Moen: "More emphasis on defence"
Larvik and Győri Audi ETO were dominating Main Round Group 2, with both teams progressing to the semi-final after just four rounds. Their head-to-head match on Sunday will decide over the first place in the group.
ehfCL.com talked to Larvik’s head coach Tor Odvar Moen about the match against the Hungarians, the upcoming tasks, and possible semi-final opponents in the EHF Champions League.
ehfCL.com: How is the shape of the team right now, how do you feel after the victory over Leipzig?
Tor Odvar Moen: I feel that the shape of the team is very good. We played a fairly good match against Leipzig. First of all our defence stood solidly, and that’s something that will be very important when we reach the month of April and the two legs of the semi-final.
ehfCL.com: In January 2011 you took over the head coach position. How has the team’s style changed since then, compared to the coaching of Karl Erik Bøhn? What 'extra' have you brought to the team?
Tor Odvar Moen: Our style has not changed much. I’ve worked with the team for over three seasons now and I’ve been very much involved in the way we have wanted to "style" the team all the way.
We’ve probably changed the focus a little bit in the last two months by working a little more with defence than we did earlier.
As I mentioned before, that will be one of the most important parts of our game play in the next phase of the EHF Champions League.
ehfCL.com: Your weekend opponent will be Győri Audi ETO, a team that you suffered a 'shock defeat' to on home soil earlier in the Main Round. What went wrong in this match and what do you need to do better in the return game?
Tor Odvar Moen: The first half of that match was a total collapse from us. We didn’t put up a fight and lost almost every duel in every part of the game.
In second half we played better in defence but we didn’t use the time in possession very well.
It was a wake-up call for us because that kind of physical play and intensity that the Hungarians put up against us is what the rest of the EHF Champions League will be about.
So to conclude, we will have to put up a fight the whole match and we have to put the ball past their keepers, which was also a problem for us in Larvik.
Saying all this, I think we’ve recovered well since that match, and we are working very well at the moment. The girls have responded brilliantly.
ehfCL.com: Is first place in the group – and home advantage in the return leg of the semi-final – a key desire for you and the team?
Tor Odvar Moen: No, that’s not a key desire for us. I don’t think the home field advantage is that important these days. We have to win with 9 goals to be No. 1 and history tells that it is hard enough to win in Győr…
ehfCL.com: Which team, Budućnost or Itxako, would be the 'easiest' opponent for Larvik in terms of playing system, physical shape and mentality?
Tor Odvar Moen: We will play the team we get. We have no favourite opponent, as I rate both teams being very good.
Now that we know that we will play on the semi-final stage in April, our main focus will be to prepare the team for those two matches in a sensible way. The most important part is to have the team at full strength when the semi-final starts.
ehfCL.com: Coming back to the upcoming game against Győri Audi ETO, how do you see your counterpart, which are their strengths and weaknesses? How do you prepare against Katrine Lunde Haraldsen, the Norwegian who saved with great efficiency in the game in Larvik?
Tor Odvar Moen: They have shown much strength during the Main Round. At home they seem to get an extra kick from their always enthusiastic fans. They play a very high paced game with lots of combinations in attack, with Anita Görbicz as the main director.
They have very few weaknesses, but sometimes they can be a little too eager to decide the match, with the consequence that they take some chances too early.
Katrine played a perfect match in Norway, but we don’t prepare especially for her. We have to create the chances that make it difficult to be a goalkeeper, whatever name and ranking she is.
Larvik HK need to win with nine goals or more in Győr in order to win Group 2. The top match and decisive battle for group victory will be broadcast as a free-of-charge live web stream on ehfTV.com.
EHF Women’s Champions League, Main Round, Round 6
Sunday 20 March 2011, 18:15 hrs (local time)
Győri Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs. Larvik HK (NOR)
ehfTV.com is the official Internet TV platform of the European Handball Federation and offers free live streaming as well as a video on demand service.
TEXT:
Márk Hegedüs