The Swiss handball team started the World Handball Championship with a 17:17 win against the Czech Republic.
It was anything but a game for lovers of neat handball; both teams had to fight hard for their goals. On the one hand, this was due to strong defenses and goalkeepers, on the other hand, both teams lacked class in their play. The Swiss were visibly lacking the brilliance of director Manuel Zehnder, who had suffered a serious knee injury at the Yellow Cup in Winterthur.
The Swiss gained possession with 45 seconds remaining at 17:17, but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity to win the game. It matched the performance in offense.
At the break, the score was 8:7 in favor of the SHV team after they had led 6:2 in the 16th minute. Goalie Nikola Portner made eight saves in the first 30 minutes, giving him a save percentage of 57 percent. He saved seven more shots in the second half and was named the best player of the match. Lenny Rubin scored eight of the 17 Swiss goals.
In their second match on Friday evening, the Swiss will be up against a much stronger opponent than the Czechs, as they face Olympic silver medallists Germany.
