After any match, win or loss, is the time for analysis of the performance to examine what can be improved. In the case of a game like the one against Denmark, where Sweden lost by one and nothing was sure until the buzzer, the situation is a little different compared to a clearer defeat. In a match as tight as that one, there might not be as much to look for in terms of what went wrong, as it can come down to such small details that luck or one outstanding action also play a role.
“It’s so often like this in the big games – it’s the small, small things that decide in the end. It can be a great save or whatever, so it feels a little bit like you hit the post out instead of in. But next time we play them, maybe it’s the other way around. That’s the feeling,” says Wanne.
That said, the closer, more challenging matches can also provide the greatest opportunities for a team to learn and see what they want to do better. Sweden have now had two at the EHF EURO 2024: the Friday clash versus Denmark and their last preliminary round game versus the Netherlands, which they won by one. Aside from those, Sweden’s wins have been more decisive, as they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia with commanding differences in the preliminary round and took a six-goal victory over Slovenia in their main round opener.
“Especially the game against the Netherlands was really good for us. They were also great to play against,” says Wanne.
“You can see now that a lot of countries are becoming much better, which weren’t when I started my professional career. Like now, Portugal and Holland, that they can play on such a good level, shows that handball is really growing and it’s great. And of course, it’s important for us to have a really tough game before yesterday playing against Denmark here, so we can see more clearly what we need to work on.”