Switzerland: The role of spoilsport
With a home match against Ukraine on Thursday 31st May in Kloten, and a guest appearance on Saturday 2nd June in Guadalajara, Spain, the Swiss team will make their exit from qualifying for the European Championship finals in Holland in December.
The SHV-selection of coach Marta Bon, as expected, has collected no points so far, but has gained a lot of valuable experience along the way.
With three high-class opponents in the group, Spain, Iceland, and Ukraine, the Swiss women's national team was only expected to play a supporting role.
Nevertheless, the team of coach Marta Bon played well in front of their home crowd. In October, the final score was 20:29 to Spain. Switzerland made a miserable start to the game - after 23 minutes it was 3:13 - but then they turned things around impressively and ended almost as equals to the Iberians.
In March, the Swiss held their own against Iceland before 1550 spectators in St. Gallen for a surprisingly long time. Up to the 50th minute (18:22) the Swiss battled valiantly, but in the end it finished 19:26 to Iceland. There was no reward for their spirited performance.
Although the Swiss team were encouraged by their improvement, they know that Spain and Iceland could play technically, physically and athletically at a higher level when required.
The initial position before the last two games thus remains the same. In Kloten against Ukraine, the Swiss players want to once again assume the role of spoilsport.
If they can remain solid and robust against the Eastern Europeans, maybe something good is possible. The Swiss proved that in May 2010, when they held their own in Herzogenbuchsee thanks to a strong first half to make it a 14:14 draw. What followed was a strong response from the Ukraine, who went on to win 33:24.
If Switzerland is to keep up with the international elite, it needs more depth to its squad. A victory against Ukraine would be a sensation, especially as the East European women are fighting for European Championship participation and in urgent need of points.
The SHV-selection is already pursuing other goals. The team of Marta Bon is benefitting from these high-paced games and is gaining useful experience from them. A strong opponent, such as Ukraine, is always very welcome.
Further Information
 Find more information on the Women's EHF EURO 2012 Qualification HERE.
View more detailed information on the event on the Official EHF EURO 2012 Website.
http://www.facebook.com/EHFEUROWomen
TEXT: Márk Hegedüs / Swiss Handball Federation
|
