as the result of fan violence.

After the final, which Serbia lost against Denmark, the Serblan player Vuckovic expressed his frustration: “The stupidity of the person who threw the object may have been what cost us the gold medals, as it kept Sesum out of the game”. I am sure it would be too naïve and optimistic to think that this kind of result may have much of an impact in making the hooligans think and put a stop to the dangerous behavior. As I said at the beginning, it is too deeply rooted in what goes on in the society at large. One only wonders why the Serbian population tolerates this kind of situation, where inevitably all of them get to be perceived and judged as being afflicted by the same mentality as the hooligans!?

Asian Men’s Championship: Qatar-Japan and Korea-Saudi Arabia in semifinals

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Christer Ahl

It required consultations of the tournament regulations and calculations of goal differences to determine the semi-finalists in Group A. Korea won all the four games while Jordan lost all their games. But the other three teams, Japan, I.R. Iran and Kuwait beat each other so that all of them gained 4 points. Japan could have secured their spot in the semi-final by gaining at least one point against Korea, but the Koreans won by 27-26. Nevertheless, Japan had the small margins on their side.

Japan had beaten Kuwait by 30-27 and lost to Iran by 27-25; but Iran lost to Kuwait by 28-27. This means that both Japan and Iran had an aggregate goal difference of +1 in these three decisive games, while Kuwait had -2. And then in the final tie-breaker, Japan won out by having scored 55 goals compared with Iran’s 54. The ironic thing is that Kuwait, who was already out of the running prior to the final group game against Jordan, could have indirectly helped Iran to get a semi-final slot by failing to defeat Jordan; but even a dispirited group of Kuwaitis ‘could not avoid’ winning by 3 goals.

In the other group, there was in a sense also a ‘triangle drama’, here between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Qatar and Saudi Arabia tied 24-24, but while Qatar managed a narrow win against Bahrain, 27-26, the Saudis had only managed a tie 23-23 on the opening day of the event. So the ranking among the top three was Qatar 7 points, Saudi Arabia 6, and Bahrain 5. The UAE at least managed to defeat relative newcomer Uzbekistan.

After so many hard-fought games with either ties or narrow victories, it would now be logical to expect to have two extremely closely matched semi-finals: Qatar-Japan and Korea-Saudi Arabia. One might think that Korea would be favorites on the basis of both their traditional strength and their four straight wins in the group. But the combined goal difference against the three closest rivals was a mere +7. So unless Korea has saved their strength, maybe they will be in for a negative surprise. And at least the semi-finalists will be eager to avoid the fourth place, as that would mean missing out on the World Championship in January 2013.

The Saudis seem to be gaining monetary premiums from their government for each win, and the official web site hints about a huge bonus if they secure a medal. So perhaps that and the support of the home crowd will create the necessary incentive. Apropos home crowd, it has been interesting to note completely contradictory reports about the permission for women to be in the stadium and watch the games. One report proudly announces this remarkable progress, whereas another report vehemently denies any notion that women have been allowed to enter with the exception of a few women journalists. Perhaps we will eventually find some photographic evidence…

EURO 2012: Did we really need/want this event?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Christer Ahl

In EURO 2012, not all players and teams ended up in the position they had hoped for...

I am sure some of you will react and say: what kind of crazy question is that? But I think the question is justified, when we now try to draw broad conclusions from the event. Without becoming too ‘philosophical’, I think it goes back to asking the basic question: for whom and for what purpose do we organize these Championships?

Of course, the Danes will have a very simply answer: to show that we are the best! And the Serbs and Macedonians who secured places in the Olympic qualifying will be pleased (although one perhaps did not need precisely this kind of event for that purpose). The local spectators, mostly Serbs and Macedonians, certainly enjoyed the event, as did lots of TV and web case viewers. At least if their main focus was on close and thrilling games and not so much on enjoying top class handball.

