Your independent news and commentary outlet for the Olympic sport of Team Handball
John Ryan and Christer Ahl discuss the European Championships results through the opening Main Round Group matches (e.g. Sunday night). They also make a few predictions and voice their frustration with the shortcomings of the YouTube video offering. Sometimes you get what you pay for.
Every Match of the European Championships will be available on YouTube
In the last episode of Handball Talk we hinted that a big announcement concerning viewing options for the European Championship would be forthcoming. And a big announcement it is as viewers around the world will be able to watch every match, free, live and on demand via the world’s #1 online video delivery system: YouTube
Long time readers of Team Handball News are fully aware of the highs and lows that Handball fans around the world have experienced in regards to webstreaming. At times it has been Handball Nirvana as fans that previously had no viewing options were suddenly able to watch every match of a major tournament. Conversely, at times it has been Handball Hell with fans paying a subscription for poor quality webstreams, horrendous audio commentary and non-existent customary service.
It remains to be seen how the YouTube option will work this time around, but showcasing Handball for free on the world’s best known webstreaming platform is an experiment worth trying.
A few notes on the YouTube webstreaming and upcoming matches:
Availability: The following countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France, Belarus, Russia, Israel, Croatia, Iceland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania and Spain) will be geoblocked from live broadcasts. According to the EHF website, however, there will be no restrictions for on demand viewing after the match.
On Demand: For fans that can’t watch live, the EHF has indicated that video of full matches will be available on demand. It is not clear, however, how soon after completion that the match will be posted for viewing. Additionally, I have requested that the EHF YouTube interface refrain from posting final scores and pictures of celebrating teams, lest they ruin it for those fans that like to watch oblivious of the outcome. Hopefully, this sensible request will be met, but be prepared to click on the links with a piece of paper to shield you from too much information.
Audio Commentary: The EHF will have veteran broadcasters, Paul Bray and Clayton Lewis, providing commentary for some of the matches
Match Schedule: I strongly recommend that you download the following schedule for reference the next two weeks: http://www.ehf-euro.com/fileadmin/ehfeuro/EChM2012/Downloads/Match_Schedule_Mens_EHF_EURO_2012_.pdf
(Match times are local for Serbia which is 6 hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast)
Two Key Early Matches:
Sunday, 15 January, 1720 CET, Germany vs. Czech Republic
These two nations are top contenders for the 2 European slots that will be awarded for Olympic Qualification Tournaments. This match could be pivotal to Olympic Qualification and with the bulk of the Czech team playing in the German Bundesliga these players all know each other well.
Monday, 16 January, 1815 CET, France vs. Spain
This match may set the tone for the rest of the tournament for these two teams. France is the favorite to win it all and Spain was the only team to blemish France’s record at last year’s World Championships. (They played to a 28-28 draw) The loser of this match may very well have to win out if they want to advance to the semifinals.
