Erlangen’s handball players give their home success out of hand in the second half –
7 hours ago
Christopher Bissel and HC Erlangen get more than a bloody nose against Balingen.
19.11.2020
Photo: Sportfoto Zink / Oliver Gold, Sportfoto Zink / OGo
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He had given the warning, what else could he have done? Michael Haaß is a relatively young handball trainer, who perhaps also knows quite well what makes players tick. Michael Haaß’s HC Erlangen recently celebrated three wins in a row in the Bundesliga, which is quite remarkable. The last time the Erlangen succeeded in doing this in 2016, the playmaker was then: Michael Haaß.
Today he is the head coach and warns his players. Balingen, it was said before the game, is a very variable opponent, both offensive and defensive, and therefore not easy to play on. They are called “The Gauls” and live up to their name in these weeks: Although they were second to last in the table before the game began on Thursday evening, they came to the arena at Kurt-Leucht with the recommendation of a clear away win at TV Lemgo -Path. Forbidden to underestimate.
Underestimate Balingen? Forbidden!
True to this motto, the home side went into the game and underestimated, that was evident from the start, nobody was definitely underestimated. On the contrary, the Erlangen defense was extremely physical. For Christopher Bissel this even meant that he had to be treated after five minutes of play. With an ice pack on his neck he was bleeding full handkerchiefs, Maximilian Jaeger came for the left winger, but introduced himself directly with a miss and an offensive foul.
Warning, but this time apparently without the right audience: Trainer Michael Haaß.
19.11.2020
Photo: Sportfoto Zink / Oliver Gold, Sportfoto Zink / OGo
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But his colleagues also had a hard time in the initial phase, the equally fast-legged and robust Balinger defense brought their fingers to the ball and thus prevented an impact. The fact that Erlangen was almost always in the lead in the first round, despite a few missed throws, was mainly due to their goalkeeper Martin Ziemer, whose rate of held balls was again a sensational 46 percent after 21 minutes.
Ferlin is back but remains on the bench
Ziemer had been given preference over Klemen Ferlin, who had returned after completing quarantine, and who was on the registration form again. Although Ziemer’s quota fell a little before the break siren, Bissel, who continued after a treatment break of several minutes, and Co. increased noticeably in terms of accuracy – also favored by one or the other time penalty from the guests.
It was 16:12 after 30 minutes because Antonio Metzner turned up late, Sebastian Firnhaber put in his usual cool and top scorer Sime Ivic followed up on the last performance shown.
A game of nerves, a thriller
Coach Haaß must have given the warning during the break, he knows what makes the players tick. Nevertheless, from then on, the mischief crept into his team’s game. Haaß watched it for seven minutes, then pulled out the time-out card at 21:20.
What exactly he was saying to his team could not be heard in the main stand, because the few construction workers who were allowed to watch the game in the hall raised the alarm. Perhaps his players didn’t get it either, because they had to accept the equalizer for the first time after 44 minutes. 24:24. So it turned out as the coach had expected: It was a close game, a game of nerves. A thriller. Nobody is to be underestimated in this league, not even the penultimate.
The HCE is paralyzed
Eleven minutes before the end, Marcel Niemayer took the Gauls their first lead since the 3: 4 in the opening phase – and they never gave it up. Haaß tried a lot, brought Benedikt Kellner for the luckless playmakers Steffen Fäth and Nico Büdel, as well as Janis Boieck for the dismantling Ziemer.
All of a sudden the HCE seemed paralyzed, but the guest bank celebrated hit after hit extensively. And drowned out the drummers in the main stand. In the end, the HCE saw a narrow, avoidable, but also deserved 32:34 defeat on the arena’s video cube, the first after three previous victories. And yet the trainer had warned.
Erlangen: Firnhaber 7, Ivic 7/4, Olsson 5, Metzner 5, Bissel 3, Jeppsson 2, Link 1, Jaeger 1, Büdel 1, Fäth, Schäffer, Kellner.
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