But I would insist that the main group for whose sake one would arrange a EURO is the players, their teams and their federations. They want to display their skills, they want to beat their rivals and get medals or a good ranking, and they want to make good PR for the handball in their respective countries. But how often and at what points in time is it necessary and positive to organize this kind of Championship, and indeed the whole set of World and Continental Championships in a four-year period that also includes the all-important Olympic Games?

Clearly there is a balance between (1) having enough opportunities for the players to be in the spotlight and for the federations to create PR and revenue, and (2) the burden it places on the players, their employers (the clubs) and also the federations who must make every effort to present their teams in the best possible light. The participation in a EURO or a World Championship does not come without a sacrifice, in terms of ‘wear and tear’, new injuries or worsening of existing ones, empty periods for clubs and leagues, extended periods away from families etc etc.

It was clearer than on other occasions that this time there really were players who had to think hard: Should I deal with my nagging injury or should I risk playing? Should I make myself available (perhaps towards the end of a long career) even though I really would benefit from the time off? And what about those family obligations that I must give up on if I go away for a few weeks, considering how stressful my handball life is for my family also during the rest of the year?

It also seems that even if the players do make themselves available, even if they are not (or do not become) injured, the overall burden on them does show up in the sense that many of them actually are not in top form, or they are not totally motivated. Put differently, if these events come too frequently or at an awkward time, the teams and the players cannot do themselves justice and keep showing top skills, new moves, new tactics, and full effort in every game.

And in another way the national teams also have a more difficult time than the club teams who have their players available almost around the year. In their situation it is less difficult to lose old star players, to integrate newcomers, to modify tactics or to introduce a new style of playing. But for the national team coach, there are very limited opportunities to bring the players together and make them function as a team.

And it is especially bad when a national team, as inevitable happens, faces a ‘generation change’ or at least needs to integrate several new young talents into the collective. Not to mention when a new coach takes over a national team and needs to get his or her style and ideas reflected in the way a mix of veterans and newcomers should play. This kind of adjustment may be realistic over a 2- or 4-year period, but constantly from one year to the next, with a big Championship every year, plus then the Olympics!?

So, is it realistic, is it desirable to have five big events in a four-year period? I think a lot of the people affected will say NO. They will say that at least we do not want more than one event per year. Perhaps we should even go down to three events in four years (including the Olympics) as is the situation in football, where furthermore they do not even take the Olympics very seriously. Is anyone really complaining that we do not have a Continental or a World Championship every year in football?

Of course, I know that there is ‘another side of the coin’. While in Europe it might be easier to get acceptance for a reduction, given the high level and the importance attached to the continental championship, the ‘EURO’, the situation is not viewed the same way in the other continents. Argentina and Brazil cannot be blamed for getting tired of the routines and the predictability of their continental top event. And the current and very recent Championships in Asia and Africa do not generate enormous publicity and excitement throughout the continent. Moreover, for the top countries in each continent the ‘big deal’ is to have a chance to measure themselves against the Europeans.

If only one could come up with a model with a supplementary opportunity for these countries to have that exchange more regularly without ‘needing’ a World Championship or the Olympic Games three times in four years. And with the recognition that from Europe there are typically about 12 participants in any World Championship, could one then not cut back on the frequency of the EUROs? In any case, quite frankly, while 16 teams get to participate in the EURO, the reality is that one would be hard pressed to find more than 10-12 top rate teams on each occasion. Perhaps, it would be beneficial, instead, to have more exchange between the top dozen and the next dozen, instead of these one-time home and away qualifying games (like for the 2013 World Championship) that will soon come up.

Having attended the 2011 World Championship for men, and having now watched a lot of EURO 2012 games on the internet, I am getting more and more convinced that the current competition cycle contributes to a dilution of quality, as an important negative factor in addition to those mentioned above. I do not have a great proposal to offer, and I am not prepared to put myself in the middle of an agitated fight between legitimate European and non-European viewpoints, but something needs to be done!

