SwedenLivingWorld world_2_fill WorldBusiness BusinessSports sports-soccer SportsEntertainmentEntertain

After new Handball World Championship disappointment: "Bites us in the butt again"

Too few saves, too many technical errors and too late finish in the last attack. The national handball team had a lot to ponder over after 37–37 in the World Championship match against Portugal.

» Published: 22 January 2025

After new Handball World Championship disappointment: "Bites us in the butt again"
Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

Sweden had 40 seconds to chase the win after Portugal's equalizer, but it didn't help. Jim Gottfridsson shot the final shot in the last attack, but it came just after the full-time signal had gone.

I think we play right on the clock and you don't want to get the finish too early. We get a free throw and I see that there are five seconds left. Then I just try to get it on goal, says Gottfridsson.

Do you regret that you became too greedy and waited too long?

No. It's clear I can stand here and regret it. At the same time, if we had made the finish with 16 seconds left, you would have stood here with questions about why we didn't shoot later.

Many technical errors

Then the Swedish midfielder had a harder time digesting all the mistakes the team made throughout almost the entire match. Sweden made a total of 15 technical errors, compared to Portugal's 9.

That's what bothers me the most and what bites us in the butt again today. We've said with the handball we play, that certain technical errors we can accept. But this – just throwing the ball to the opponents? Then we might as well throw it over the sideline and run home again. They score 37 goals on us, that's too much.

In goal, Andreas Palicka and Fabian Norsten didn't have a fun evening at work either. The sparse crowd in the World Championship arena outside Oslo saw only five blue-yellow saves throughout the entire match.

An unusual sight.

Today was no good national team match, I'm super disappointed, of course, says team captain Palicka.

It was one of those days when not much worked. I tried to get going, never got into the match, and never got my legs going. "Overall" we have higher expectations of ourselves, of our entire defense and of ourselves in goal.

Brazil in the next match

The 38-year-old goalkeeper has many times taken on the role of blue-yellow hero, but saved only three of 24 Portuguese shots.

I can count to seven or eight shots that "okay, I usually take nine times out of ten". But today I didn't take those shots.

Sweden has Brazil (Friday) and Norway (Sunday) left to face. The two best teams from the group advance to the World Championship quarterfinals, and Blue-yellow still has advancement in their own hands, but no longer group victory (which means avoiding Denmark in the quarterfinals).

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Double World Records at Gala in New York
1 MIN READ

Double World Records at Gala in New York

No winner in the Madrid derby – opens up for Barça
1 MIN READ

No winner in the Madrid derby – opens up for Barça

Came back after the goalkeeper's mistake – knocked out Chelsea
1 MIN READ

Came back after the goalkeeper's mistake – knocked out Chelsea

Tough for Fredricson - tricky road to the final
1 MIN READ

Tough for Fredricson - tricky road to the final

The Swede showed goal form in the Four Nations arena
1 MIN READ

The Swede showed goal form in the Four Nations arena

Finland's superstar injured ahead of European Championship
1 MIN READ

Finland's superstar injured ahead of European Championship

Newcastle decided late when Isak was benched
2 MIN READ

Newcastle decided late when Isak was benched

Three Crowns fell again – fourth straight defeat
1 MIN READ

Three Crowns fell again – fourth straight defeat

"No matter what I do, someone will talk trash"
1 MIN READ

"No matter what I do, someone will talk trash"

The Swede a hero when La Liga club turned the game around
1 MIN READ

The Swede a hero when La Liga club turned the game around

Boltic back in the elite series: "Pure bloody relief"
1 MIN READ

Boltic back in the elite series: "Pure bloody relief"

City close to fiasco – against third-division team
1 MIN READ

City close to fiasco – against third-division team

Årsjö Superior – Took World Championship Gold in Giant Slalom
2 MIN READ

Årsjö Superior – Took World Championship Gold in Giant Slalom

After the World Championship gold - no new medal for Rosenberg
1 MIN READ

After the World Championship gold - no new medal for Rosenberg

After Doping Offense - Took Sensational World Championship Gold
1 MIN READ

After Doping Offense - Took Sensational World Championship Gold

World Championship team ready - "Prepared for enormous pressure"
3 MIN READ

World Championship team ready - "Prepared for enormous pressure"

Felix Monsén the fastest of all in World Championship training
1 MIN READ

Felix Monsén the fastest of all in World Championship training

Overwhelming National Championship Gold for Poromaa and Andersson
2 MIN READ

Overwhelming National Championship Gold for Poromaa and Andersson

Ingrid Lindblad missed the cut in her LPGA debut
1 MIN READ

Ingrid Lindblad missed the cut in her LPGA debut

"He may be a bit too honest sometimes"
3 MIN READ

"He may be a bit too honest sometimes"