Image: GEPA pictures/ Avni Retkoceri (GEPA pictures)
“Losing a final with just one goal is damn bitter,” said Alex Hermann after the 24:25 on Sunday at West Wien in the first game of the “Best of 3” final series for the Austrian handball title. Only if the people of Linz turn the tables at home on Wednesday (8:20 p.m. live on ORF Sport Plus and Laola1.tv) will there be a decider away next Sunday.
For the home game, the seven-time champion can be sure of the loud support of the entourage. The hall has been sold out for days. In the first away final, too, the so-called blue wall – around 150 battle loafers had traveled to the south of the city – tirelessly pushed Linzer through a four-goal deficit in the meantime.
In the end, only small things were missing to win. “We had the chances, sometimes we just didn’t have the necessary nerves of steel,” said Hermann, who was the best scorer of the game with nine goals.
Even though West Wien goalkeeper Constantin Möstl made 16 saves, the Linz players still found themselves to be “blame”. be taken away,” says Moritz Bachmann. If you want to become champions, according to the backcourt player, “we have to be prepared to carry the ball into the goal”.
No more looking back
It’s 0:1 – no more and no less, coach Milan Vunjak and several players said after the game. A pragmatic sobriety that is needed in view of the short time until finale two. “We were allowed to be sad for a moment after the game, but the day after we can only look ahead,” said the 23-year-old Bachmann.
Video analysis including tactical game preparation and practicing certain game situations – more is not possible until Wednesday and also not advisable. Linz goalkeeper Markus Bokesch doesn’t need to improve anything, and with 37.8 percent of balls saved, he once again gave a strong performance.
Alex Hermann: “If we go one step further in attack, that will be enough.” And at home, everyone agrees, thanks to the “blue wall” you’re stronger anyway.
Source: Nachrichten
