Bucharest follows Kiel: Foxes tick off first league defeat
Füchse Berlin wanted to quickly tick off their first defeat of the season in the German Handball League. "We have to accept this defeat. Kiel deserved to win," said coach Jaron Siewert after the 26:30 defeat at THW Kiel on Sunday. Superstar Mathias Gidsel was also relaxed. "It doesn't mean that much for us. I'm sure we're not finished yet," said the Dane.
After all, despite losing the lead in the table to SC Magdeburg, the Foxes remain in the title race. "We just have to keep going and keep improving," said Gidsel. In particular, the attack, which has been so strong this season, rarely came into its own in Kiel. "We had a lot of problems in attack for the first time this season. It wasn't enough today," said Gidsel.
Director of Sport Stefan Kretzschmar criticized the lack of cleverness, especially in the first half. "We didn't come up with many solutions. We fell for exactly what Kiel wanted, for our half-backs to get to the center," he said. And Siewert agreed. "With an attacking performance like that, it's difficult to pick up points in Kiel," he said.
However, there is not much time to think about it anyway. The team traveled to Hamburg on Sunday evening, from where it continued on Monday via Vienna to Bucharest, where the Berliners have to face Romanian champions Dinamo Bucharest in the European League on Tuesday (6.45 p.m./Dyn). "For us, it's about taking a huge step towards winning the group," said Siewert. However, the coach warned of the atmosphere. "The arena is crazy, the fans are really rioting there in a positive sense. It will be an extremely difficult away game."
The next challenge for Foxes Berlin lies in the EHF European League, as they face Dinamo Bucharest, the Romanian champions. Despite their loss in the Bundesliga, Siewert emphasized the importance of this game, stating, "It's about taking a huge step towards winning the group."
THW Kiel's dominance in the German Handball League continued with their victory over Foxes Berlin. Now, Bundlesliga leaders SC Magdeburg are closer to seizing the top spot, pushing Berlin further back in the title race.
Foxes Berlin's European League opponent, Dinamo Bucharest, will provide a tough test due to their passionate home crowd. Siewert acknowledged the challenge, warning, "The arena is crazy, the fans are really rioting there in a positive sense. It will be an extremely difficult away game."
Source: www.dpa.com