Asian Men’s Championship: Half-way through the preliminary round

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Christer Ahl

The Logo of the 15th Asian Men's Championships

Somewhat in the shadow of EURO 2012, the Asian Men’s Championship got underway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia few days ago. The Championship also serves to qualify the top three teams for the 2013 World Championships. Ten teams participate, initially playing in two round-robin groups of five teams. Japan and Korea are the only participants from East Asia. So far, there have been no real upsets. Korea and Japan have been place in what might be a tough group with Kuwait and Iran. The home team, Saudi Arabia, appears to have a more favorable draw, with Qatar as the most prominent opponent.

The positions in the groups, after each team has played two out of four games, are as follows: Group A: Japan and Korea 4 pts, Kuwait 2, Iran and Jordan 0; Group B: Qatar 4 points, Saudi Arabia 3, UAE 2, Bahrain 1 and Uzbekistan 0.

EURO 2012: A Fairy Tale ending when the Danes keep their cool

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Christer Ahl

Yes, the Danish 'fairy tale' tournament got a happy ending!

A week ago I wrote about a ‘Nordic Meltdown’; this was after Denmark had lost against Serbia and Poland in group play, joining the other Nordic teams in having a very poor start of EURO 2012. A year ago, I wrote an article which I illustrated with a famous picture from a Hans Christian Andersen story. When Denmark today kept their cool against a strong Serbian team and surrounded by a fanatic home crowd, winning the European title, then it is again appropriate to talk about a Danish fairy tale of the best H.C. Andersen style.

Denmark deserved this victory after five straight victories in the main round, in the semi-final and today. They also played a concentrated and strong game today and they have a resourceful team: a top-rate goalkeeper, a strong defense, good wing players and several options for the long-distance shooting. Mikkel Hansen was the hero in many games, but when he had an off day, then Rasmus Lauge stepped forward. And they were able to prevail both in high-scoring shoot-outs and in defensive games like today, where the result was 21-19 after a modest 9-7 at half-time.

Serbia had Ilic, Vujin, Vuckovic, goalie Stanic and several other really impressive players. In many games they were ‘carried’ by the crowd support. But today it somehow seemed the pressure and the expectations made the Serbs more nervous than their opponents. Nevertheless, after I saw them in the World Championship a year ago, I never hesitated about predicting that they would be in the final here, and they will certainly be a team that has good chances of remaining at the very top for a while.

The bronze medal game was the kind of anticlimactic game one sometimes gets when two frustrated teams cannot mobilize the right motivation. Croatia managed slightly better than Spain and won the bronze medals through a 31-27 (13-12) victory. During the first 35 minutes, Spain managed to come back every time when Croatia tried to pull away, but later in the game the energy was not there for such come-backs.

The final was played in a very positive atmosphere, with no incidents involving the spectators and a very sportsmanlike atmosphere on the court. The player showed mutual respect, and the referees, Abrahamsen/Kristiansen (Norway), displayed a nice calm control and a good consistent judgment.

Finally, the victory for Denmark also had the implication that they are directly qualified for London and that Poland gained the remaining slot in an Olympic qualifying tournament, taking over Denmark’s slot on account of their ranking in last year’s World Championship. There will be ‘chain reactions’ in the composition of the three qualifying tournaments in April as follows: Group 1: Spain, Poland, Serbia, Algeria; Group 2: Sweden, Hungary, Brazil , FYRO Macedonia; Group 3: Croatia, Iceland, Japan and Chile.

EURO 2012: Teams hoping for the last Olympic chance must watch as others decide their fate

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Christer Ahl

Denmark's march from meltdown to miracle; will they go all the way?

To some extent, the final main round day became a bit anticlimactic, as three teams had already secured their places in the semi-finals. But there was still a lot of drama. Mainly this involved the Germany-Poland game, a match-up between rivals that is always emotional even when very little is at stake. But today this game could have meant that Germany would have been in the semi-final. They started out poorly and it did not seem promising. But in the middle of the second half, they went from 25-29 to 31-29 through great determination and will-power. However, in the end they went down 32-33, a bitter finish for a team that had to struggle without having any strong performances from veteran players to rely on.

