Viborg take the CL title!

Viborg HK are the Champions League winners in the 2008/09 season. By winning in Veszprém against Győr at a really tense match that ended with 26:23 (14:10), the Danes won the title for the second time in their history. Let’s not forget: Győr won the first leg by 24:26.

As it was the case at the first match in Aalborg, Győr had to miss their playmaker Anita Görbicz due to injury. But in contrast to last week, her substitute Anikó Kovacsics could fully replace her.

The first halftime was imprinted by two outstanding goalkeepers. Like in the first match Katalin Pálinger (Győr) and Katrine Lunde Haraldsen made several spectacular saves. For Györ, Pálinger was the savior in the first 20 minutes, as she kept her team in the match and avoided falling too much behind.

Viborg played with high efficiency when they could launch high speed counter attacks, but had problems when the Győr defence came back to the six-metre line. Especially Henriette Mikkelsen was active who scored six of her seven goals before the break.

Nearly every mistake of the Hungarians was punished by counter attack goals before the break. Additionally Viborg had a strong and active defence. At 8:5, the Danish champions were in the lead by three goals and they were on their way to the title.

As Győr missed too many chances and caused too many mistakes in the attack (includingthree missed penalty shots), Viborg extended their lead to five goals in the 25th minute (13:8) and kept the distance until the break (14:10) - as Győr scored only eight field goals.

The 5,019 spectators shouted and screamed their team back in the game after the break – and created a great atmosphere, absolutely worthy of a Champions League Final.

But Viborg stood strong, extended the lead to even 18:12 (36th minute) and played with much more determination than at the first match.

As Győr didn’t allow as many counter attacks as before the break, Viborg waited long and clever in offence to take the chances then. But Györ tried all they could, coach Konkoly changed his line-up very often, but Viborg were too strong for the Hungarians in this stage.

At this point there were two suspensions against the Danes and it brought gave back the chances of Győr. Four consecutives goals and the hall went crazy! The match seemed to turn completely as Győr came closer to 18:21.

However, as Lunde Haraldsen saved a penalty of Aniko Kovacsics, who played an outstanding second half, Viborgsurvived these dangerous minutes and extended the gap to five goals again (24:19) ten minutes before the end. But for Viborg it was much too early to celebrate, as the Hungarians never surrendered – and tried hard to make the dream of the first Hungarian women’s CL title since 1999 (Dunaferr) come true.

And they came closer and closer: with four consecutive penalty goals from Anita Herr the arena exploded. Two minutes before the end, Herr made it 23:25 – what would have been enough at this moment for the title. When Lund scored the 26:23, there were still 90 seconds to play.

The tension was huge with 38 seconds to play – and a penalty shot for Győr. Herr against Haraldsen, a shot and the ball hit the post.

Viborg slowed down, Győr tried to steal a ball and they got it back. But it was too late. The last chance was an overtime free throw, but the shot of Tomori was blocked.

26:23 – Viborg are the new title holders!

With her four goals in the second leg of the Final, Viborg’s left handed player Grit Jurack became the top scorer of the complete Champions League season with 113 goals in total.