EHF Announcement (11 Jan 2012): http://www.eurohandball.com/article/014514/Live+streaming+on+YouTube
EHF YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/ehfeuro
Watch every match live: http://www.livehandball.tv/page/Home?WT.mc_id=aff140 ($40 for a complete subscription)
The Women’s World Championships got underway in Sao Paulo, Brazil last night with the host team easily defeating Cuba, 37-11. As I don’t follow the Women’s game as closely as the Men’s I won’t pretend to have very many keen insights as to how these games will unfold. Recent history does suggest, however, that Russia and Norway are the top two teams to beat and that’s exactly the odds set in the online sportsbooks. Following Russia and Norway, France, Montenegro and Romania are modest underdogs, while Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Brazil, South Korea and Croatia could all be classified as conceivable longshots. The odds on the remaining teams suggest that there is not a realistic path to a title
Here are the best odds available for the 24 participants
Russia 1.75 to 1
Norway 3 to 1
France 6 to 1
Montenegro 10 to 1
Romania 14 to 1
Denmark 34 to 1
Sweden 34 to 1
Spain 39 to 1
Germany 40 to 1
Brazil 50 to 1
South Korea 50 to 1
Croatia 100 to 1
Angola 500 to 1
Netherlands 500 to 1
Tunisia 699 to 1
Iceland 749 to 1
Japan 749 to 1
Argentina 1000 to 1
China 1000 to 1
Ivory Coast 1000 to 1
Kazakhstan 1000 to 1
Cuba 1999 to 1
Australia 2999 to 1
Format Changes and Breaking Down the Groups
The format for this year’s tournament is a significant departure from previous championships in that there are no Main Round Groups after Preliminary Group Play. Instead the top 4 team from each of the 4 Preliminary Groups will play a 16 team knock out tournament. This should provide for some interesting jockeying of positions as teams look ahead to try and figure out potential quarter and semifinal opponents. With that in mind here’s how the oddsmakers see the four groups
Group A
Norway .55 to 1
Montenegro 2.3 to 1
Germany 8 to 1
Iceland 250 to 1
Angola 500 to 1
China 500 to 1
Norway is the clear favorite, but Montenegro is seen as a realistic threat. Germany is pegged for 3rd, while Iceland, Angola and China are expected to battle for the fourth slot.
Group B
Russia .2 to 1
Spain 6.5 to 1
South Korea 9 to 1
Netherlands 150 to 1
Kazakhstan 1000 to 1
Australia 1499 to 1
Russia is the prohibitive favorite and the Spain-South Korea match should determine 2nd-3rd. Netherlands is pegged for 4th.
Group C
France 1 to 1
Romania 1.6 to 1
Brazil 3 to 1
Japan 199 to 1
Tunisia 199 to 1
Cuba 999 to 1
This group is projected to be a 3 way battle for first between France, Romania and Brazil. I think the oddsmakers discounted Brazil a little too much and it wouldn’t surpise me much if the home court advantange propelled Brazil to a first place finish in this group. (Going further, 50-1 to win the whole tournament seems like a pretty good deal if you ask me.) For all three contenders in this group securing first place is pretty important for improving your prospects of reaching the semifinals. Second place in the group means a likely quarterfinal vs Russia and third place will likely mean taking on Norway.
Group D
Sweden 1.5 to 1
Denmark 1.75 to 1
Croatia 2.75 to 1
Argentina 500 to 1
Ivory Coast 500 to 1
Uruguay 1000 to 1
Group D pretty much mirrors Group C with Sweden, Denmark and Croata battling it out for first. And as with Group C, a first place finish is important if you want to avoid Russia and Norway in the quarters.
Breaking out the placement into Round of 16 Quads
For reference, here’s how the brackets will align based on oddsmaker projections on winning each group. Of course, anything can happend and should Russia or Norway slip up in Group play it could really make things interesting in the last round of matches. Some teams might even theoretically benefit from losing.
Quad 1
1B vs 4A Russia vs Iceland
3D vs 2C Croatia vs Romania
Quad 2
1D vs 4C Sweden vs Japan
3B vs 2A South Korea vs Montenegro
Quad 3
1A vs 4B Norway vs Netherlands
3C vs 2D Brazil vs Denmark
Quad 4
1C vs 4D France vs Argentina
3A vs 2B Germany vs Spain
Link to PDF Schedule (Entire tournament): http://www.ihf.info/files/Uploads/Documents/10071_match_schedule.pdf
Link to schedule and results: http://www.ihf.info/IHFCompetitions/WorldChampionships/WomensWorldChampionships/WomensWorldChampionship2011/FixturesandResults/tabid/5821/Default.aspx
Watch the Women's World Championships via Live Streaming
Livesport.tv is again broadcasting every match live for the ongoing Women’s World Championships.
Sign up at http://www.livehandball.tv/page/Home?WT.mc_id=aff140
Cost for a complete subscription for every single match is $40.
Slawomir Szmal will be in the goal as Kielce hosts Veszprem
The EHF Champions League is back for the 2011-2012 season with the first weekend of Group play. Out of the gate, Polish Wild Card qualifier, Kielce, hosts perennial Hungarian champions Veszprem in a Group B showdown. Kielce is a two goal favorite.
