Alex Binderis and his club team Volendam play on Tuesday at 2000 CET / 1500 US ET
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates: TwitterFacebookInstagram
The U.S. and Canada have started Daylight Saving Time, but Europe doesn’t start until 28 March. Because of this CET is currently just 5 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
Eredivisie (Netherlands)
KRAS/Volendam vs Green Park/Aalsmeer (Tuesday, 2000 CET): Video Link
Mark Ortega is Volendam’s coach and Alex Binderis (#4) plays circle runner for Volendam
The Netherlands recently resumed play and will be playing an abbreviated NL only season. (Normally their top league is combined with Belgium.) Volendam is currently in 1st place in the 5 team league: Link
K&H League (Hungary)
Orosházi FKSE – LINAMAR vs Gyöngyös – Tatabánya (Wednesday, 1800 CET): Video Link
Pal Merkovszki is the #2 GK for Gyongyos
Gyöngyös has really struggled to start the new year and have lost 5 in a row. Oroshazi is in last place, so this should be a good opportunity to pick up a win.
From the Cannes Facebook page. Nicole Andersen talks about the using the upcoming match vs undefeated Celles-sur-Belles as preparation for big matches to come to avoid relegation
This post only has links for club matches and 2022 European Qualification matches this weekend. For Olympic Qualification information see these posts:
Note the U.S. and Canada start Daylight Savings Time on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. On Sunday CET is only 5 hours ahead of US ET . Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
D2F (France)
As Cannes Mandelieu vs Belles-sur-Celles (Saturday, 1800 CET): Video Link
Nicole Andersen plays defense and left back for Cannes
Last place Cannes has a huge challenge as they face undefeated Belles-sur-Celles
HBF 2 (Germany)
Werder Bremen vs TSV Nord Harrisle (Saturday, 1930): Video Link
Sophie Fasold is a GK for Harrislee
6th place Harrislee goes for their 9th win in a row vs 10th place Werder Bremen
Coach Latulippe addresses the U.S. Women. After 8 years as coach his contract was not renewed.
Yesterday, USA Team Handball announced that after 8 years it was parting ways with USA Women’s Coach, Christian Latulippe. There are a lot of euphemisms for getting fired and “parting ways” is one of them. My understanding is that his contract was up and that the decision was made not to renew it. Here’s my take on this decision:
A Strange Hire to Begin With
I’ll make no secret that I didn’t think coach Latulippe should have ever been hired in the first place. The U.S announcement didn’t mention it, but this was actually Latulippe’s 2nd stint with the U.S. Women as he was also coach from 2004-2007. As I pointed out in this commentary back in 2013 his first stint with the U.S. was less than stellar. The metrics included a poor W-D-L record, mediocre recruiting and a failed residency program at Cortland, NY. He was also fired (or resigned) just prior to a PANAM Games qualification tournament in 2007. Based on all those factors I saw little rationale for bringing him back in 2013.
A Closer Look at the Latulippe Record
Coach Latulippe’s 2nd time around has produced better results than his first, but there clearly have been far more low points than high points. Here’s a summary of results from all the major competitions that the U.S. has played in under his tenure. (Major competitions being defined as events that are either part of World Championships or Olympic Qualification.)
A 19-2-22 record can be described as mediocre or disappointing depending on one’s perspective. The U.S. has not come close to beating Brazil or Argentina, but can be considered roughly on par with the half dozen teams below those two regional powers. That being said, more often than not, the U.S. has come up short in the big matches between those similar foes. Probably the biggest and most disappointing was losing the 2 match PANAM Games qualification series to Uruguay in 2015. At the time, Coach Latulippe was running a full time residency program and most of the team was practicing together on a regular basis. To not even qualify for the PANAM Games was a major failure, one that arguably and reasonably suggested that it was time for a major overhaul.
Instead, the U.S. Women’s program has muddled along for the past 6 years. It was never clearly reported, but the nature of Coach Latulippe’s coaching role shifted in 2015 from a full time residency coach to more of a part time role. He moved to France, but still coached the team in major competitions and in periodic training camps combined with friendly matches. The U.S. National Team also started to recruit and add more dual citizens to the roster. It’s not clear how much Coach Latulippe was paid and what his fully defined responsibilities were, but arguably he did a pretty decent job cobbling together a National Team program with very limited resources. Certainly the U.S. was travelling and playing quite a few matches vs respectable competition all on a shoestring or nonexistent budget.
