Czech handball players will play at the World Championship for the second time in a row. The women of Norwegian coach Bent Dahl won the home rematch of the qualifying play-off over Switzerland 36:27, and after Saturday’s away win 32:31, confirmed their progress to the December championship.
Today in Brno, the national team dominated from the start and practically decided in the first half, after which they led by seven goals. Nine goals were scored by the best scorer of the game, Markéta Jeřábková.
The Czechs eliminated Switzerland in the play-off for the world championship for the second time in a row, the year before they succeeded after a home draw and an away victory by six goals. The national team will appear at the third of the last four World Cups. The previous year, the Czech Republic finished in 19th place, their highest being eighth place from Germany in 2017. This year’s championship will take place from November 29 to December 17 in the handball powerhouses of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
After prop Jana Knedlíková said goodbye to her representative career just before the opening whistle, the Czech team started very sharply. Thanks to three goals from the shooter Jeřábková, the favorite quickly jumped to 4:1 in a stormy atmosphere in Brno and gradually increased the lead.
The Czechs defended much better than on Saturday in Basel, on the opposite side they dismantled the opponent’s defense with imaginative combinations, and after a quarter of an hour Zachová sent them into the lead by six goals after escaping. The Swiss then got closer to a difference of four goals, just before the break, Dahl’s selection took over again and went to the cabins with a comfortable lead of 17:10. Jeřábková scored six times in the first half, goalkeeper Kudláčková had an almost fifty percent success rate of saves in the opening act.
After the change of sides, the home players jumped into the lead by nine goals. The Swiss women, who, unlike the Czech team, started at the European Championship last November, but have never advanced to the World Championship, then after several mistakes by the opponent in the attack, they reduced the score to 18:24 just before the middle of the second act, but that was all from their side.
Dahl’s charges added after the rest time and in the 49th minute they led by double digits for the first time in the game, when Cholevová hit the abandoned goal. In the end, Dahl could afford to change the lineup and give all players from the bench a chance. The home team scored 11 goals from quick breaks.
The women’s representatives resolutely averted the threat that, after not participating in the November Euros, they would miss the second big event in a row. Coach Dahl, who took over the Czech team in the summer, experienced a successful first two competitive duels on the team’s bench after a series of eight preparatory matches.
Rematch of the World Handball Championship play-off qualification match:
Czech Republic – Switzerland 36:27 (17:10)
Czech team and goals: Kudláčková, Novotná – Polášková, Kordovská 4, Mikulášková, Šustáčková 3, Stříšková, Stellnerová 3, Kuxová, J. Franková, A. Franková 2, Zachová 2, Kovářová 3, Jeřábková 9, Malá 7, Cholevová 3.
Most goals for Switzerland: Kündigová 6, Bucherová 4. Referee: Prastalová, Balvanová (both Bosnia). Seven-meter throws: 2/2 – 4/4. Exclusion: 1:0. Spectators: 1515. First match: 32:31, the Czech Republic advanced.
