Last night the Baguette Winner and I went to another
handball game: Paris St-Germain vs Cesson-Rennes. Based on my dubious translating of the programme, this was the last game of some sort of round-robin competition. PSG ended up coming second to Dunkerque, who I can only assume are big jerks.
The game began in a disappointing fashion – our two
favourite players, Luc Abalo and Samuel Honrubia (left and right wing,
respectively), were out, presumably with injury. PSG didn’t miss a beat, with
their two replacement wings (Jeffrey M’Tima and Fahrudin Melic) each scoring
six goals in the game.
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Mercifully, we did not have to hear “TNT” after
every single goal, as at the last game. The team introductions were conducted
over an AC/DC backdrop, but that was all we were forced to endure.
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This was shaping up to be another pantsing, with
the Parisians going up 10-2 after 15 minutes. Cesson-Rennes finished the first
half with a flurry, and just after halftime it was only a four-goal game. While
PSG ended up winning by 7, it was a hard-fought victory, and the result was not
guaranteed until the final few minutes.
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Unlike the previous game we attended, the PSG
players actually seemed willing to compete. Perhaps this was due to them being
down two starters (they also relied on back-up pivot Robert Gunnarsson more
heavily than usual starter Igor Vori), but they defended stoutly and chased
down loose balls with gusto. This was a far better example of competitive handball.
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This had, easily, the best ambiance of any
handball game I’ve ever been to. They even had proper NBA-style player intros!
Well, that photo did it no
justice whatsoever, but in the right corner, you can see the beginning of
PYROTECHNICS! For someone used to playing handball in far-flung gyms with three
spectators, this was rather thrilling.
There won’t be too many more handball games in the near
future, unfortunately. It’s a winter sport, after all. So this sports post will
have to do until the FIBA World Cup in Spain (September!).
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