SEMI-FINAL 2: BV BORUSSIA 09 DORTMUND 33:35 NYKØBING FALSTER HÅNDBOLD
Henk Groener – coach, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund
On the match:
“We knew before that it would be a close game with two teams who would fight until the end. We had a good start, we took away five goals at some point, but we were not able to continue this performance, most of all in defence.
“Today again I’ve experienced why I don’t like this rule with seven against six. It’s a fight in defence, always majority, and then you have to have a little bit of luck that you get easy possessions when they miss, that you can score into the empty goal – we didn’t have that many opportunities today.
“We didn't find means in the offence, we took too much the 5-1 against one. But we remained in the game. Then it comes to penalties. It is a little bit a lottery, and their goalkeeper stopped three out of five. It’s a deserved win.”
Dana Bleckmann – left back, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund
On the game:
“It was a really tough match from the beginning, it was really fast one to the other side. We came really good into the game and started good, but then Nykøbing also improved their defence and we couldn't get through any more as we did in the first half.
“In the end it was also luck, when it comes to penalties.”
Emma Olsson – line player, BV Borussia 09 Dortmund
On their emotions in the second half:
“Pretty calm actually, because you know you have 10 minutes to do something, so it’s no stress. But of course it’s a lot to take in.”
On the game:
“It’s really really fun to play these tight and even games. Of course we would wish it would go the other way around, but we’re playing against a really good team. We’re just happy that we had a good semi-final.”
On the placement match against Thüringer HC:
“We’re playing a derby game against our German friends, so it’s always emotional. We’re always excited to play against Thüringer and beat them.”
Jakob Larsen – coach, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold
On the match:
“Before the start of the extra time, I said to them just take it easy, and we continue to play seven against six, because we succeeded with that. It was a matter of being calm in the heads. Then cross the fingers and pray a prayer, because it was so intense and equal.”
Mia Svele – centre back, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold
On the match:
“I was really excited. I’d never played against Dortmund and we knew they are a good team and have really good one-against-one players, they have shooters and wings and goalkeepers all over the line. We knew we need to have a good defending match so we could run, our biggest weapon. I’m also glad that seven against six was good today. That’s the reason that took us back in the game again.”
Nikita van der Vliet – line player, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold
On having to fight back into the game:
“We had a little bit of a problem with the one against ones in the first half. We weren’t really ready for it. We stepped up in the second half, we ran way more in the second half as well. If we did that from the start we didn’t have to make it to penalties.”
On their comeback:
“I’m just so proud of my team that we were fighting back. The emotions were going really high because you felt the adrenalin coming up and the score was coming closer and closer. Because of that we came back and we were fighting like hell as a team.”
On how they managed to come back into the match:
“We talked in the locker room about just giving so much more sprit and more fight, and they fight against us, we have to fight back. We did that way more in the second half and our speed was way more better in the second half as well. We did a great job and tomorrow we should just do it from the start so we don’t make it so close.”