Veszprem at Kielce (-2) (ehfTV: Sunday, 2 October: 3:00 PM CET, 9:00 AM (U.S. East Coast))
Live Broadcast link: http://www.ehftv.com/ehfcl/ec/cl/men/2011-12/live/high/001779
On Demand Broadcast Link: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2011-12/video/001779
Group B could be interesting this year as it may be a legitimate Group of Death with each of the 6 clubs having realistic expectations of earning one of the top 4 slots. Veszprem, Madrid (formerly Ciudad Real) and Chekov have pretty much always advanced out of Group Phase. Berlin and Kielce are relative newcomers, but they clearly have the talent and expectations to do the same. Only Danish side, Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, can be considered an outsider, but they surely have the pedigree to win a few matches.
The Kielce-Veszprem match will be the only one with English commentary, but there are several other matches worth checking out like Chekov(-1.5)-Berlin, Montpellier (-4.5)-Leon and Szeged-Kiel (-6.5). The EHF has a handy page with the links to all the video streams and most of the matches are available “on demand” a few hours after they are completed. To see what’s available for viewing click on the video link at the top of the page and then select the full match option for viewing. On Monday, if you want to catch up you can watch the 25 minute weekly highlight show. Great lunch time viewing at work if your office allows it.
EHF Preview of Week 1 matches: http://www.ehfcl.com/men/2011-12/article/14214/Raise+the+curtain%21
ehfTV broadcast schedule: http://www.ehftv.com/schedule
Note to American viewers: It appears that the MHz Network is not broadcasting Champions League matches this year. We’ll update you if this changes or another network picks up the TV package
Argentina easily took care of PATHF rival Venezuela 31-17 on opening day of the World Juniors
The International Handball Federation is providing free webstreaming of the Men’s Junior World Championships in Greece. Up to 8 matches per day will be shown live at laola1.tv from 17 to 30 July.
VIDEO Link: LAOLA1.TV: http://www.laola1.tv/en/int/more-sports/handball/junior-world-championship/video/273–.html
Note: Scroll to the bottom and select the match that you want to watch. Central European Time (CET) is 6 hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast. Also matches can only be watched live. There is no “on demand” option.
IHF: Web Broadcast Schedule: http://www.ihf.info/IHFCompetitions/WorldChampionships/MensJuniorWorldChampionship/XVIIIMensJuniorWorldChampionship2011/News/NewsDetails/tabid/5688/Default.aspx?ID=702
IHF Junior World Championships Website: http://www.ihf.info/IHFCompetitions/WorldChampionships/MensJuniorWorldChampionship/XVIIIMensJuniorWorldChampionship2011/tabid/5683/Default.aspx
Official Junior World Championship Website: http://www.greecehandball2011.org/
Will German Coach Heiner Brand go out a winner?
There’s little doubt that NPR’s Stefan Fatsis, is America’s #1 mainstream media reporter Team Handball fan. Just this past Monday, Fatsis gave a shout out (starts at 58:15) to the USA Men’s National Team for their qualification for the PANAM Games and at the same time put out a plea for more Team Handball viewing opportunities. Well what Fatsis requests, the European Handball Federation (EHF) delivers. And in a big way starting on Wednesday with 2 critical European Championship Qualification matches webstreamed for free at ehfTV.com
European Qualification for Team Handball can often be a humdrum affair with top teams quickly distancing themselves from weaker teams in their group leading to inconsequential games in the final rounds. Not so in Group 5 this year as Austria, Germany and Iceland are locked in a 3 way battle for two spots. All three sides control their own destiny and the first pivotal match will be Austria hosting German Wednesday night. Austria leads the group with 7 points and Germany is in 2nd place with 5 points. An Austria win would qualify Austria and put Germany in a dire straight as Iceland, currently in 3rd place with 4 points will likely knock off winless Latvia to move into in 2nd place with 6 points. Germany, in all likelihood will pick up 2 points from Latvia on Sunday as well, but then they will need an already qualified Austria to knock off Iceland in Iceland. So, translation: This is must not lose situation for Germany. (Also, based on goal differential for a three way tie, Germany would be in good shape with a draw)
But it’s also a key match for Austria, because they surely know that beating Germany in Innsbruck is going to be a whole lot easier then beating Iceland in Reykjavik. Should Austria lose to Germany the Iceland-Austria on Sunday will become a true elimination game with the winner punching a ticket to the EURO 2012 and the loser staying home.
