Thomas Mogensen: When we play with pace, they have no chance

2012 was the best year of his professional career: First, Thomas Mogensen raised the EHF EURO 2012 trophy with Denmark and then celebrated winning the European Cup Winners Cup with SG Flensburg-Handewitt.

In the buildup to the VELUX EHF Champions League Match of the Week on Sunday between SG Flensburg-Handewitt and HSV Hamburg, ehfCL.com spoke with the 29 year-old.

ehfCL.com: In the first game between the two teams last weekend, HSV won 31:28. How did they beat you?

Thomas Mogensen: I am obviously disappointed that we didn´t win. We had a very good start, played with speed and ran the counter-attacks. Then, unfortunately, Arnor Atlason suffered a serious injury. That was just terrible. Obviously that slowed us down somewhat.

We had to hold back in order to save our energy, who knows how the game would have finished if we had 60 minutes to keep up the pace.

ehfCL.com: Arnor Atlason has ruptured his Achilles tendon. What did you see when the injury happened?

Thomas Mogensen: I only saw that Arnor was suddenly on the floor, and because it was without any external force, everyone knew that it was serious.

As he lay on the stretcher, I thought: One less player, I wonder whether we have enough strength? I suffer with Arnor, we want to support him as a team in any way we can.

ehfCL.com: With the Icelandic right hander Olafur Gustafsson, a new player has been signed, but he is not allowed to play in the VELUX EHF Champions League. Lars Kaufmann and Petar Djordjic are also missing. How can your team compensate for the injuries?

Thomas Mogensen: We have lost three players in a position which is so important. I want to see the team that would smile about a setback like that.

But we must not cry, we have to deal with what we have carefully and think positively. We must move closer together. By this I mean not only the team, but the whole club and the spectators. We need to show heart and passion, we must think game by game.

ehfCL.com: What do you expect on Sunday in the second leg against Hamburg?

Thomas Mogensen: We want revenge. I have a good feeling about the game. Hamburg also have many injury problems and aren´t currently at 100 percent.

When we play with pace, they have no chance. They only came back into the game last Sunday because our tempo fell.

ehfCL.com: Who will win Group A?

Thomas Mogensen: We have six points, Hamburg nine and Chekhovskie Medvedie seven, so first place isn't unrealistic.

We want to take top spot, but we will take each game as it comes, we will continue to fight until Christmas, and after the break we'll see how it goes in February.