Mireya González, in action during the game against Ukraine.Henning Bagger (EFE)
Spain sometimes goes and sometimes stops. It is still a discontinuous team, but definitely enough to eliminate a rival like Ukraine (32-20) and secure a place in the second phase of the Women’s Handball World Championship. In the second half, the team was better again, finding solutions when doubts arose as soon as they returned from the break and, full of uncertainty, clinging to the beacon of Mireya González (six goals and MVP of the game) and the stability between the goalposts. Merche Castellanos (11 stops and 42% success rate).
This Sunday things will get steeper against Brazil (6:00 p.m., Teledeporte) and what happens against the South Americans, who also won their two games, will largely determine the Guerreras’ future in the tournament. A win would have taken them into the next round with four points and would have kept their chances of reaching the quarter-finals, which is the main goal as pre-Olympic qualification is virtually assured. But a fall would leave Spain with no room to maneuver and against the wall. A border duel on the third day.
After a hesitant debut against Kazakhstan, the group’s main star, Ambros Martín’s mission was clear: start concentrating more on defense. With more contacts, more aggressive. And this part showed the first progress. It was not an impenetrable wall, but the dispersion was less. At the top, Mireya González didn’t have to change compared to her debut, the best team, and continued to do her thing with four goals without making a mistake. The turnaround was also a treasure for the Spaniards, with Kaba Gassama and Lysa Tchaptchet, well supported by Alicia Fernández.
And so, after a 4-0 run in the 20th minute, the team was able to get to 11:5 without much excitement. Ukraine suffered from their success in the penalty shootout and the performance of Tamara Smbatian (six goals at the break). Their attack offered too many escape routes and many mistakes. It was time for the Guerreras to make another attempt and gain a bigger lead, but that didn’t happen. Once again, Spain’s defeats and bad decisions reduced their lead at halftime (16-12).
The return of the break took place in this swampy terrain of doubt, again through the hole of losses, the eternal black spot of Spain. The first three possessions went into limbo. The road twisted. But in that blurry moment, Mireya González appeared again as an anchor to put her foot on the wall and mobilize her team in time.
Spain fought back, was able to initiate a few pain-relieving counterattacks and Silvia Arderius brought the light into position. Ukraine’s seams showed, Smbatian scored just one more goal in the second half and the team there posted a salutary score of 22-14 midway through the second half. This income was already the good thing. There was no longer any fear for the team; they mastered the outcome in Brazil calmly and prudently. The first real event of the Women’s Handball World Cup is here.
Spain, 32 – Ukraine, 20
Spain: Castellanos; Etxeberria (2), A. Fernández (3), Gassama (4), L. González (-), Arcos (2) and S. López (2) – Starting team – Zoqbi (ps), Campos (-), Arderius ( 1), Somaza (3), González de Garibay (-), P. Pérez (4, 2p), O’Mullony (-), Tchaptchet (5) and Mireya González (6).
Ukraine: Saltaniuk; Shukal (1), Poliak (1), Smbatian (7, 3p), Andriichuk (2, 1p), Diachenko (2) and Naumenko (1) – Starting team – Baloh (ps), Gladun (ps), Markevych (3 ) , Soskyda (-), Prokopiak (-), Melekestseva (1), Kohuch (-), Kozak (2) and Kompaniiets (-).
Mark every five minutes: 2-1, 5-3, 7-5, 11-6, 14-9 and 16-12 (rest) 17-13, 21-14, 22-15, 24-17, 27-19 and 32-20 (Final).
referee: Belkhiri and Hamidi (ALG). They excluded Tchaptchet (2), Paulina Pérez, Shukal (2) and Kohuch for two minutes.
Arena Nord in Frederikshavn (Denmark).
Group G
Kazakhstan, 15 – Brazil46
Spain32 – Ukraine, 20
classification
Brazil, 4 points
Spain, 4
Ukraine, 0
Kazakhstan, 0
*Three rounds with the points scored against the teams that also pass the phase
More results of the day
Romania44 – Chile, 19
Croatia, 22 – Senegal, 22
South Korea27 – Greenland, 16
Sweden36 – China, 24
Austria, 28 – NorwayFour five
Denmark25 – Serbia, 21
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