The Icelandic national team in women’s handball lost against Norway by 13 goals, 14-27, in the World Championship in Brazil yesterday. To qualify for the 16-team playoffs Iceland needs at least one and preferably two points in the game against Germany tonight.

Hrafnhildur Skúladóttir. Courtesy of her Icelandic club, Valur.

“Germany suits us much better and we simply have to play that game like we played the first game,” captain Hrafnhildur Skúladóttir told Morgunblaðið*, referring to the victory against Montenegro on Saturday.

Iceland and Norway are worlds apart when it comes to strength. Norway took the lead immediately, leading by seven goals at half time. Iceland never managed to challenge its “big sister” and the game was mostly about “minimizing the loss,” sports journalist Ívar Benediktsson wrote.

Despite the loss, Hrafnhildur was satisfied with Norway not scoring any more points. “I found it incredible that we managed to keep them at 27 goals and that is an achievement in itself. We managed to stop their fast breaks pretty well and that is in fact the only positive thing we can take from this game.”

Norway’s strength lay primarily in the defense and goalkeeping and Iceland’s goalkeepers had difficulties deflecting Norway’s concise attacks. Iceland’s lax offensive play was the team’s main problem in yesterday’s game.

Iceland’s qualifying group is said to be the most exciting of them all; late last night Germany achieved a narrow victory over China, 23-22.

ESI