The champions of the 2015 IHF Super Globe, Fuchse Berlin, defeated Al-Sadd by a decisive six goals to secure their ticket to the final of the 2016 edition, where they will meet PSG Handball. The ‘Foxes’ had seemingly little trouble with the victory, taking the lead after the first 13 minutes and holding it to the final whistle.
“We needed to play good defence, and we did play good defence, and then Heinevetter did a good job in the second half behind the defence – and that is the usual way of winning the game,” said Berlin coach Erlingur Richardsson following the match. “It is always good to play international. You have a little bit different players, different style of playing. Of course this will help us hopefully in Germany.”
Duhail Sports Hall, Tuesday 6 September
Semi-final: Al-Sadd (QAT) vs Fuchse Berlin (GER) 26:32 (12:15)
Just as the semi-final before it was, this was a level match with the score progressing one for one through the first quarter before the winning team claimed the advantage and never looked back.
At the 10-minute mark the score stood in narrow favour of the hosts at 4:3, but it was not long before the 2015 Super Globe champions claimed the lead. Midway through the half Berlin were in front 8:6 when Al-Sadd’s Mustafa Ali A Alkrad received a direct red card, and the two-goal distance persisted when the European team’s coach Richardsson called his first time-out in the 19th (9:7 to Berlin).
Despite some great saves from goalkeeper Darko Stanic, Al-Sadd could not come any closer than two goals as the clock ticked on, and the European team were able to create the first three-goal lead of the match as the last five minutes of the half approached and Dragan Vukovic broke through to put the score at 12:9. Berlin pulled further in front just inside the last five minutes of the period thanks to Bjarki Elisson (13:9), and retained a three-goal advantage at the break.
Five minutes into the second period Berlin stayed ahead by four at 17:13, and as the clock ticked on it became increasingly clear Al-Sadd would not be able to slow the European side’s roll. The difference was not enormous but it remained steady, and with 15 minutes remaining the scoreboard showed 23:20 for Berlin.
At the 50-minute mark with the score at 27:24, Al-Sadd brought in their young second keeper Rasheed Yusuff, but when he could not make an impact on the European team’s shooting he returned to the bench and Stanic took his place (29:25, 55th minute).
It was clear coach Chouaib Kafi was not ready to give up their chance at a place in the final, as he called a time-out immediately after the change, but it had the opposite effect he was hoping for. Berlin returned to the court with no mercy, turning the four-goal difference into a six-goal advantage by the final whistle, booking their place in the final alongside PSG.