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Kolding could play with Rocas on the team for the first time

Holstebro's best back player, Michael Damgaard, is questionable, Kolding is still playing without Kim Andersson, Irming, Simon Jensen and Schnuchel

These two teams played some great games last season, 6 of which were against each other. Tvis Holstebro made a great surprise by eliminating KIF Kolding from the quarterfinals of the EHF cup and leaving Kim Andersson and the rest without the Final Four. It is an especially big surpise when you know that Kolding won three of four league matches before these European clashes, and only Tvis managed to take 25-25 in a game. 

Tvis is entering this new battle after a league win, 35-28 in an away game at Riba Esbjerg, while Kolding is coming to Holstebro without their both right backs, Kim Andersson and Kasper Irming, as well as the two injured wings Simon Jensen (right) and Boris Schnuchel (left). But they do have three wins from three rounds, first two of which are expecially valuable, against the main title candidates, Aalborg and Bjerringbro. 

- It will be a difficult match against a young and good Tvis' team. There is no doubt it is a team that can be in top of the league - Kolding Copenhagen's coach Henrik Kronborg said for the club's website. 

- We have to continue with our game. Be sharp in defense and in offense. We have to continue to be better at what we do. We're improving and we're better with each game. The players have confidence and they're in good form. 

Kolding had an easier game against TMS Ringsted, candidate for relegation, this weekend. They left the guests on 20 goals, and two middle backs, Bo Spellerberg and Lukas Karlsson, led the team with 8 goals each. Young Lasse Andersson scored 4 goals. 

Coach Kronborg, besides earlier mentioned injured players, couldn't count on their greatest signing, right wing Albert Rocas. His paperwork is still not ready, but the news came that Rocas might play today. 

- I hope to play on Wednesday. The club told me they would know more on Tuesday night. 

That was last night, and there is still no official information, and Rocas hasn't said anything on his Twitter account.

Their defense has had an impressive openning of the season, they conceded 66 goals in three rounds, 22 on average. 

- The deal before Ringsted was to stand good in the defense, run counterattacks and be disciplined in the offense - Torsten Laen said for the handball site Hbold.dk.

This is actually their formula by which they will play the whole season. The played against Ringsted without Irming, who was injured during the previous game. Laen also said they had problems with a set attack. TMS is a weaker opponent than Tvis and they definitely won't score as much easy goals as they did in the last round. 

- Defense is the best part of our game, we have to leave our opponents on 20 goals. If we manage to do that, we know we will have a chance to win and we should focus on that - Laen said. 

It is not easy to play against Holstebro because they are a team who is also based on defense and counterattacks over their efficient wings, Patrick Wiesmach and Magnus Bramming. This duo was chosen for the best team of the previous round, after a great game against Ribe in their 35-28 win. Bramming was the first scorer with nine goals. Tvis Holstebro also has problems with the set zone, especially in a situation when they have to play without the backs Michael Damgaard and Jakob Green. They were both missing against Ribe, and Kolding remembers Damgaard well, he scored five goals against them in the first match (24-24) of the EHF quarterfinal, and seven in the second one (27-26 for Holstebro). 

They had a 73% efficiency against Ribe, and it will be almost impossible to repeat that against Kolding's defense and game style. 

- Jakob Green could have played against Ribe, but we didn't want to take any chances - coach Klavs Bruun Jorgensen said for the club's website. 

There is no information about Damgaard's performance, except some articles which say he is questionable for this match. 

In their six games against Holstebro last season, Kolding scored over 26.5 goals on two occasions, when they won 28-16 and 30-26. But, Kim Anderson played on both occasions and he is missing today, and so is Karper Irming, which means they are forced to play a right-hand player as a right back, and this kind of offense cannot have the flow as the attack with a lefty, despite the fact that Lasse Boesen played this position all his life. But the team with Boesen, Spellerberg, and Lukas Karlsson in their back line is over 100 years old altogether and speed is not their strength. Kolding is gonna put everything in defense - Jorgensen, Boldsen, Laen, and goalkeeper Hvidt make a defensive wall that is nearly impossible to breach. Holstebro's attack is not really deep but their defense has been powerful for the past several seasons. They conceded 23, 25 and 28 goals in their first three games, and they conceded 28 goals when they won 35-28. We are in for a tight, low-scoring affair, and I think Holstebro are able to leave Kolding under 26.5.