Poland could then maintain their hope for a couple of hours, even if I suspect they did not have much faith in the chances of the Swedes to upset a determined Danish squad. And miracles did not happen. Denmark had a relatively easy time in defeating Sweden 31-24. So this means that Denmark obtained the remaining semi-final slot. Considering that they had to achieve this through three straight wins after having begun the main round with zero points, their turnaround is really quite remarkable. Poland then had to lower their ambitions and hope for at least a chance to go on to Olympic qualifying.

At the same time, Spain had been saving some energy, using some reserve players after already having their place in the semi-finals. But they still managed to pull out a win against Slovenia with 35-32, largely thanks to good goalkeeping and good shooting. This now sets up two intriguing semi-finals: Spain against Denmark and Serbia against Croatia. And it meant that the final games of the day, Serbia vs. FYRO Macedonia and Croatia vs. Hungary, had absolutely no importance in the standings for the Serbs and Croats who could instead be forgiven for looking ahead to the huge battle between the two of them on Friday. Unfortunately, serious incidents in the streets of Novi Sad have already suggested that the Croats will be up against more than the Serbian team on the court; they will be reminded of their ‘lack of popularity’ among many of the locals.

However, the two final games today did have a great importance for the final tickets to the Olympic qualifying tournaments. Hungary already have such tickets, and they could at best be aiming for 5th place this week. But by winning the game, they could prevent Slovenia from moving on and instead give Germany a chance to be in a qualifying tournament. . Talk about watching helplessly while placing your faith in others. The Slovenians would of course have to hope that Croatia play to the best of their capacity and win the game.

In the same way, the Polish team had to hope that the Serbs would not be good neighbors and allow the Macedonians to get two points. Because this would give the Macedonians a qualifying chance and move the Poles down to fifth place in the group. So what happened in the end?? Let me end the suspense and explain that, not unexpectedly, both Croatia and Serbia took it a bit easy. Croatia mostly rested their star players but, they still managed to gain a tie 24-24. This was enough to allow Slovenia to keep the third place in the group. Serbia allowed their key players, top scorer Ilic and goalkeeper Stanic, to rest. They still kept the game even almost until the end, but then the more motivated Macedonians pulled away and won 22-19. In other words, the Macedonians got the third place and also the chance to be in an Olympic qualifying tournament.

Germany will now go home disappointed. For Poland there is still a chance, as the complicated format has one more twist. Basically, the best two teams in EURO2012 who have not previously secured a spot will now get in through their result here. This means Serbia and the winner of the 5th place game between Slovenia and FYRO Macedonia, as the other three semifinalists are already qualified. However, if one of these three teams (Croatia, Denmark or Spain) were to win the Championship, then they will be directly qualified for London, and their place in a qualification tournament is freed up for Poland who were the team next in line from last year’s World Championship. Should instead Serbia become European champion, then both the winner and the loser of the 5th place game go on to the Olympic qualifying. I hope IHF and EHF have made this sufficiently challenging for you to follow!

Finally, as John Ryan has commented earlier, there is also the issue of more or less difficult qualifying groups. Sweden is currently sitting in a comfortable position, playing at home against Croatia, Japan and Chile, with two teams going on to London. But, should either Denmark or Spain become champions, then Sweden would move ‘up’ in the ranking and instead host a slightly less comfortable group with Hungary, Brazil and the winner between Slovenia and FYRO Macedonia. After their shaky performance this time, this is not so reassuring for the Swedes.

