The national handball team has entered the final phase of its preparations for the championship. Head coach Henrik Valdes trimmed his squad to 18 players on Monday at the training camp in Elmbridge, leaving two friendly matches to settle the last questions before the opening game.
The team will play its last warm-up games at the Elmbridge Sports Hall on Thursday and Saturday, both against a neighboring national side.
Tough decisions
Valdes left out two experienced players, including veteran pivot Marco Lund, who has played more than 120 games for the national team. Lund has struggled with a knee problem since the end of last season.
These are the hardest conversations a coach has. Marco has given everything to this team, but I need players who can play sixty minutes at full speed from the first game.
Henrik Valdes, head coach
The squad is built around a core from Elmbridge HC, which supplies six players, including first-choice goalkeeper Daniel Petrov and left back Adam Krell, last season’s top scorer in the league.
Young players get their chance
Three players under 22 made the final list. The most talked-about is 20-year-old right wing Luka Brenner, who scored nine goals in the team’s previous friendly. “I didn’t expect to be here a year ago,” he said after training. “Now I just want to help however the coach needs me.”
The coaching staff has focused on defense in the past two weeks after conceding too many goals from fast breaks in earlier friendlies. Video sessions and long tactical drills have filled the afternoons at the camp.
What’s next
After Saturday’s friendly, the team will have two days off before traveling to the championship. Its group includes three strong opponents, and the target set by the federation is a place in the main round.
Tickets for both friendlies in Elmbridge are still available, and the Saturday game will be broadcast nationwide. Valdes has said he will name his starting seven only on the eve of the opening match.
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