PRAISE AND CONSOLATION FOR THE WOLVES
“In the end, a different result would have been deserved,” says Julian Thomann, the Wolves coach, whose team was further weakened by the red cards of the two strong pivots Oliver Seidler (36th) and Valentin Naegu (45th). Owl trainer Michel Abt called the Christmas game “symbolic of the season”. “If you have shit on your hand, then such a game will still tip over,” Abt felt with the unfortunate loser, who with Steffen Kaufmann (5), Patrick Schmidt (8/2) and ex-Dansenberg Julius Rose (7), which Linus Geis (2) relieved, knew a top backcourt on the plate.
OWL AT BREAK 19:18 LEAD
In the owls, Jan Remmlinger, who has the flu, is out. Sebastian Trost, recently left out due to a foot injury, is back in the squad and makes up two out of four. The game – a tough affair from an owl point of view. Matej Ašanin made only two saves in the first 17 minutes, Žiga Urbič replaced him and saved four throws. Shortly before the break, Urbič mastered a Kaufmann throw, 20 seconds before the end of the first half the energetic Pascal Bührer ensured the narrow lead at the break (19:18). A total of five times posts and bars stand in the way of a goal from Ludwigshafen.
INTERPLAYS BETWEEN THE POSTS
The goalkeeper change is good for the Wolves: After 15 minutes, Andreas Wieser replaces the hapless Jonas Maier and keeps Würzburg in the game with twelve saves. Great the foot defense reflex Wieser in minute 32 in Alexander Falk’s huge chance. Falk – five out of nine – then knows how to use a counterattack initiated by Pascal Bührer (four out of eight): 21:19 (33rd). When Julius Rose reduced the lead to 26:27 in the 41st minute, Michel Abt changed the goalkeeper again. Matej Ašanin replaced Žiga Urbič, who came back in the 48th minute and mastered a penalty throw by Patrick Schmidt at the 29:29 mark. It’s the eighth penalty that Urbič saves of the round.
UND DANN IST MATEJ ASHANIN DA
One thing is clear: the owls’ defensive block is fragile, and their evaluation of chances could be improved. But then Matej Ašanin shows his true class. From the 41st minute he made six saves, the best, the most important, at 31:31 when he thwarted a counter-attack by Alexander Merk. And there are definitely great elements in the game of owls. The counterattack initiated by Stefan Salger in the 51st minute was great, the ball landed at Lion Zacharias via Marc-Robin Eisel: 30:30.
Stefan Salger – four out of seven – makes it 31:30 (53rd). He has a good performance, fails in the 49th minute against Wieser, but saves the countermove for a corner. Bad luck that he hit the inside post with a spin two minutes before the end. After the full 33:31 by Julius Meyer-Siebert (57th), Schmidt shortened again, then Lion Zacharias used the seven-meter penalty after a foul on Bührer to make it 34:32 and hit 30 seconds before the end to make it 35:32. The 19-year-old makes nine out of eleven, uses three of his four seven meters. Zacharias doesn’t know tails, even after a missed seven seas. “We already trust each other. If I had awarded a second one, I would have considered throwing someone else,” says Zacharias, happy about his playing time. “Lion is an absolutely terrific talent”, colleague Salger praises the left winger. “When I play, I try to help the team,” says Salger, who at this point only sees the table as a nice snapshot, demonstrating his value in the interplay with Jannek Klein (three out of three). Precise as clockwork – Max Haider, the captain (four out of four, a total of 63 goals from 68 throws).
MICHEL ABT PRAISES HIS BOYS
“We didn’t play handball so well at times, but we showed that we can fight,” said coach Michel Abt. Abt: “It was a very, very good six months. A big compliment to the team!” They have (deserved) vacation until January 9, 2023!
Statistics:
Owls Ludwigshafen: Ašanin, Urbič – Salger (4), Trost (2), Eisel (2), Falk (5), Zacharias (9/3), Haider (4), Gorpishin, Meyer-Siebert (1), Klein (3), Bührer (4), Durak (1) – Not used: Keskic, Manfeldt Hansen
Wolves Würzburg: Maier, Wieser – Kaufmann (5), Schmidt (8/2), Rose (7), Hack, Seidler (4), Dürr (1), Neagu (2), Böhm (2), Geis (2), Merk, Frank (1)
Gameplay: 0:1 (58th second), 3:2 (4th), 7:8 (12th), 11:12 (17th), 17:18 (28th), 19:18 (halftime), 21: 19 (33rd), 24:22 (37th), 25:23 (39th), 27:27 (42nd), 29:29 (47th), 29:30 (50th), 31:31( 53rd), 33:32 (58th), 35:32 (end)
seven meters: 4/3 – 3/2
Red cards: Seidler (36.), Naegau (45.)
time penalties: 2/7
Viewers: 1885
Referee: Kern/Kuschel (Bellheim/Kandel)
Those: Owls Ludwigshafen / Photo: Trip