Breaking it down, here are the four possible tournament compositions:

If Serbia wins the EC
1) Denmark (Host), Hungary, Slovenia/Macedonia Winner, Algeria
2) Spain (Host), Iceland, Brazil, Slovenia/Macedonia Loser
3) Sweden (Host), Croatia, Japan, Chile

If Croatia wins the EC
1) Denmark (Host), Poland, Serbia, Algeria
2) Spain (Host), Hungary, Brazil, Slovenia/Macedonia Winner
3) Sweden (Host), Iceland, Japan, Chile

If Denmark wins the EC
1) Spain (Host) Poland, Serbia, Algeria
2) Sweden (Host), Hungary, Brazil, Slovenia/Macedonia Winner
3) Croatia (Host), Iceland, Japan, Chile

If Spain wins the EC
1) Denmark (Host) Poland, Serbia, Algeria
2) Sweden (Host), Hungary, Brazil, Slovenia/Macedonia Winner
3) Croatia (Host), Iceland, Japan, Chile

EURO 2012: Tafatt och ynkligt

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Christer Ahl

This illustrates my heading and the impression that some of the teams have given

I clearly need to explain this heading. It is John Ryan’s fault… He cannot follow the web casts live but one or two days late, at which time he wants to be unaware of the results. But both of us get automatic e-mail where our headings of posted articles are shown. So I figured that I needed to use Swedish to avoid ruining things for the poor guy… So if you now wonder what the two words in the heading mean, the answer is roughly ‘helpless and meek’! Unfortunately, several of the games yesterday and today made me feel that this was a good way of describing many players or entire teams. Yes, the games were in some cases close in terms of result, but the quality was not much to boast with.

The first ones who come to mind in deserving my description were the French team and many of its stars and veteran players. Sooner or later it had to happen that their impressive string of gold medal performances would come to an end but, please, not in this way! In the end they seemed lethargic and indeed helpless today against Croatia, just like against Hungary earlier. And it did not have to happen. During the middle of the game they seemed to turn it around and had a three-goal lead after a weak start. But when it mattered at the end, they just collapsed and seemed to give up. There was even open quarreling between coach Onesta and some of his key players.

The Swedes do not this time have a team of the same caliber as in their periods of greatness or even like one year ago. So perhaps they could not do much better. But what is frustrating to see is the lack of initiative, determination and fighting spirit. Serbia was a tough opponent yesterday, but the Swedes did not manage to put up a real fight. And a bit of the same was noticeable today with the Icelandic team. Despite some good efforts by the likes of Gustavsson and Palmarsson, there was no real team cohesiveness and no spark. Can it be that teams which already have an Olympic qualifying slot secured do not really manage to get up for the final games of a European Championship when they seem to be out of contention for the medals??

And then came today’s puzzling performance by the Hungarians, another team with a place secured in the Olympic qualifying, But today they had a chance to put themselves in a good position to gain a semifinal slot. And nevertheless, they did not get anywhere near the level that they have showed in some of the previous games. They are really like the ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ team of this tournament. Quite generally, it also makes you start wondering about a general lack of impact from the coaches during the games. These are, for the most part, well-known and highly paid coaches who should have the skills and the experiences to make major adjustments during a game and, at least, to ensure that their players are sufficiently motivated and up for the game.

So having sounded so negative until this point, let me conclude on a more positive note or two. We have seen a number of very close games and the spirit on the court in terms of sportsmanship and a general avoidance of dangerous fouls and provocations has been noticeable. The players are often showing a good deal of respect for each other, the coaches are for the most part on a good behavior, and the referees have contributed in a constructive way. They have generally been consistent and able to draw the line in the right place. Let us now hope for a thrilling finish of EURO2012 with a continuation of the good sportsmanship!

Macedonia’s greatest fan is an American diplomat!

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Christer Ahl

Macedonian star player Kiril Lazarov visits with Ambassador Reeker in Skopje

Not many persons have heard of Philip T. Reeker in connection with handball – except in FYRO Macedonia, where he is an idol of the handball federation and the national team. The reason: he served as the U.S. Ambassador in Skopje during the period 2008-11, where he became substantially involved with the handball activities. So for fanatic Macedonians it was not a surprise when he showed up in Nis, dressed in the Macedonian team shirt and eagerly cheering on his favorites.

