France Clinches Last-Second Victory Over Switzerland

France edged out Switzerland 26-25 with a last-second goal at their opening game of the tournament.

In the traditional Kloten tournament, the U21 national teams of Switzerland and France faced off in a thrilling match. This tournament serves as a final test before the U20 European Championship in Slovenia, where the teams will meet again. The Swiss team had to play without two of their key players due to injuries: Luca Siegrist and last year's top scorer, Gino Steenaerts.

The game kicked off with a quick goal from the French left wing. The Swiss responded promptly with a long-range shot from Valentin Wolfisberg. The first ten minutes saw a balanced match, with a 5-5 tie promising an exciting game. Noteworthy was the collaboration between Wolfisberg (HC Kriens-Luzern) and Levin Wanner (Pfadi Winterthur) for the Swiss, while France's line player Amara Karamoko (Paris Saint-Germain Handball) repeatedly posed a threat. After a timeout in the 15th minute with the score at 8-8, technical errors crept into the Swiss game, allowing the French to take a slim 15-14 lead into halftime. 

At the start of the second half, Swiss goalkeeper Mathieu Seravalli made two impressive saves, keeping the game tight. Levin Wanner's energetic play led to two more of his total six goals, and Nikos Sarlos put Switzerland back in the lead with a penalty throw in the 38th minute. The match remained fiercely contested, standing at 20-20 after 41 minutes.

In the final phase, the teams were neck and neck, and the tension was palpable. Seravalli saved a crucial penalty in the 49th minute, keeping Switzerland in the game. Despite a strong defensive effort and further saves from Ramon Kusnandar, the Swiss couldn’t secure the decisive goals. A timeout by Switzerland in the 58th minute with the score at 25-25 didn’t yield the desired result. With only seconds remaining, the match seemed headed for a draw. However, a direct free throw from Killian Prat, which struck the crossbar and went in, sealed a 26-25 victory for France in the final second.

In conclusion, Switzerland suffered an unlucky defeat in their opening match, where a draw would have been fair. They will face Spain next at 17:00 on Saturday, who convincingly won their opening match against Germany.