24.10.2012, 07:09
BLOG: My first Champions League experience

The British Olympian Holly Lam-Moores from Viborg HK writes about the start in the Europe´s premier club competition

BLOG: My First Champions League Experience

We haven't exactly had the start we had hoped for in this year´s EHF Champions League campaign. So far we have played two matches and lost both.

The first group match, which was also my first ever experience of Champions League handball was against Thüringer HC away in Germany.

Of course we travelled 10 hours in a bus to do nothing else but go all out and win the game. We have a very strong team despite unlucky injuries to some of our best players including Marit and Amanda; both Olympic Gold medallists. However, we ended up travelling home with 0 points, we played a poor match and nothing seemed to work for us which was frustrating.

I spent the match on the bench as an unused substitute, it was clear to see from the outside looking in it was just one of those days and the girls had a really tough time out there trying to make things work in both attack and defence.

They fought all the way to end and I tried as hard as I could to make an impact from the bench using my voice but it wasn't to be and that's just the way handball can be sometimes....

Moving forward, we put the match behind us and turned our focus to a mid week league fixture with Team Tvis Holstebro. The match was played at home in Viborg and there was a great turn out. I played my part in the match and contributed a goal. We won the match comfortably 35:28 which puts us top of the league table, a great confidence boost after a disappointing weekend!

Our focus then turned quickly back to Europe as we were due to face reigning EHF Champions League winners Budućnost on home soil. A tough opponent for any team. We competed with them throughout most of the match keeping them within one or two goals, but Knežević & co proved too strong in the end and pulled away out of our reach in the last ten minutes, beating us 20:26.

I was used in this match and got my first real taste of competing in the Champions League. It felt amazing! Especially with it being against the reigning champions.

Despite losing the match we put in really strong performance with heaps of positive parts of the match which we will keep and use again. Still, it wasn't perfect and we hoped to win but we are training and working extremely hard day in day out ready to fight Zvezda this Sunday in Viborg!

Our 3rd match in the tournament, another opportunity for us to win. We are a strong team with a fighting spirit and will give everything we have on court this weekend!

TEXT: Holly Lam-Moores, Viborg HK player