On the fourth day of the Handball World Cup in Denmark, Croatia and Norway, the next teams were able to book their tickets for the main round. The Czech Republic and Poland fought a defensive battle at 19:19 (12:9). There were unpleasant scenes in the game between Netherlands and North Macedonia.
After the Czechs’ 17:17 draw at the start against Switzerland, things in Herning, Denmark, were once again low-goal – and exciting until the end. The Czech Republic started the game well thanks to goals from backcourt player Dominik Solák and led 12:9 at the break. In the final phase, Poland’s goalkeeper Marcel Jastrzebski set important accents with his saves and thus gave his team the chance of a last-minute victory. Despite coach Marcin Lijewski’s time out, the Polish team was no longer able to achieve a top-class finish. This means both teams have the chance to advance.
Group D: Netherlands survives heated duel in Varaždin
The North Macedonian fans took the opportunity to travel to Varaždin in Croatia because the audience response on the first days of the World Cup was occasionally criticized by fans and the media. In the second preliminary round game of Group D, hundreds of fans cheered on coach Kiril Lazarov’s team in the game against the Netherlands. In keeping with the heated atmosphere: a total of three red cards in the game. In terms of sport, in the end it was a safe 37:32 (18:15) win for the Dutch, who were able to qualify for the main round.
There were unpleasant scenes after the final whistle when North Macedonian supporters threw objects at the plate and the Dutch players. Staffan Olsson’s team left the field as a unit while the player of the game was being voted for. During the course of the game, stewards had to hold back some fans who regularly insulted the referees during the video evidence.
The Hungarians, who are still winless, won against World Cup debutants Guinea with 35:18 (20:9). After the draw in the opening game against North Macedonia, Spanish coach Chema Rodríguez’s team showed significant improvement. The West Africans, who played their first ever World Cup game against the Netherlands, are, as expected, last in Group D with zero points, but could still reach the main round on their own with a win against North Macedonia – it would be a huge sensation.
Group E: Costa brothers shine, Norway with first win
The Portuguese should be warned at the latest after the Brazilians’ surprise win against Norway. Nevertheless, the favorites missed the start of the game. Only after just under eight minutes did Martim Costa score the first goal for Portugal (1:4). With a 56% catch rate, Rangel da Rosa was the guarantee in the Brazilian goal for the 15:12 lead at the break.
The individual class of the Costa brothers made the difference in the second 30 minutes and gave the Portuguese their second win in the second game and early entry into the main round. At 30:26 Martim Costa (9 goals) was voted best player of the game.
After the Norwegians’ unexpected opening defeat against Brazil, superstar Sander Sagosen’s team was already under pressure in the second game. The Scandinavians quickly turned to victory against the USA and went into the break with a 6-goal lead. Simen Ulstad Lyse (6 goals) from top club Kolstad Håndball was the Norwegians’ best thrower in the 33:17 (13:7) win. They also need a win in the last group game against Portugal in order to maintain their chances in the rest of the tournament.
Group H: Egypt and Croatia hold harmless
“The Pharaohs”, nickname of the Egyptian national handball team, book the main round! The reigning African champions delivered an appealing performance against Bahrain and were particularly cold-blooded in attack. Yahia Omar and Co. then gradually increased their 16:11 halftime lead and ultimately celebrated a 35:24 victory. Egypt’s Mohsen Mahmoud (5 goals) was voted best player of the game, while the best thrower of the game was Bahrain’s Mohamed Mohamed with eight goals.
The Croatian team also made short work of the second game and overwhelmed Argentina 33:18. The co-hosts were already leading 18-7 at the break at the Arena in Zagreb. The Croatian goalkeeper, Dominik Kuzmanović (VfL Gummersbach), was in impressive form and had 50% saved balls at the end of the game. On the last matchday, the two unbeaten teams from Egypt and Croatia will fight for victory in Group H.