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Johannes Golla is only 23 years old, but he has already completely internalized the customs of major tournaments.

With two bankruptcies from three games, the arguments for the German handball players to progress at the World Cup in Egypt can only be heard in the subjunctive.

And also the circle runner did not want to get involved in arithmetic games the day after the bitter defeat against Spain at the start of the main round.

"The chance of progressing is almost zero," he said on Friday afternoon in the team hotel in Cairo.

“A lot of crazy things have to happen.

It's bitter because we had it in our own hands.

But in two games in a row we practically threw everything away. "

Circle runner Johannes Golla (r.) Scores one of his four goals in the game against Spain

Source: Pool via REUTERS

A fitting inventory of the young defense chief.

Because both in the last group game against Hungary (28:29) and in the defeat against European champions Spain (28:32) there would have been a lot more for the newly formed selection.

In the middle of the second half she had converted a clear deficit in a duel with the Iberians into a lead with three goals and indicated what is possible with a little more consistency.

Saturday against Brazil

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“The top level opponents are a bit more ripped off than we are,” Golla had to recognize.

“That tears at the psyche and unsettles a bit.

We have to work to prevent this from happening to us. "

Golla and Co. have the next opportunity to do so in the second main round game on Saturday (8.30 p.m., ZDF) against Brazil.

A victory is a must in order to maintain the slight possibility of a longer stay in the desert state.

In order to reach the quarter-finals, Germany needs two points from the game against Poland on Monday (8.30 p.m., ARD) in addition to a victory over the South Americans.

Should Hungary again lose their two final encounters in the main round, there could be a so-called three-way comparison between Germany, Poland and Hungary, in which the goal difference would then be decisive.

An unrealistic, but not completely ruled out scenario.

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“They say yes, hope dies last.

Realistically, we have to be very lucky, "said national coach Alfred Gislason about the difficult starting position in Group I. And the veteran in the German goal, Johannes Bitter, said:" I always look ahead with a feeling of what is still possible.

And everything is still possible, we are not out yet.

That's why we all have to find a good mood together again. "

The sports director of the German Handball Federation had also observed that “the boys were very upset” after the Spain game.

"You could feel that there was a sack on your shoulders," reported Axel Kromer.

“It is clear that we have to win the rest of the games, which I believe we can do.

We have to make sure that we present our performance against Brazil and Poland.

These are the crucial screws that we have to put in place, ”said the official.

"If we all do our job, there is nothing to blame if the supposed goal of the quarter-finals is not achieved."