The 3rd match has Lithuania hosting Spain. At first glance, this looks to be a showdown between two sides fighting for one remaining spot. And indeed both sides are level on 4 points. Only problem is that Spain is clearly a better side (they won the first head to head match in Spain 33-17) and Lithuania has to travel to Croatia on Sunday. So, even if Lithuania pulls off the upset, they’ll likely need Spain to lose again to Romania.
Handicap point spread in parenthesis
Wednesday, 8 June, 2011, 2015 CET (1415 US East Coast)
Germany (-1.5) at Austria
ehfTV On Demand: http://www.ehftv.com/ech/adults/men/2012/video/001751
AUDIO Commentary popup is below (Synch with the ehfTV video webstream)
Thursday, 9 June, 2011, 1845 CET (1245 US East Coast)
Spain (-6.5) at Lithuania
ehfTV Live Link: http://www.ehftv.com/ech/adults/men/2012/live/high/001750
ehfTV On Demand: http://www.ehftv.com/ech/adults/men/2012/video/001750
Sunday, 12 June, 2011, 1630 (Iceland Time) (1230 US East Coast)
Austria at Iceland
ehfTV Live Link: http://www.ehftv.com/ech/adults/men/2012/live/high/001752
ehfTV On Demand:http://www.ehftv.com/ech/adults/men/2012/video/001752
Subject to the on demand streams being posted in timely manner and the demands of the Ryan family household I will do an audio commentary of the Austria matches.
Stefan Fatsis article in NY Times (11 May 2009) Team Handball Has It All…: http://www.stefanfatsis.com/2009/05/11/team-handball-has-it-all/
Four teams will battle for the Champions League Trophy this weekend and you can see it all at ehfTV.com
No complaints from this Handball fan in regards to this weekend’s matchups. The semifinals on Saturday should be interesting to say the least with the Liga Asobal and the Handball Bundesliga going head to head in both matches. Rhein-Neckar is a 2.5 goal underdog to Spanish champions Barcelona. Rhein-Neckar will have the home country court advantage while Barcelona will be going for a rare 2 sport “double” with their sister team going for the Champions League soccer title later in the evening. The second match pits German champion Hamburg vs. Spanish runner up Ciudad Real. The oddsmakers couldn’t pick a favorite between these two titan, so don’t be surprised if it goes down to the end.
On Sunday, there will be two more matches with the semifinal losers squaring off for 3rd place, before the final match. ehfTV will be broadcasting all four matches live and will have English commentary with Tom O’Brannagain on hand for pre and post game commentary as well.
Match Schedule (Handicap point spread in parentheses)
Saturday, 28 May
Rhein-Neckar vs. Barcelona (-2.5) (ehfTV: 3:15 PM CET, 09:15AM (U.S. East Coast)
On Demand Broadcast: http://www.ehftv.com/final4/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001671
Ciudad Real vs. Hamburg (Pick em) (ehfTV: 6:00 PM CET, 12:00 PM (U.S. East Coast)
On Demand Broadcast link: http://www.ehftv.com/final4/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001672
Sunday, 29 May
3rd Place Game: 3:15 PM CET, 09:15AM (U.S. East Coast)
On Demand broadcast at ehfTV: http://www.ehftv.com/final4/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001711
Final: 6:00 PM CET, 12:00 PM (U.S. East Coast)
On Demand broadcast at ehfTV: http://www.ehftv.com/final4/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001712
U.S. TV Broadcast
There is also a televised tape delayed broadcast of the Final on the MHz Network in the U.S. at 4:00 PM (U.S. East Coast) on Sunday, 29 May. For information on how you can watch MHZ see this link: http://www.mhznetworks.org/mhzworldview/carriage/
Side note: For those of you who can’t watch the matches live, be advised that you may want to strategically use a sheet of paper to avoid seeing the still photos used for the on demand video link. I’ve pleaded with the EHF to not use a trophy hoisting celebration photo (for those who don’t want to know the outcome), but I haven’t got any response as to whether they will meet this reasonable demand. UPDATE: If you use the links above you can watch the games without knowing the outcome. However, if you go to ehfTV.com directly be advised- you’ll immediately know the outcome.