Philip Reeker is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, with responsibility for the Balkan region. As he noted in an interview, therefore it should not be regarded as a diplomatic ‘faux pas’, when he was observed supporting the red and yellow team, for instance in their crucial battle against the Czech Republic. It now remains to be seen if he can finagle his schedule in such a way that he can move on the Belgrade and follow the main round games as well…

But the question obviously arises: how did he get so familiar with handball? As he notes, he is frustrated that the sport is so insignificant here at home in the U.S., so this is certainly not where he picked it up. The explanation is that he got hooked on handball during an earlier tour as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Budapest. As we all know, Hungary has really strong handball traditions and activities. Perhaps, just perhaps, there is also some good influence from his wife; he is married to Solveig Johnson Reeker from Minnesota and, as the name suggests, unmistakably of Swedish or Norwegian descent.

As it seems Ambassador Reeker is currently Washington-based, could one hope that he would be prepared to get involved in helping promote handball also in his home country? Perhaps it would be a good idea for the USATH to try to establish contact with him. I doubt that he could convince Secretary Clinton to siphon off some budget money for a project to strengthen the standing of the USA handball teams in the world, but would it not be nice if he and his wife could fit in an appearance as guests at the U.S. National Championships in Minneapolis this spring!? And in that case there is little doubt as to which one of our traditional clubs he would be supporting: the D.C Diplomats, of course…

EHF Video: Interview with American ambassador and handball fan Philip T Reeker: http://www.youtube.com/ehfeuro#p/u/18/y4aavnZyuEM

EHF Video: Macedonia fan support: http://www.youtube.com/ehfeuro#p/u/59/3-Xhzb28hxE

African Championship: Tunisia’s men and Angola’s women have the tickets for London; celebrations also in the Netherlands!

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Christer Ahl

London welcomes Angola and Tunisia

The medal games were played in Rabat today with rather expected results. Algeria did not manage to perform another miracle. Tunisia dominated the men’s final from the beginning, and after a half-time lead of 12-6, the final result was 23-20 in Tunisia’s favor. This means that Tunisia has qualified directly for the Olympic Games, while Algeria gets the place in a qualification tournament. Most likely this will be in a group hosted by Denmark, as Denmark hardly is going to secure Olympic tickets in the ongoing EURO2012. The bronze medal game was easily won, 29-15, by Egypt against the home team Morocco. This means that the Egyptians will join Tunisia and Algeria in the World Championships in Spain in January 2013.

Angola lived up to the expectations on them, but it was not an easy game. It was tied 12-12 at half-time and the Tunisian women put on an impressive performance with a team that has much less international experience. The final result was 26-24 in Angola’s favor. It was the eighth consecutive African Championship for Angola since 1998! So Angola will yet again appear in the Olympic Games, while Tunisia gets Africa’s place in a qualification tournament. They will face Denmark, Russia and the Dominican Republic in Denmark. Not an easy task… The bronze medals were won by the Democratic Republic of Congo who defeated Algeria 33-24.

The Angolan victory was a cause of celebration also in the Netherlands! As we have previously explained, Angola had already secured a special slot in a qualifying tournament on account of their strong showing in the recent World Championships. As they will no longer need that slot, this place will instead be filled through a ‘chain reaction’. Montenegro will move over to the slot that was reserved for Angola, and the Netherlands did indeed get the opportunity to qualify for London by taking over the original spot of Montenegro. We hope the Dutch will think of an appropriate way to show their gratitude!

The complete rankings were as follows:

MEN: 1. Tunisia, 2. Algeria, 3. Egypt, 4. Morocco, 5. Senegal, 6. Angola, 7. Cameroon, 8. Dem. Rep. of Congo, 9. Congo, 10. Cote d’Ivoire, 11. Gabon, 12. Burkina Faso.

