Las Guerreras cannot beat France and finish ninth

Unit B was enough for the Olympic champion to prevail by a clear 36-23

Prades’ pupils were permissive in defense and unwise in attack

The Spanish women’s handball team finally had to settle for ninth place in the European Championship in Slovenia, Macedonia and Montenegro, after falling this Wednesday by 36-23 in view of Francein a crash in which the “female warriorsDejected by the impossibility of fighting for fifth place, they were clearly outclassed by the “B” unit of the French team.

The resounding defeat (42-25) fitted by Montenegro before the countries Low and that forced Spain to defeat, nothing more and nothing less, than the almighty French team by fifteen goals, fell like a stone on the Jose Ignacio Pradeswho started the contest somewhat crestfallen.

Quite a problem when facing a rival of the stature of the French team, the current Olympic champions, despite the fact that the French coach Olivier Krumbholzwith the ticket already secured for the semifinals, left key pieces such as the goalkeeper in the stands Cleopatre Darleux or the pivot Pauletta foppa.

But unit “B” of the “bleues” was clearly superior to a Spanish team, which behaved Excessively soft in defense and unwise in front of the rival goal in attack. Sticking to the six-meter line, the Spanish defense allowed the French “gunboats” to enjoy the necessary distance to display their shooting potential in each attack.

A problem to which we must add the lack of effectiveness in the launch of the Spanish team, which despite generating goal situations, insisted on missing one launch after another. As the Spanish coach recriminated them Jose Ignacio Pradeswho had to urgently request a timeout after eleven minutes to prevent the game from ending (6-3) before it almost started.

“In attack we have to put some. We have five or six pitches that we give them away”claimed Prades. But neither did the Spanish team improve their effectiveness, they only scored nine of the twenty-two shots they attempted in the first half and that the French goalkeeper Floriane Andre only saved two balls in the first thirty minutes of play.

Failures and more failures that France punished with their fast transition game which placed the “Guerreras” with a disadvantage of seven goals (12-5) exceeded twenty minutes of play. An income that was not higher due to the good performance of the young goalkeeper Nicole wigginsthe great revelation of the Spanish team in this championship, which with its eight saves prevented France’s advantage from shooting up even more (17-9) when the break comes.

The Spanish team improved somewhat in the launch in the second half, but the lack of aggressiveness in defense of the “Guerreras”, who continued without disturbing the French “gunboats”, prevented the disadvantage from growing (24-14).

A difference that did not stop growing, despite the fact that Prades I try everything, but neither the transition to an open 5-1 defense, nor, much less, the attack with seven outfield players, which only served to France scored an empty goal, allowed Spain to reduce the disadvantage as reflected by the 36-23 final.