Sport Centre 10-01-2007
vagy.hu - Szabolcs Koppányi 

We not only love but also understand it

One of our handball selected team won, the other was defeated and the Főnix glared.

There were so many people in Debrecen who were interested in the match of Hungarian”B” and Algeria from half past three, but the Derby which was considered to be the real one started at 6 o’clock. In this Derby the best national players struggled with the hosts of the sooner beginning men’s handball world championship, with Germany.

But in the sporadically high-level meeting the German selected team, which was not in the strongest selection because of injuries, could score our team off, nevertheless it is not a shame to be lost against the second placed team of the Olympic Games. The competents at last became conscious that not 1000 people have to be brought into the Főnix for 3000 Forints but for 1000 forints much more than 3000 people. Because it is not only a grateful sight if from children to the agile fans and to the circumspectly walking older people so many spectators sit down on the chairs that the huge establishment will be full and it will yield more ticket revenue. Bravo, our first appreciation is to the organizers.  

In the pre-match the Hungarian „B” selected team consisting of only young people (with István Rédei and Gergely Tarnavölgyi from DKSE in its rows) struggled with the Algerian team which is not in the forefront of the world but regarding their playing knowledge they are right behind the Egypt-Tunisia-Morocco represented African forefront. The two teams have already struggled on Friday in an unofficial match in the Hódos Imre Sport Stadium where our team won by 32 to 30 and, where both Rédei and Tarnavölgyi played well. It is true that the left side shooter of DKSE, Tarnavölgyi lost a lot of balls but both of them played markedly agilely. However they left breath for the Saturday match played in front of the public which could have been caught in the act mainly at Rédei who was kept in evidence as the right side heavy bomber.

He came to the ground as a beginner (his fellow, Gergely was a substitution and once he was sent out) and he began to score the goals in large-scale industry. We can say that the reason why he is in the team is to do so, but it was a pleasure to watch how easily he went up in front of the Algerian  defensive wall into the air in order to shoot the ball into any of the corners.  Finally he went till eight goals and the Hungarian selected team went till 34 and as they got only 29 (the local side led even by eight goals), they won the Derby. Mr Péter Juhász, the coach, who gesticulated sharply to the end, could be satisfied with the boys.

To six o’clock in the evening some more nursery-school children and pupils of lower grades marched in the Főnix to cheer and not much later directly beside them the tune-callers and exhilarating companions reinforced with ’Loki B medium’ sat down. It could be stated that they were good neighbours, but in this match only some forceful rhymed tag could be heard to pry into the sexual behaviour of the judges – well, it is a fiddlestick, the small children say to each other much stronger words in the sandy playground while they are  building (and pulling down) sand-castles. Never mind.

It was good to see that the Főnix Hall being full of overflowing lived. Colourfully, applausively, to the invitation of the speaker cheering even more enthusiastically for the Hungarian selected team. However in Debrecen people not only love but most of them understand handball. It was certified by the fact that some very young people sitting nearby said naturally the names of the players being in action, who may be less known here and they cheered the national players in their names. 

Trainees of Mr László Skaliczki did their utmost in most part of the match, in vain was this match officially only a friendly one, helping the professional preparation test-match. The guest German team thought it the same as any of them were not at a loss for harshness. For example the name of the player No. 4, Roggish, will not be remembered from his fine solutions, it is sure.

First of all he cleaned in front of their goal when he was sent off (Gyula Gál’s jaw was injured) and then coming back from the penalty he hardly immediately had to be sent back to the punished ones; it depended on the goodwill of the Serbian judges that they left him in the ground not complying with the pressure of the indignant public. All in all it was not the brawl which drew character of the match, the two teams respected each other. Several of them know each other as some of our team from the recent pool who do not play at home, they play either in Spain or in Germany in club level.

For example Nándor Fazekas, the former goal-keeper of Veszprém and the current goal-keeper of Vfl Gummersbach was not seen for the first time by the Germans to keep goals, nevertheless our Nándi turned Hense’s flank several times.  He performed in class level and in the evaluation after the match, Mr Heiner Brand, captain of the association under his large moustache he emphasized smilingly: „it was a pity that the Hungarian goal-keeper was in the way of the ball so many times”.  In the other side the worthily famous Fritz kept some good balls, but his performance was forgettable, moreover Bitter who came in instead of him, did not do his utmost for a time. But later he unfortunately performed very well, thus it can be stated that the local ones and the guests will enter for the approaching world championship with a good goal-keeper – but rather with two.

Since it was a preparation match, members of the professional staff variegated a lot in both sides. In our team Gábor Császár (who became the best one of our team in attack) came in instead of the very well beginning leading-shooter, Diaz Ivó nationalized from Cuba and the perhaps most famous men handball player of Hungary, László Nagy, who plays in Barcelona was called to the bench – instead of him the son – Tamás - of the former captain of the association, Mr Lajos Mocsai came in to play as a right side shooter. László Nagy, who performed staidly to the end (and taking pains with smaller injuries) later came back, but Mocsai also left in the ground, there was a structure change in the home team. From the wingers in the beginning Tamás Iváncsik, while later Attila Vadkerti, the other winger played well. The latter one excelled not with his successfulness, but with helping his fellows, creating good situations and fighting out fouls made against him.    

