Like women, like juniors: The two leading nations of the last years in female handball meet in the final of the 17th Juniors World Championship in Seoul on Saturday, 16:30 local Korean time: Norway and Russia. In the last decade the women’s teams of both countries played the real big matches: Russia won the women’s WCH finals against Norway 2005 and 2007 and the WCH semi 2009 before becoming World Champion again. Norway took revenge at the Olympics final in Beijing, the EURO final 2006 and the EURO semi final 2008. Now it’s the turn for the juniors to continue this final story. Aside both nations met in the juniors WCH final 2005, as Russia took their 11th title by beating Norway 30:25.
The current teams didn’t meet last year at the junior’s EURO in Hungary, as Russia missed the final due to a semi defeat against the host. Norway took the title. But right before the current WCH in Korea both teams met in a friendly in Norway. “We know them very well, they know us very well, so there’ll be no secrets of tactics,” the Norwegian coach Morten Tom Svendsen says.
At the WCH in Korea Russia and Norway each won eight of their nine currently played matches. Russia lost the opener against Montenegro and then gained eight consecutive victories including the success against host Korea (30:26) in the semis. Norway only lost the final Main Round match against Korea, but then won the semi against Montenegro clearly 26:16.
Despite the fact that host Korea played some outstanding matches and the squad contains some world class players most of the experts say that Korea and Russia are the well-deserved finalist. Both have one clear advantage to all other teams: their quality on the bench, the bigger alternatives. And both teams have some highly experienced players of individual top class. On the Norwegian side it’s their left handed right back Nora Moerk from Champions League semifinalist Larvik HK, who aside plays in the women’s national team, too. As she was missing due to an injury, Norway lost against Korea. Moerk’s not only the top scorer of her team, but the clear leader in attack. Another Norwegian advantage is their concinnity – there’s no real shooter, the goals are balanced on the whole team. And even as the fast and furious counter attacks are the specialty of Norway they also score from position attacks – and all positions equal. Aside their defense is movable, fast, tall and aggressive – what are exactly the same attributes for the Russian defense. On goalkeeper position there’s a little advantage for Norway with Guru Rundbraathen compared with the Russian duo concerning their stability.
On the Russian side nearly all players are squad members of the top club of the domestic league like Wolgograd, Zvenigorod, Togliatti or Krasnodar. They already play on highest level for some years including European Cups or Champions League. And Ksenia Makeeva and Tatiana Khmyrova (both from Wolgograd) were already World Champions with the Russian women in 2009 in China – so both know how to beat Norway in a highly decisive match. The Russian defense was the best in the whole tournament and in attack the responsibility – like in the Norwegian team – is carried on several shoulders, even as Khmyrova was the outstanding player of the first semi with in total ten goals. Aside back court players like Ana Sen or Irina Nikitina symbolize world class.
So the match in Seoul on Saturday seems to be completely open – tall, powerful Russians against fast and furious Norwegians, nobody can say that there’s a clear favourite for the title. But Norway has a special motivation: For them the Gold medal would be the first title in this age category, as Russia already had won the juniors Gold eleven times.
Before the final (starting whistle at 14:10) Korea meet Montenegro for the Bronze medal. The decisive factor for the host is, if they can switch off their pain and mourning after missing the finals. From the physical point of view they’re the clear favourite, as Montenegro has lost nearly all their powers in this WCH.