Still, the results in the big competitions never materialized. Meanwhile, similar teams also with limited resources managed to qualify for the World Championships. Puerto Rico in 2015, Paraguay in 2017, Cuba in 2019. The 2019 North American & Caribbean Championships were another big disappointment. The U.S. had qualified for the PANAM Games, but with a World Championship berth on the line the U.S. ended up finishing in 5th place behind Cuba, Puerto Rico, Greenland and the Dominican Republic. With then recently hired CEO Barry Siff in place, it seemed like a logical time for a coaching change, but no change was made. I’m not sure why, but I suspect with the PANAM Games coming up it was assessed that there wasn’t time to effectively install a new coach before a major tournament.
2019 PANAM Games (The Best U.S. Performance in Years)
At the 2019 PANAM Games the U.S. Women arguably had their best performance in the Christian Latulippe era. Handed a favorable draw, they took care of Peru and the Dominican Republic and qualified for the semifinals. It was no surprise that they got overwhelmed by Brazil, 34-9, but they came very close to a bronze medal losing a close match to Cuba, 24-23. Yes, ironically, Coach Latulippe is getting fired after arguably the best performance by a U.S. Women’s team in a major competition since the 2003 PANAM Games (where the U.S. also placed 4th).
The Right Decision… Why Did it Take 8 Years?
How a team performed in the last tournament is pretty important, but coaching changes should still be made after assessing the entire body of work. And, if one assesses the entire body of work it’s hard to argue that the U.S. had made great progress or was headed on an upwards trajectory. Results were mediocre at best and really the only logical question is why wasn’t the trigger pulled earlier?
There are likely several reasons, but here are a few that probably came into play:
Tempered Expectations: With limited resources being applied to the Women’s program could anyone realistically expect significantly better results? No, not really. Slightly better results could and should have been possible. The U.S. should have qualified for the 2015 PANAM Games and probably attended 1 World Championship since 2015. But, qualify for an Olympic Games? Beat Brazil or a European team? Not a chance.
Minimal Compensation Requirements: It’s not clear what Coach Latulippe’s compensation was during his 8 years at the helm. Initially, he was paid an annual salary, but after 2015 I suspect he was paid minimally. In the USA announcement, National Team player Jennifer Fithian is quoted as saying, “Time and again, Christian has donated his time, moneyand efforts to give us the opportunity to compete over the past 15 years.” I’ve bold-faced the “donated his time, money and efforts” and that’s pretty telling. Certainly, no handball power National Team Coach is in the practice of donating time and money. Volunteering on some level, however, is a somewhat common practice for developing programs like the U.S.
Lack of Other Options: Again, the donation of time, money applies here. Behind the scenes, I suspect Coach Latulippe was actually pretty effective at running a shoestring operation. Over the past few years, the U.S. women managed to play quite a few friendly matches in Europe and S. Korea. He also seems to have a great relationship with a core group of athletes that he’s managed to keep together. Could a new coach have been hired to do the same sort of job with the same sort of compensation?
The Right Decision… The Right Time?
The U.S. has a big tournament hopefully coming up this Summer: The North American & Caribbean Championship. The winner will qualify for the World Championships and it may even be hosted in the U.S. The favorite will be the 2019 winner, Cuba, and Coach Latulippe and the U.S. Women came very close to beating that Cuba side at the 2019 PANAM Games. Having coached the U.S. Women for 8 years he knows his roster and his competition inside and out.
We’ll see who the new coach is, but if they are a newcomer to the program they will be coming in blind with a roster and opposing foes they are not familiar with. Making the transition to a new coach even tougher will be the COVID situation likely making it challenging to prepare for the tournament. Maybe they will get a good training camp with some competitive friendly matches before the tournament… Maybe they won’t.
Regardless, it goes without saying that a new coach can be a catalyst for better performances. Heck, it often doesn’t even matter if the new coach is a better coach. Change, in and of itself, is what’s needed. But, on the other hand, sometimes the disruption that results from change presents new problems that can’t be overcome. Assuming there is indeed a Championship this summer it will be very interesting to see how the U.S. Women will respond and perform.
While the upcoming North American & Caribbean Championships are important, the far bigger question is what the plan is for the U.S. Women’s program going forward. Arguably, figuring out that forward is more important than selecting a U.S. coach. In fact, the U.S. probably shouldn’t even hire a long term coach until it figures out what that coach will be responsible for. This will be discussed in more detail in a follow on commentary.
USA National Team GK, Pal Merkovszki and his club team, Gyöngyös, play at 1700 CET / 1100 US ET on Tuesday
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CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
Not much club action this week as National Team matches take center stage. There are several 2022 European Championship qualifier matches and then this weekend there will be 3 Olympic Qualification Tournaments.
