Norway lost the World Championship final 21-23

Hamburg.Germany,Norway lost the World Championship final.Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB scanpix

French iron grip stopped Norway, lost the World Championship final 21-23

Nora Mørk and Norway were tackled resently by France and lost the World championship final in handball with 21-23 Sunday.

 

The Norwegian handball women did not experience a great day in their attacking play. After only 31 minutes they had missed three penalties (Mørk with two and Stine Bredal Oftedal with one).

Then the score was 13-10 in favour of dark horse France, and there was apparent stress and turmoil in the Norwegian team.

This was a turned around in a matter of minutes when Veronica Kristiansen and Heidi Løke joined the attack. The duo was by far Norway’s best in the attack for Norway during the match.

It became a thriller throughout. The French finally won a World Cup final against Norway, after losing both in 1999 and 2011.

Party poopers

In front of more than 11,000 spectators in Hamburg, estimates from the organizer says that 4500 Norwegians attending the World Championships best defensive teams.

Norway opened with 0-2 but went on to  a 7-3 lead. During that period, France did not keep up, but keeper Katrine Lunde’s good start did not last. This provided for several French goals.

Just before the intermission, Lunde was replaced by Kari Aalvik Grimsbø after a period of no saves. France led 11-10 after the 1st half.

France won the fight among the goalkeepers by 44against 27 per cent in the first half.

Breakdown

Lunde was reinserted in the midst of the second half, but the Norwegian keepers did not perform near to what they usually provide in vital matches.

Norway had one really weak day during the World Championships that was against Sweden and ended in a 28-31 loss. That defeat was utilized by the Norwegian coaching team. Manager Thorir Hergeirsson did not sound as a pussycat voice when he delivered the verdict of Norway’s defensive play in that match.

But there was something good out of that misery. Norway surfed through three cup matches, but hit the wall against France in the fifty second match between the teams since 2000.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today