WOMEN: 1. Angola, 2. Tunisia, 3. Dem. Rep. of Congo, 4. Algeria, 5. Cameroon, 6. Congo, 7. Cote d’Ivoire, 8. Senegal, 9. Egypt, 10. Morocco.

EURO 2012: Nordic meltdown and French fiasco

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Christer Ahl

Not one of the proudest moments for Nordic handball; the same goes for Russia and France

The groups in the preliminary round were completed today, and the main round starts tomorrow. The format used by the EHF makes for a combination of excitement and anticlimax. They start out with 16 teams and one of the two purposes of the group play is ‘simply’ to reduce the field down to 12. Moreover, at any given point in time, Europe tends to have about 10-12 really strong teams, so the weeding out of the more marginal teams, such as the Slovaks, does not often create much excitement. But this time we had thrillers at the end. And then the fact that the teams which advance bring with them the points from the games that they have played against each other, this means that every game means a lot even when teams already know they will advance.

For instance, yesterday, Denmark-Poland was a really important game, even though both teams were already through. Based on the form showed in recent time, the Danes may have been favorites against a Polish team that seemed to have stagnated in recent time and were missing key players. And Denmark seemed to have the upper hand, but in the end they basically gave the game away. So now they are still in the main round, but in practice virtually without chances of being one of the two teams out of the six in their main round group who will go to the semifinals. What is worse is the impression that, in the games they lost, the Danes really seemed to be lacking in mental strength and fighting spirit. They looked intimidated in the game against Serbia. By contrast, the Serbs are through with the maximum four points and seem to be a great shape.

In the parallel group, one could write the same thing about the Swedes as about the Danes. They lost a point against the Macedonians, after having grumbled about the impact of the fanatic crowd. And then they seemed to be strangely optimistic prior to the final game against Germany, despite the fact that the Germans really had been ‘boxed’ in with a desperate need to win. A loss for Germany might have meant elimination yet again in a major Championship, while the win against Sweden means that they instead are through with full points just like the Serbs. The listless Swedish performance, both on the court and in terms of coaching, obviously was the cause of a major frustration in handball Sweden. And the Czechs had to pack their bags, despite the strong start with a win against Germany.

In today’s matches in Group D, we had a ‘triangle drama’ between Norway, Iceland and Slovenia. The latter two played each other, and somewhat surprisingly, after mediocre play earlier, Slovenia came through. In fact, they almost went as far as to knock out Iceland, leading 34-30 just before the end. But two late goals by Iceland rescued their advancement, although they, just like Sweden and Denmark, will move on with zero points. Norway did not manage to surprise Croatia and, although they almost ‘got in through the back-door’, in the end they had to accept elimination. What now has caused some controversy is that Slovenia seemed to ‘give away’ the last two goals for Iceland, with the reasoning that the 34-32 and the elimination of Norway instead of Iceland now gives Slovenia the advantage of bringing two points to the main round. A smart way of taking advantage of the regulations or unsportsmanlike?

Finally, in Group C we had what is undoubtedly the biggest surprise. Even after France lost against Spain, most observers had seen them as a medal contender. But that has now become almost impossible after today’s surprising defeat against Hungary. Sure, Hungary is unpredictable and had already staged a great comeback against Spain, but in the game today we saw a French team that was really ‘helpless’ and resorted to individual efforts rather than their usual team play. Karabatic was just a shadow of his usual self. So while France is still in the tournament, they are not bringing any points to the main round. And next they will have to face Slovenia and especially Croatia, who both will have great crowd support. It should be noted that the Russians joined their Nordic neighbors in the ‘meltdown’; they are out!

Most of us will now start speculating about which teams will go through to the semifinals, but as far as Teamhandballnews is concerned, I will leave that task for John Ryan…

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Author Archives: Christer Ahl