Croatia 32 – Spain 22 at World Handball Championship Croatia 2009

SPAIN – CROATIA  22 : 32 (11:18)

SPAIN: Hombrados, Entrerrios 4, Ugalde 1, Rocas 3, Canellas, Garabaya 1, Andreu 3, Viran 2, Perales 2, Barrufet, Juan Garcia, Romero 5, Ruesga 1 and Tomas.
CROATIA: Losert, Hrvatin 1, Balic 3, Duvnjak 7, Lackovic 6, Zrnic 1, Vori 5, Gojun, Spoljaric, Metlicic 3, Buntic, T. Valcic 1, Alilovic and Cupic 5.
REFEREES: Din and Dinu (Romania)
EXCLUSIONS OF THE PLAYERS:
SPAIN: 4 minutes
CROATIA: 16 minutes
7-meter:
SPAIN: 1/3
CROATIA: 1/1
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: MIRKO ALILOVIC (Croatia)
The host of the World Championship has convincingly defeated Spain and ensured the entry into the second round. The match Croatians played yesterday proved their qualification for the highest position. It was also a revenge of Croatian handball team for the defeat they suffered from Spain in the match for the third place at the Olympics in Beijing. In a great atmosphere of Spaladium Arena Croatian players showed determination from the very beginning, with the help from supporters. Spaniards, in defending line 3-2-1, tried very hard to find their way to Alilovic and his goal. Their attack was quite precise from the very beginning. Rivera noted already in the 12th minute, that his team wasn’t “set up”. After the leadership of Croatia 7:2 and the 7-meter goal by Cupic, Spanish selector asked for the time-out. In the match Rivera imposed Peralesa and Romero to play. The balance was established only for a few minutes, but just to reduce the lead of Croatia (8:5).
The second part of the first half-time was Croatian game Rhapsody. The back line players gave their best, Blazenko Lackovic had his greatest moments at the World Championship, Domagoj Duvnjak was also inspired, and they were all followed by Peter Metlicic, who thanks to his goal made Croatia led in the 25th minute with eight goals difference (17:9). The stands were „hot“ in the 27th minute, when Duvnjak was excluded. Due to the complaint two minutes were indicated even to the Croatian selector Lino Cervar. Croatian team almost had to defend themselves without two players on the field. At the end of the penalty Entrerrios scored a goal for Spain and that was the last one in the first half-time.
In the resumption Spanish started with defense 6-0. It only helped them to reduce the delay in the 40th minute (20:15). Offensive with two consecutive strokes was Balic and Croatia once again took back the advantage that it had at the beginning of the second half-time. The last ten minutes passed without the result’s uncertainty, two minutes before the end of the match Lackovic was brought to Croatia the lead of ten goals differences. With such a difference Croatia ended the match in its favor, which was celebrated loudly at the grandstands, but also at the court.

STATEMENTS OF THE SELECTORS:
Lino Cervar (Croatia):
– I would like to thank the whole team because they played smart, with full concentration, but also with a heart. I praise the great atmosphere and with these fans it is difficult to lose. But it will be inappropriate if I thought that is all over. The plan is still to go to Zagreb with four points.
Valero Rivera (Spain):
– This defeat is humility for us. We have simply disappeared from the court. Croatia has played very well and for us it remains to justify the reputation to our supporters.
K. Lovric
Source: www.croatia2009.com