Tvedten: "No mistakes allowed against Hamburg"
Before Havard Tvedten will leave Valladolid at the end of the season he wants to be a part of the greatest challenge in this competition: the VELUX EHF FINAL4. Next season the Norwegian winger will move to Denmark and play for AaB Handball, but he wishes to finish his five years in Spain by enjoying the next months in Valladolid.
Cuatro Rayas will visit Hamburg next Thursday to play their Last 16 first leg for a place in the next round. The Spanish side are aware that they will face one of the strongest teams in the competition.
www.ehfCL.com: How do you feel? Are you ready to face the last months of season?
Havard Tvedten: I feel very well! After the World Championship we were all pretty tired mentally but right now I am back to perfect. My form is great and I am enjoying my last games for Valladolid.
www.ehfCL.com: After good results Cuatro Rayas finished on second place of Group C. Did you expect an easier Last 16 opponent that Hamburg?
Havard Tvedten: Yes, we all truly did. When you finish the group phase on second place you expect to meet an easier team. However, we want to be at this year’s edition of the VELUX EHF FINAL4. This of course means that we will have to beat great clubs, so Hamburg could be the step one of our challenge.
The second leg match will be played at home with the support of our fans, which is important too. We have the best fans of Spain.
www.ehfCL.com: What are your expectations of the game in Hamburg?
Havard Tvedten: It will be a really complicated game. Hamburg are the leaders of the German Bundesliga, they are a very complete team. They have top players on every position, but we are determined to fight until the bitter end in order to qualify. We have the disadvantage of some injured important players, but we are still ready to face this eliminatory.
www.ehfCL.com: You mentioned injured Valladolid players, could that be a decisive factor?
Havard Tvedten: We had to play important games without Guillaume Joli, and then young Victor Alonso was on top level. We also miss Eduardo Gurbindo very much; he is another key player for us and we are hopefully looking forward to recover him. Our roster is not as big as HSV Hamburg’s.
www.ehfCL.com: Who do you consider the key players of your rivals?
Havard Tvedten: It is almost impossible to choose one player from that squad. Every single one is top. The wingers are very fast and good players. Michael Kraus is a great playmaker who is able to score a lot of goals. Pascal Hens is a superb shooter. It is impossible to say who the best player of this team is!
www.ehfCL.com: What do you expect to decide the winner in this duel?
Havard Tvedten: Mistakes are not allowed against Hamburg. That is the key. They are capable of very good fast breaks, so we simply can not give them options to run. We need to impose our style and be strong in defence.
www.ehfCL.com: You will leave Spain at the end of the season, where are you going?
Havard Tvedten: for me it is time for the next step in my career. So I will move to Denmark and play for AaB Handball. They have a new project going on and have signed some important players. My wife and me are expecting our second baby and would prefer to be closer to our home country Norway. I have been in Spain for five years and it has been a great pleasure to play in this league. It was an important part of my life and have made some very good friends.
The opening game of the eight Last 16 matches in the VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League between the current fourth of the Spanish ASOBAL league at the German league leaders will be broadcast as a free-of-charge live web stream on ehfTV.com.
VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League, Last 16, First leg
Thursday, 24 March 2011, 19:30 hrs (local time)
HSV Hamburg (GER) vs. Cuatro Rayas Valladolid (ESP)
ehfTV.com is the official Internet TV platform of the European Handball Federation and offers free live streaming as well as a video on demand service.
TEXT:
Fernando Urra Goñi