But the problem of Brest residents is that “-5” on the scoreboard is not a joke at all. And on April Fool’s Day, the “Meshkovites” were frankly fooled. How the team got to such results is a mystery. What mood reigns in the Brest locker room – you want to know, and you don’t. Handball players, too, understand everything. But mere words of apology in a “repentant video”, as Vyacheslav Shumak did after the defeat from SKA, will no longer be enough. Words without results on the court are nothing. But the quarter-final series is only up to two victories. And Brest is one step away from such a historical slap in the face, which has never been received within the Superleague before.
To Eduard Koksharov, questions on the results began to accumulate too quickly. Although simple logic says that you can’t ask a coach right from the wheels. But the Russian specialist came to the club just at a time when the result needs blood from the nose. There is no time to build a new command mechanism – it is necessary to make work what was assembled by the previous “engineer” Dmitry Tikhon. And it doesn’t work yet.
Koksharov tried to play on the enthusiasm of his fighters. Gave carte blanche from the start to those who are usually on the sidelines. And Brest residents seemed to run well. Chmel missed a little, starting ten minutes allowed to create some kind of backlog. But the “storks” from the Middle Kingdom only spread their wings. Their goalkeepers caught their courage: He’s reliable game drowned out the Brest attack for several minutes, and the guests gave a 6-0 spurt. And Zhou suddenly stumped the master’s penalty-takers – two of the three seven-meter Chinese guards pulled out. And the “storks” suddenly found themselves in front, holding their advantage until the intermission.
No, Brest did not fall apart before our eyes. But such failed mini-segments decided a lot. And at the beginning of the second half there was one that should be considered fatal. Usik did not catch the ball from the word at all, Chmel returned to the “frame”, but did not become a hero either. “Stork of China” threw both easily and methodically, and the “Meshkovites” could not figure out a clear pursuit. The gap periodically melted to three goals, but in fact the Brest team did not make the opponent seriously nervous. Neither the first numbers, nor the second. The Chinese squad, in an oriental way, calmly bit their teeth into the result and did not give it up. It is noteworthy that Yuan Yuan Zhao became the best sniper of the meeting – he scored 9 goals.
On April 5, Meshkov will not only have to take revenge. And just destroy the opponent. For the result. For my own name. For the sake of apologies to the fans. They won’t accept anything else…
“SACKS BREST” – “STORK CHINA” – 30:35 (12:14)
“BAGS BREST”: Usyk, Chmel (1); Budeyko (2), Zhang Jianjie, Podshivalov (2), Yurinok, Matiyashevich (1), Shumak (2), Baranov (3), Vergeychik (3), Shinkel (3), Alekhine (5), Yarosh (1), Tarasevich, Kuran (7), Andreev.
“STORK OF CHINA”: Zhou Zhethao, He Xin Yang; Zhang Then Jin (2), He Zheng, Song Fai Wei (5), Kang Hu, Cheng Hai Jin, Wu Hao, Jin Yong Feng, Zhou Zhongkun (5), Li Shuang (5), Wu Ruifan, Cheng Xiu (3 ), (9), Zhu Shi Jie (1), Liu Zhao Liang (5).