Tokyo (AFP)

Contract fulfilled: the French handball players took place against Brazil (34-29) to chain a second success in as many matches in the Olympic tournament of the Tokyo Games, Monday at the Yoyogi stadium.

The Blues have taken a big step towards qualifying for the quarter-finals, which they will reach if they place in the top four in their group of six.

Germany awaits them on Wednesday, then in order, Spain and Norway.

"We made a success of our start to the Games", appreciates coach Guillaume Gille after two victories against the two most affordable opponents in the group.

"These were two trap matches to be managed with the pressure of a start to the tournament behind closed doors," recalls Valentin Porte.

"We could have fallen into a trap."

The threat of elimination in the first round is almost ruled out for the Olympic vice-champions of Rio: during the last two tournaments at the Olympics (2012 and 2016), two successes were enough to see the quarterfinals.

In a Yoyogi stadium still so icy under the combined effect of the air conditioning and the deserted stands, the French confirmed their first convincing against Argentina on Saturday (33-27), against an opponent of superior caliber.

These same Brazilians had made life difficult for Norway on Saturday, led to the break (13-12) before finally winning 27-24.

Unlike the band of Sander Sagosen, who was up to four lengths behind (10-6, in the middle of the first period), the Blues have always been ahead in the score - as against Argentina - and even counted up to eight points (29-21, 49th).

- Tournat gives air -

After a hooked first period (13-12 three minutes from the break), the entry of pivot Nicolas Tournat, in the stands on Saturday, gave air to the Blues, whose fifteenth man left out of the scoresheet was this time Melvyn Richardson.

In less than two minutes, Nicolas Tournat scored two goals and obtained a throw of seven meters, transformed by captain Michaël Guigou, to allow his partners to reach the locker room with three goals ahead (16-13).

"On these first two matches, we saw that the entrants could make the difference", retains Valentin Porte, appeared on the floor for the second act.

At the same time as the second goalkeeper Yann Genty, that Hugo Descat and Kentin Mahé.

"The entire workforce has successfully entered the Games," said Guillaume Gille.

The only fear at the very end of the match, the nudge in the face received by the star of the team Nikola Karabatic, returned in May at 37 years of age from a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee.

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The gesture earned Thiago Petrus a red card and left the double Olympic champion (2008 and 2012) on the ground for a while, scoring four goals on Monday.

But the survivor of Experts played the last forty seconds of the match and made a reassuring gesture in the mixed zone.

Not enough to disturb his presence therefore against Germany for the first real test of the Blues in Tokyo on Wednesday.

"It's a team that will test us," predicts Guillaume Gille.

"The end of the group promises to be at high altitude with three major handball nations."

© 2021 AFP