ehfTV Preview of Final Four: http://www.ehftv.com/ehfCL-show
Can Siarhei Rutenka and Barcelona hold off Kiel?
Last weekend’s first leg had two great matches and two duds. The two duds were Hamburg-Chekov and Flensburg-Ciudad Real. Hamburg and Ciudad Real both won by 14 goals, so barring turnarounds of epic proportions those two sides will formally punch their tickets for the Final Four in Cologne this weekend.
The two great matches were Montpellier’s 29-27 victory over Rhein-Neckar in Germany and Barcelona’s 27-25 victory over Kiel in Spain. Montpellier’s victory in Germany was a mild surprise, so they will have the luxury of a two goal cushion at home. This, of course, means they will still advance if there’s a draw or they lose by 1 goal. If they should lose by 3 or more Rhein-Neckar will advance and in the event of a two goal loss the tiebreaker will be away goals. While the 2 extra goals provide comfort anyone who’s seen Rhein-Neckar play this year knows they are more than capable of a road win in France.
The other matchup, Kiel hosting Barcelona is also a 2 goal margin, but this time the away team has the cushion. The oddsmakers think it will go down to the wire as they’ve made Kiel a 2.5 goal favorite.
ehfTV will be broadcasting each of the matches live and will have English commentary with Tom O’Brannagain for the Kiel vs. Barcelona matchup. Subject to the availability of the ehfTV on demand stream and the demands of the Ryan family household, I plan to do an audio commentary of the Montpellier – Rhein-Neckar match. Hopefully, I’ll be able to post it Saturday afternoon in the states. Check back at the site for updates.
Match Schedule (Handicap point spread in parentheses)
Rhein-Neckar at Montpellier at (-1.5) (ehfTV: Saturday, 30 April: 5:00 PM CET, 11:00 AM
(U.S. East Coast)
On Demand link: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-2011/video/001619
Audio files are below
1st half commentary starts at 18:20 on ehfTV Clock
2nd half commentary starts at 66:30 on ehfTV Clock
Barcelona at Kiel (-2.5) (ehfTV: Sunday, 1 May: 6:30 PM CET, 12:30 PM (U.S. East Coast)
Live Broadcast link: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/live/high/001622
On Demand Broadcast Link: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001622
There is also a televised tape delayed broadcast on the MHz Network in the U.S. at 4:00 PM (U.S. East Coast) on Sunday, 1 May. For information on how you can watch MHZ see this link: http://www.mhznetworks.org/mhzworldview/carriage/
Note: Chekhov-Hamburg is on Saturday and Ciudad Real-Flensburg is on Sunday. I recommend only checking the score halfway through the on-demand video, on the off chance that a miracle is taking place.
Audio recording links are below. Open the on demand video in one window and then click on the podcast link. I do a countdown of the ehfTV clock in the lower left hand of the screen. Pause the audio when I start the countdown and then play the video. Then unpause the audio when you get to the appropriate time on the clock.
Filip Jicha and Kiel take on Barcelona
ehfTV Video Link: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001618
Barcelona hosts Kiel in the the first leg of the quarterfinals.
Audio recording links are below. Open the on demand video in one window and then click on the podcast link. I do a countdown of the ehfTV clock in the lower left hand of the screen. Pause the audio when I start the countdown and then play the video. Then unpause the audio when you get to the appropriate time on the clock.
