The Czech handball players advanced to the eight-final group at the Junior World Championships in Slovenia. In a key duel, they defeated Romania at 32:25, making off Friday’s crushing defeat with Angola.
The promotion key was relentless before the last match in the basic group E of the U20 World Handball Championship. In order to celebrate the promotion, the Czechs had to win the Romanians by at least seven goals. It was a difficult goal against a favored opponent, which the juniors have never defeated before. Thanks to the fantastic defense led by goalkeeper Adéla Srpová and effective shooting, the Czechs maintained the necessary seven-goal lead and the sensation was born.
In contrast to the unsuccessful match against Angola (25:36), the Czechs started confidently, Machačová opened the score in the first minute. Almost the entire first half of the match, the score was even, with both teams vying for the lead. In the fifteenth minute, the Romanians bounced back by two goals, but the Czechs managed to equalize, Machačová returned the Czech team to 9: 8 and Kuxová added the tenth goal. Before the end of the half, the score turned in favor of the Romanian team, but the Czechs managed to equalize and left for the cabins at 14:14.
The Czechs flew into the second half even more actively, they were able to defend the Romanians, and the very catchy Srpová recorded important interventions. Although the Romanians slowly caught up and decreased mainly due to the changed free throws, after the goal whirlwind of Kux, Cholev, Vostárková or Smějová, the Czechs gained the necessary lead seven minutes before the end and managed to maintain it until the end of the match. A minute before the end, they even led by eight goals, Gogirlaová reduced the difference to seven goals by a penalty throw at the very end, but the Czechs already knew that they could rejoice.
“I’m moved, I really have no words. We showed a great team performance and I’m really proud of the girls. It wasn’t easy at all, we were depressed from the previous defeat, but we managed to recover, we supported each other and that was the basis of today’s success,” she rejoiced. with Natálie Kuxová. “The defense definitely decided in the second half. We took over, we were emphatic, we broke it. The Romanians may have become a little mentally complicated and we just made it.”
Goalkeeper Srpová had a large share in the win. “I have a lot of feelings mixed in me, it’s hard to find words. We knew and went into a fight that we never defeated the Romanians. It was all or nothing. And we have everything,” Srpová rejoiced. “We knew we were going to win, we were all set up like this and we believed we could do it. We were preparing as always, after Angola it was all the more difficult. Maybe it helped us that we got such a beating. We wanted it. to the people who follow us. They deserve unbelievable thanks for their support. “
Coach Dušan Poloz did not spare words of praise. “The girls deserve a discharge for today’s performance. I haven’t been in such a team flow for a long time, I have a feeling that some players won’t even remember half of the match,” the Czech coach admitted. “We wanted to invest a hard, uncompromising defense in the beginning of the match to beat the Romanians. It was an investment of the first 15 minutes, when we put everything into it, both in defensive battles and in the transition from the first and second waves. I believed and hoped that It will come back to us in the end and it happened.While we did not have a total tactic against Angola, this time it was amazing. I am very happy that the girls fought. We are among the 16 best teams in the world and the team really belongs there, “added Poloz.
Junior Handball World Championship in Slovenia:
Group E: Czech Republic – Romania 32:25 (14:14)
Final table:
| 1. | Angola | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 90:69 | 4 |
| 2. | CR | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 90:77 | 4 |
| 3. | Romania | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80:75 | 4 |
| 4. | Lithuania | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 54:93 | 0 |
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