American Athletes in Action
TippMix Cup (Hungary)
Gyöngyös – Tatabánya (Tuesday, 1700 CET): Video Link
Pal Merkovszki is the #2 GK for Gyongyos
Gyöngyös has really struggled to start the new yean and have lost 5 in a row. Next up is a Cup match vs Tatabanya which has won 5 in a row. The winner will take on Szeged in the next round.
Here’s Merkovszki in action from this past weekend:
Other Matches this Week
2022 Men’s European Championship QualificationehfTV
Group Standings: Link (Note: The top 2 teams from each group and the 4 best 3rd place teams will qualify for the final tournament. Because of the 3rd place possibility virtually every nation still has a chance to qualify. Essentially, one big upset for a minor nation could be a ticket to qualification and barring that goal differential will be critical.
Sweden (-6.5) vs Montenegro (Tuesday, 1805 CET)
Slovenia (-3.5) vs Poland (Tuesday, 2010 CET)
Belarus (-9.5) vs Italy (Wednesday, 1600 CET)
Ukraine (-8.5) vs Faroe Islands (Wednesday, 1630 CET)
Russia (-5.5) vs Czech Republic (Wednesday, 1730 CET)
Kosovo vs Romania (-6.5) (Wednesday, 1930 CET)
Finland vs Switzerland (-4.5) (Thursday, CET 1700)
N Macedonia vs Denmark (-6.5) (Thursday, CET 1800)
European Cup (EHF competition for already qualified nations)
My prediction that ESPN handball coverage would be a major game changer for the U.S. came up short… way short.
The Prediction
Before the 2021 IHF Handball World Championships I trumpeted that handball being shown on ESPN wasn’t just big news, but that it was, in fact, the biggest and most important development in the entire history of team handball in the United States. The logic behind this prediction was my basic premise that getting more handball on TV trumps all other marketing objectives for the sport… because it’s a true force multiplier that greatly improves the likelihood of better results in all other areas. And, that ESPN, even if it was just their streaming platform (ESPN+), was still the world-wide leader and it would be unprecedented exposure.
A Failed Prediction
Now, a little over a month since the conclusion of the World Championships it’s pretty clear that it hasn’t had anywhere near the desired effect. How do we know? Well, there are metrics such as website traffic and social media engagement that can be tracked. I know this website had better traffic than it has during previous Men’s World Championships, but not a dramatic increase. There were a few viral moments such as Gauthier Mvumbi getting some new U.S. fans such as Rodger Sherman of the Ringer and Palicka’s great save vs France, but these moments weren’t super viral in terms of numbers and less than the brouhaha with Jay Cutler which was also not as buzzworthy as we thought it might have been.
It would be really interesting to see the actual number of viewers on ESPN+, but in the age of streaming such numbers are a closely guarded secret that platforms like ESPN+, Netflix and Hulu don’t share openly.
What Google Trends Tells Us
Lacking hard viewership numbers Google Trends data is a fairly decent proxy of viewership and general handball related interest as it tracks how many people are searching for terms like “handball”. It’s by no means a perfect measurement, but generally when more people are searching for a particular topic it’s a strong indication that something has triggered their interest. The CDC even uses such trending data to track coronavirus spread. (i.e. When more people start searching for “COVID symptoms” it’s an indication of possible virus spread. With that in mind here are the results for “handball” searches in the U.S. since Dec 2018.
As you can see there are two big spikes, both Men’s World Championships, but the 2021 WC is actually a little bit below the 2019 WC. Or, to put it another way, the NBC Olympic Channel in 2019 actually trumps ESPN+ in 2021 a little bit.
If ESPN+ handball broadcasts had truly been groundbreaking this chart would have looked much different. In particular, the 2021 WC spike would have been at 100 and the 2019 WC spike would be much smaller in relative terms. For some insight as to what that chart would look like take a look at this chart which tracks handball searches for a longer period, since January, 2016.
Think the Olympics aren’t a really big deal for handball in the U.S.?… Think again. Look how just two weeks of Olympics exposure on NBC dwarfs everything else and turns the big WC spikes on the first chart into little bumps of minor significance. Now I wasn’t expecting ESPN coverage to create another Olympics sized bump, but I was certainly hoping for it to have some positive effect.
What I Wished Google Trends had Told Us
What was I hoping for? Perhaps something like this:
Yes, maybe half an Olympics bump and with a trailing edge that stays higher with more handball continued to being broadcast on ESPN. Content like the EHF Champions League and the upcoming Olympic Qualification Tournaments. Maybe even USA related content like our College National Championships or the upcoming NACHC Sr Women’s Handball Championships later this year.
