Three line players who could be the x-factor for their teamArticle
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PLAYERS TO LOOK FOR #7: Many overlook the importance of the line player, but they can be a dual threat who can surely tip the balance if neglected

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Three line players who could be the x-factor for their team

Line players can make or break a team’s chances to a successful tournament. The headline is, of course, Heidi Loke’s comeback to competition, but we also highlight two other names who could startle in France.      

Heidi Loke, Norway

Three times the All-Star line player at the Women’s EHF European Championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014, Loke is a household name who needs no introduction to handball fans. She was also named the World Player of the Year in 2011 and won gold at the EHF EURO (2008, 2010, 2014), World Championships (2011, 2015) and Olympic Games (2012).

Now 35, Loke is back after she gave birth for the second time in June 2017 and is hungry for her fourth gold medal at the EHF EURO. The Norwegian player has taken a step back at club level, playing in the past two seasons for Storhamar, but was deemed fit enough by coach Thorir Hergeirsson to play once again for the Norwegian national team, after helping them to the silver medal at last year’s World Championship.

With 702 goals scored in her career for the national team, an average of 3.7 goals per game, there are only six players who have scored more than Loke for Norway. A player who is equally unstoppable in attack and an astute and scrambling defender, Loke could prove once again the x-factor for a side that has several fresh faces without huge experience at the highest level.

Crina Pintea, Romania

Crina Pintea’s story is, once again, confirmation that sheer will and stubbornness can defeat any stereotype. The Romanian line player had never played at a high level until she was 16 years old and did not break into the national team until she was 22.

A versatile player who can also play as a left back, Pintea is a superb defender, helping Ambros Martin build a strong wall before the Romanian goal posts.

Never the type to bow down in front of a challenge, Pintea got stronger and stronger, adding layers of experience and strength until she finally got the courage to leave Romania for Thüringer HC. After two years with the German champions, the 28-year old line player signed for Issy Paris Handball and this proved to be the best decision she ever took.

The 1.86m tall Romanian player was named the best line player in the French league last season, while also becoming one of the go-to players for Issy this season, breaking all her scoring records. Pintea has already scored 58 goals in 10 games, enough to put her in fifth position in the top goal scorer rankings of the French league.

Moreover, she scored 22 goals in the first two rounds in the Women’s EHF Cup, including a nine-goal gem that helped Issy Paris progress to the next round against fellow French side Nantes Handball.

Sladjana Pop-Lazic, Serbia

Sladjana Pop-Lazic has never been the star of the Serbian national team, with Andrea Lekic or Dragana Cvijic stealing the spotlight. But the 30-year old line player is having the time of her life this season, becoming one of the best scorers both in the French league and in the Women’s EHF Champions League, where she plies her trade for Brest Bretagne Handball.

One of the most experienced players in the Serbian national team, Pop-Lazic was named the best line player in the French league both in 2016 and 2017, underlining her upwards trajectory. There is no other line player coming close to her tally in the Champions League, where she scored 31 goals, challenging Ana Gros for the top scorer position at Brest.

With Andrea Lekic also in fine form, Serbia will surely rely on their connection to progress from a group that also features Denmark, Sweden and Poland, as the two players have known each other since they were juniors.


TEXT: Peter Bruun/jh
 
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