Note: 2nd half commentary start at the 52:53 mark on the ehfTV clock.
Karol Bielecki and the Rhein-Neckar Lions will host French side Montpellier
Well, while I might prefer a Super League with “Best of 5” playoffs, I certainly shouldn’t have too much to complain with the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal matches that start Thursday. The pretenders are all gone and each of the remaining eight clubs has legitimate aspirations for advancing to the Final Four in Cologne at the end of May.
Based on the betting lines, the oddsmakers have made Ciudad Real a significant favorite over Flensburg as they are favored to win by 2.5 goals tomorrow in Germany. In the other 3 matchups the home teams are favored to hold serve in the first leg. Rhein-Neckar is a 2.5 goal favorite over Montpellier and Kiel is a 2 goal favorite vs. Barcelona. Hamburg is expected to have fewer problems with Chekov and is a 5 goal favorite. All of the home teams will be hoping to build up a goal differential
cushion as they know that a difficult return leg on the road awaits them next weekend. Conversely, the visitors will be looking to steal a victory or at least keep it close.
ehfTV will be broadcasting each of the matches live and will have English commentary with Tom O’Brannagain for the Rhein-Neckar vs. Montpellier matchup. Subject to the availability of the ehfTV on demand stream and the demands of the Ryan family household, I may do some bonus audio commentary of the other 3 matches. Check back at the site for updates.
Match Schedule (Handicap point spread in parentheses)
Ciudad Real (-2.5) at Flensburg (ehfTV: Thursday, 21 April, 8:00 PM CET)
On Demand broadcast at ehfTV: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001615
Audio link at bottom of post
Chekhov at Hamburg (-5) (ehfTV: Saturday, 23 April, 3:45 PM CET)
On Demand broadcast at ehfTV: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001616
Audio link at bottom of post
Montpellier at Rhein-Neckar (-2.5) (ehfTV: Sunday, 24 April: 5:45 PM CET, 11:45 AM (U.S. East Coast) (With English language commmentary)
On Demand broadcast at ehfTV: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001617
There is also a televised tape delayed broadcast on the MHz Network in the U.S. at 4:00 PM (U.S. East Coast) on Sunday 24 April. For information on how you can watch MHZ see this link: http://www.mhznetworks.org/mhzworldview/carriage/
Kiel at Barcelona(-2) (ehfTV: Sunday, 24 April: 7:30 PM CET)
On Demand broadcast at ehfTV: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001618
EHF Preview of Quarterfinals: http://www.ehfcl.com/men/2010-11/article/13862/Last+steps+to+Cologne
Audio recording links are below. Open the on demand video in one window and then click on the podcast link. I do a countdown of the ehfTV clock in the lower left hand of the screen. Pause the audio when I start the countdown and then play the video. Then unpause the audio when you get to the appropriate time on the clock.
Anders Eggert and Flensburg look to upset Ciudad Real at home
Audio recording links are below. Open the on demand video in one window and then click on the podcast link. I do a countdown of the ehfTV clock in the lower left hand of the screen. Pause the audio when I start the countdown and then play the video. Then unpause the audio when you get to the appropriate time on the clock.
Can Laszlo Nagy and Barca withstand a Veszprem comeback?
After watching a remarkable first half between Barcelona and Veszprem earlier today, I decided to record an audio commentary for the second half. In the first leg, Barca beat Veszprem 28-21 in Spain. The second leg started out well for Veszprem, though on their home court.
My audio coverage picks up in the second half, with the ehfTV clock reading 49:00. I ran into some technical difficulties, so a second download starts at the 61:00 minute mark.
On Demand broadcast at ehfTV: http://www.ehftv.com/ec/cl/men/2010-11/video/001560
Audio recording links are below. Open the on demand video in one window and then click on the podcast link. I do a countdown of the ehfTV clock in the lower left hand of the screen. Pause the audio when I start the countdown and then play the video. Then unpause the audio when you get to the appropriate time on the clock.