Instead, a month later handball is gone from ESPN. It’s almost like it was never even there.
So, two weeks of handball on America’s top sports network had little effect. In Part 2, I will assess “why” this was the case and what might be needed to improve the end results for future handball broadcasts on American TV and web streaming platforms.
All matches of Spain’s Copa del Rey Championship will be available for viewing online Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates: TwitterFacebookInstagram
CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
Copa del Rey Tournament (Spain)
Drew Donlin plays circle runner and defense for Leon
Spain’s annual Copa Del Rey Tournament starts Friday and it’s an important tournament for Leon as it presents their best opportunity to qualify for next year’s European League. Spain has 1 Champions League slot which will likely go to Barcelona. 2nd and 3rd place in the Liga ASOBAL will then be awarded European League slots, but a string of defeats has dropped Leon to 8th place and it will be a tough climb back to 3rd place. Which is where the Copa Del Rey comes in. 2nd place (assuming a Barcelona title) will also secure a European League slot.
Leon (-1.5) vs Huesca (Friday, 1200 CET): Video Link (Quarterfinal)
Leon’s QF opponent on Friday is Huesca. The two sides met in league play with hosts Huesca winning 27-24
UPDATE: Leon beat Huesca 40-28
Leon vs Irun (-1.5) (Saturday, 1630 CET): Video Link (Semifinal)
Irun beat Benidorm 28-27 and will be Leon’s Semifinal opponent. Irun is 2nd place in the Asobal league and beat Leon 33-27 in Leon on 3 February.
Assuming Barcelona beats Granollers in the other semifinal, this match is a one off contest for a guaranteed spot in the EHF European league.
UPDATE: Leon beat Irun 30-26 and thanks to Barcelona’s 32-22 victory over Granollers they have qualified for next year’s EHF European League
Leon vs Barcelona (-9.5) (Sunday, 1900 CET): Video Link (Final)
Next up for Leon is mighty Barcelona. So far this season Barca is 21-0-0 in Asobal play and 14-0-0 in Champions League play. In fact their only loss this season was a 33-28 defeat to Kiel at the makeup 2020 Final Four and that was technically last season.
K&H League (Hungary)
Gyöngyös – Csurgói KK (Friday, 1800 CET): Video Link
Pal Merkovski is the #2 GK for Gyongyos
7th place Gyöngyös has lost 4 in a row hosts 5th place Csurgoi
HBF 2 (Germany)
TSV Nord Harrisle vs TVB Wuppertal (Saturday, 1730): Video Link
Sophie Fasold is a GK for Harrislee
Harrislee is in 7th place and has won 5 matches in a row. Next up is 12th place Wuppertal
D2F (France)
Le Pouzin vs As Cannes Mandelieu vs Rochechouart (Saturday, 1845 CET): Video Link Video Link
Nicole Andersen plays mostly on defense for Cannes
8th place Cannes got 2 points with a victory last weekend vs Rochechouart. This weekend they take on 7th place Le Pouzin in another important regulation battle.
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates: TwitterFacebookInstagram
CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
Drew Donlin plays circle runner and defense for Leon
On Saturday in Poland Plock and Leon played a close match for 25 minutes only to see Plock pull away for a goal lead and an eventual 29-22 win. Plock is undefeated in Group A and a win here would give Leon more confidence heading into the round of 16.
USA’s Nicole Andersen and her French Club team will be live streamed at 1830 CET / 1230 US ET
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates: TwitterFacebookInstagram
CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
Pro Ligue (France)
Strasbourg (-2.5) vs Angers (Friday, 2015 CET): Video Link
Abou Fofana plays left back and defense for Angers
14th place Angers takes on 11th place Nice
D2F (France)
Clermont vs As Cannes Mandelieu (Saturday, 1830 CET): Video Link
Nicole Andersen plays mostly on defense for Cannes
LIDL Star Ligue vs Liqui Moly HBL: Which league is better? A couple of EHF European League matchups today will provide a couple data points for this debate.
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates: TwitterFacebookInstagram
Because it’s the 2nd tier competition and because there are so many matches to list, I don’t normally don’t discuss the EHF European League. However, there are a couple of matches on Tuesday that I’ll highlight since they are Germany-France club showdowns and are a window to the relative strength of the world’s 2 best leagues.
Both feature 2nd place clubs hosting a club bit further down in the standings. Up first is Berlin taking on Nimes (currently in 6th place in the French League) at 1845 CET and that match is followed by Montpellier hosting Magdeburg (currently in 5th place in the German league) at 2045 CET. 2 matches are by no means a definitive answer, but it will provide some insight.
CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
Liga ASOBAL (Spain)
Aranda vs Leon (-3.5)(Wednesday, 1800 CET): Video Link
Drew Donlin plays defense and circle runner for Leon.
Leon has struggled in Asobal play since the restart of the competition after the World Championship play and has lost 3 straight matches and slipped to 7th place. Aranda, currently in last place, presents an opportunity to right the ship.
HBL 2 (Germany)
Elbflorenz (-1.5) vs Dormagen (Wednesday, 1930 CET): Link (VPN required; More info; What I use)
Ian and Patrick Hueter play for Dormagen.
In what should be a tightly contested match, 5th place Dormagen travels to 6th place Elbflorenz.
Domagoj Srsen on defense for Team USA at the 2019 PANAM Games
USA National Team athlete, Domagoj Srsen has newly signed with German club, HSG Krefeld. Krefeld plays in the 3rd Division (Central Pool), which has currently suspended operations, but later this spring there are plans to resume the competition with an abbreviated season. Srsen, who is primarily a defensive specialist, has played for several higher level clubs including Hannover in the German HBL and Zagreb in the EHF Champions League. Most recently he played with Wilhlemshaven during the 2019-20 season where he played a key role in their promotion to the 2nd division. According to sources, Srsen was not resigned due in part to an injury he sustained this past summary and budget limitations. The tentative plans for the season restart include an abbreviated competition specifically for 3rd Division clubs seeking promotion to the 2nd Division and the Srsen signing is intended to shore up their defense.
Srsen, who is 30 years old, first played for the U.S. in 2011 and has represented the U.S. at both the 2011 and 2019 PANAM Games. He was also on the 20 Man U.S. roster that would have taken part in the 2021 World Championships if the U.S. had not withdrawn from the competition due to too many positive COVID tests. The Srsen signing will mean that two Americans will be on the Krefeld roster as Paul Skorupa also plays for the Eagles.
Patrick Hueter and his brother play for Dormagen and can be seen in action Friday at 1930 CET / 1330 US ET
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates:TwitterFacebookInstagram
Three matches featuring American athletes can be seen online and there are several French and Spanish league matches as well.
CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
HBL 2 (Germany)Dormagen (-3.5) vs Eisenach (Friday, 1930 CET): Link (VPN required; More info; What I use)
Ian and Patrick Hueter play for Dormagen.
5th place Dormagen takes on 10th place Eisenach in Dormagen’s first match since December
A busy week for Drew Donlin and Leon with matches on Tuesday and Thursday. Both will be available for online viewing.
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates: TwitterFacebookInstagram
A real busy week for club handball fans with plenty of action to check out on ehfTV and other platforms. Highlights include the a Barca-Veszprem clash on Tuesday and the EHF CL Match of the Week between Nantes and Aalborg on Wednesday.
CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Handicap (point spread) odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
Leon (-1.5) vs Chekhovskie (Tuesday, 2045 CET): Video Link
Drew Donlin plays circle runner and middle defense for Leon
Leon is in 2nd place in Group A and will host 3rd place Chekhovskie
Liga ASOBAL (Spain)
Huesca vs Leon (-1.5) (Thursday, 1955 CET): Video Link
This is a key ASOBAL match for Leon as they’ve lost their first two matches in 2021 and Huesca is tied with them for 4th place in the league standings.
Team USA’s Nicole Andersen and her club, As Cannes Mandelieu Handball play on Saturday at 1800 CET
Would you like to know when and where handball matches can be streamed online? If yes, follow Team Handball News on social media for regular updates: TwitterFacebookInstagram
The World Championships are over and we didn’t get the chance to see the U.S compete. This weekend, however, you can see four Team USA athletes in action with their club teams.
CET is 6 hours ahead of US ET. Odds courtesy of Bet MGM.
American Athletes in Action
Pro Ligue (France)
Valence (-1.5) vs Angers (Friday, 2015 CET): Video Link
Abou Fofana plays left back and defense for for Angers
Valence is just 2 points ahead of Angers in the standings and this is an opportunity for Angers to move out of the relegation zone.
Liga Asobal (Spain)
Cisne vs Granollers (-4.5) (Saturday, 1655 CET): Video Link
Alex Chan plays center back for Cisne and is their leading scorer
Update: Postponed due to positive COVID Test
D2F (France)
As Cannes Mandelieu vs Asul Vaulx en Velin (Saturday, 1800 CET): Video Link