In the beginning the Germans kept frightening most time with the hydrogenate-crested Hens, and then good relations between the leaders and shooters and their substitutives (or wingers running in that position) consolidated. Unfortunately substitutives came into throwing position which praised their tactics on one hand, and the other hand it was the criticism of our defense. Fazekes kept some sitters – if not all of them – which resulted in disharmony in the hall. It is true that sometimes players of both teams threw to the goal shooting in the middle (obviously there were no other place through the well-positioning wall), thus the goal-keepers were made great by the fielders, but there were no lack of bravura.

However it turned out that the Hungarian selected team can not play gathering up all their strength. The Germans destituting the world classes Baur és Kehrmann stood up from the floor with their simple production (at 5:1 and 9:5 we led by four goals, which was a great difference in this Derby lacking of goals). The concentration of our team in the second half diminished, Preiss’ got a lot of so-called easy goals while their goal-keeper improved. Laci Nagy went on bracing up or handing over the ball and did not drive at the goal. But Ferenc Ilyés could neither be a more efficient shooter on the left-hand side. After the match Mr László Skaliczki evaluated this situation that the Germans condemned the Hungarians successfully to sideway passes and static play, which did not harmonize with our team (owing to their smaller physique) as the quick and combinative handball. The not too tall Zeitz could also shoot over the Hungarian wall which showed unanimously that the wall did not lock so well as in the first forty minutes.

The on the wholly very scentific Csaba Tomor made a mistake in a penalty shooting in a key situation, while Hens shot his own one and after a while there was a two-three goals German leading. We ran after the result, the public pressed on ours, but today it was everything in the team. With a healthy László Nagy who score not only two goals, with a Gyula Gál playing several times, with shooters generally performing better, we can have a chance in the future against such level teams, mainly if the boys do less mistakes. After the Sunday „return match” in Budapest comes a little preparation and then the world championship in Germany where we have to beat one of the Norwegian – Danish duo for the good playing (Angola will be beaten without any problem by Törő’s)

Mr László Sinka general secretary of the association: - It was a pleasure to play in Debrecen. And let me reveal a secret: this year we still would like to come back with the women and play for a house full of capacity.

Mr László Skaliczki: - The match of today was an important one. In the first half we forced the Germans to faults while in the second half they did the same with us. We had to produce a pushing play and there were too many technical faults. We are before a great challenge and now everyone has to work humbly. We have to put on the not so pretty clothes and then can come the fancy-work. It is important in the training period that we strive to simulate stress situations more and more times because it can be decisive in the championship. 

Mr Heiner Brand: - It was only a preparation match but I am glad that we won. We had technical faults but we have had many injured players as well. And the Hungarian goal-keeper stood in the way of our balls too many times. The tactic has not changed comparing it with the last years (he is the captain of the association for a decade – the editor) only the generation changed. The guideline is given.

Mr Sebastian Preiss: - Our defence united for the second half and before that we stood up from the floor two times.

Fazekas Nándor: - Jól küzdöttünk eleinte, de utána elemi hibákat vétettünk. A csapat nevében is mondhatom, hogy nagyon örülünk a szurkolásnak, a teltháznak, amit köszönünk a debrecenieknek. Szeretnénk ide visszajönni!

Mr Nándor Fazekas: - In the beginning we struggled well but after that we did elementary faults. I can state it on behalf of the team that we were glad for the cheering, the house with full capacity which we thank for the people in Debrecen. We would like to come back here!

Hungary „B” – Algeria 34-29 (19-14)
Debrecen, Főnix Hall, 2000 spectators.
It was led by: Baranyai, Szloska

The best players:
Hungary: János Kovács (goal-keeper), István Rédei (8 goals), Máté Halász (7/2), Timuzsin Schuch (1), Gábor Grebenár (5, Ákos Sándor (4).

Algeria:  Amar Chehbour (6 goals), Ismail Laggolin (6/2), Sidali Jahida (4).

Hungary-Germany 20-23 (13-10)

Debrecen, Főnix Hall, 7000 spectators.

It was led by: Visekruna, Stanojevic (both of them are Serbians).

Hungary: FAZEKAS – Iváncsik T. 2, Gál Gy. 1, Nagy László. 2, Ilyés 2, DIAZ 3, VADKERTI 1.

Substitutives: CSÁSZÁR 6/2, Mocsai T. 1, Tombor 2/1, Buday, Katzirz, Törő, Zubai. Captain of the association: László Skaliczki.

Germany: Fritz – Schröder 3, ZEITZ 6, Roggisch, Kraus, Klimovets, Jansen 1/1. Substitutives: BITTER (goal-keeper), Hens 3, Hegemann, Klein 1, Haass 1, PREISS 6, Schöne, Kaufmann 2. Captain of the association: Heiner Brand.

Sending-offs: 6 and 10 minutes.

Seven-metres: 6/4, and 1/1.

Goals of the match: Minute 9th: 3-1, Min 12th: 5-1, Min. 15th: 6-5, Min 20th: 9-5, Min 25th: 10-8, Min 33rd: 14-13, min 42nd: 17-17, Min 52nd: 19-21.