Austria's handball players fail briefly: em-sensation fizzles out!

Austria's handball players fail briefly: em-sensation fizzles out!

In a gripping duel in Innsbruck, the Austrian women's handball players missed the qualifying opportunity for the main round of the European Championship with a short 24:25 defeat against Slovenia. The team, led by Monique Tijsterman, had to be victorious in this decisive game to get on. Despite a promising beginning in which Austria achieved a 6: 3 lead, the necessary nerve strength in the crucial phases of the game ultimately lacked. Johanna Reichert was the most successful thrower of the game with nine goals, but could not prevent the bitter outcome, as kosmo.at reported.

The fighting spirit of the Austrian team was unmistakable in the Olympiaworld hall. After a balanced first section (13:13) everything seemed possible when Austria took the lead in the 47th minute with 21:20. But two minutes before the end, a shot seven-meter of Ines Ivancok-Soltic screwed up the catch-up, whereupon Slovenia secured victory with two fast goals. Austria had difficulty catching up in the final phase, which increased the disappointment in the team. After the game, player Josefine Hanfland explained: "We feel empty." The team boss already looked at future challenges and emphasized the lack of a bit of luck in the sphere of attack, such as cc.bingj.com reported.

Austria will now have the opportunity to prove itself in Play-Off for the 2025 World Cup in April. Despite leaving, the players can look back on valuable experiences and show that they have already made great progress. The team will undoubtedly weld the upcoming challenge together and prepare for new height positions.